India and the US have collaborated through the past one month on launching a powerful satellite; are commencing joint production of GE Aerospace's F414 jet engines in India; India is participating in a massive three week-long military exercise in the Western Pacific, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The United States government did not announce any bounty for Jamaat-ud Dawa Chief Hafiz Saeed, suspect in the Mumbai terror attacks, American Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter has said, blaming Pakistani media for "misreporting" the issue.
'Trump does have a master plan in mind to put pressure on India with the additional tariff of 25 per cent to get Modi to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to freeze the Ukraine war.' 'It has not worked so far. By end-September only we'll know for sure the future trajectory of India's oil purchases from Russia,' observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Five former American ambassadors to India have written to top US lawmakers urging removal of visa provisions which, they say, are not in US economic interests and also stand to complicate relations with India.
The T20 showpiece is also seen as a major stepping stone to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where cricket will make a comeback after 128 years when the big event kicks off on June 1.
On March 8, the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to advance former Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti's nomination as US ambassador to India.
This mission is the 14th human flight for the New Shepard programme and the 34th in its history.
'What we need to watch is how Saudi Arabia's financial assistance will be used by Pakistan. If the funds go to build their military hardware and operations, it should worry us.'
By threatening to punish India with high tariff, Trump is actually planting a tantalising thought in the Indian mind that the Modi government should suitably 'incentivise' him, explains Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Pakistan's ambassador to Turkmenistan, K K Wagan, was deported from the United States after being denied entry at Los Angeles airport. The incident has sparked concerns about diplomatic protocol and the nature of the US authorities' decision. Wagan, who holds a valid US visa, was forced to return to his last port of departure. The Foreign Office confirmed the envoy had gone to the US on a private visit and is investigating the matter. It remains unclear what specific concerns triggered the deportation, but sources suggest the US immigration system flagged Wagan over controversial visa references. The incident has been communicated to Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Foreign Secretary Aamna Baloch, and the Foreign Ministry has directed its Consulate in Los Angeles to investigate.
'...it should not delude itself into thinking that India's security or its great-power ambitions will be advanced by those partnerships.'
'Instead, what India should focus on is on riding out the next three-and-a-half years of Trump's presidency with minimal damage to itself.'
Nancy Powell, being the quintessential diplomat, and attempting to be as circumspect as possible, replied, "Iran and India have a long tradition of trade across energy and other fields. It is one that is clearly a part of our sanctions regime, that we are hoping to see it significantly reduced."
'...I'll say this to my fellow Americans, the more ties that we have to more Indians and the more ways we can find to grow our economic and educational exchanges, the stronger America and India.'
Trump's new rules for how countries should treat him have led to the current breakdown in India-US relations, explains Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
'The current strain in the relationship is serious and likely to be long lasting.' 'Even if Trump suddenly changes his attitude toward India -- which he is entirely capable of doing -- it is unlikely that New Delhi will be able to pick up the pieces and respond as if nothing has happened.'
In a post on X, Sherman said that he 'emphasised to the Pakistani delegation the importance of combatting terrorism, and in particular, the group Jaish-e-Mohammed, who murdered my constituent Daniel Pearl in 2002'.
Israel's aerial assault on Iran is widely viewed as an act of naked aggression with no basis in international law, carried out unilaterally despite US opposition and aimed at derailing ongoing US-Iran nuclear negotiations, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The United States embassy on Thursday trashed reports that American Ambassador Eric Garcetti alerted his team about possible impact of New Delhi's diplomatic spat with Ottawa on India-United States relations.
The political and ideological differences between the Congress and Shashi Tharoor is no longer a matter of whispers.
Amidst ongoing efforts to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov stated that Moscow is "prepared to sit in a trilateral format" for peace talks. Alipov also expressed optimism about the current US administration's approach to the conflict, suggesting a willingness to engage in dialogue. He highlighted the importance of a peaceful resolution while emphasizing that Russia is prepared to continue the war if necessary. Alipov stated that Russia does not expect anything specific from India in terms of mediation and highlighted the strong bilateral relationship between the two countries.
If India caves in to US pressure as Trump hopes it will, he will further try to blackmail it into submission, points out Ramesh Menon.
Trump has a major decision to take in coming days -- specifically, how to rescue Israel from the attritional war that lies ahead, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
'India enjoys conventional superiority, but nuclear deterrence imposes clear boundaries.'
'Geopolitically and diplomatically it's a very difficult situation for India.'
'We need to be very vigilant as we are passing through some fraught times.'
Trump couldn't care less anymore about the Israeli demand for Iran's 'de-nuclearisation' and 'de-militarisation.' Trump pins hopes on a grand bargain with Iran as a partner in America First, argues Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
An inconclusive end to this war will pose high risk for Netanyahu of a cascading demand for a regime change in Israel, predicts Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
'Pakistan's army has got a streak of democracy. It is more democratic than the country.'
In an interaction with PTI Videos in New Delhi, Iran's deputy chief of mission to India Mohammad Javad Hosseini also said Americans should "put pressure" and bring the other side back to the negotiating table.
Tharoor said if Pakistan were to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism, "we can talk to them".
Tharoor said that though India's case might not be at the top of the agenda for the US media, India can get its message across easily.
Indian-American Richard Rahul Verma has been sworn in as the United States ambassador to India by Secretary of State John Kerry.
At the end of the day, for many worldwide, the ongoing mutual attacks between Israel and Iran would seem a contest devoid of any moral high ground and only a bout between two ordinary adversaries, one that nevertheless risks spinning out of control into a larger conflagration, notes Shyam G Menon.
Will Russia's entry deter Trump on his warpath?, asks Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
India and the US have finalised the terms of reference outlining the roadmap for negotiations of the proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), according to a statement issued by the US. US Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer said that these ongoing talks will help achieve balance and reciprocity by opening new markets for American goods and addressing unfair practices that harm US workers.
'The touchstone is reciprocity which will be applied to friends and foes alike.' 'It will be a bitter pill to swallow.'
Garcetti's nomination is pending before the US Congress since July 2021, when he was nominated for the prestigious diplomatic posting by President Joe Biden.
Tharoor, who is leading the all-party delegation to the Americas during his Bogota visit, had expressed dismay over the South American country's stance during a press conference on Thursday.
A Bob Dylan biopic, Mohanlal's vendetta, super serious Suriya and more on OTT this week.
