India's answer to China's 'string of pearls' in Asia, particularly South Asia, is its own 'necklace of diamonds', reports Aziz Haniffa
Mansoor Ijaz, the man who has triggered off a political crisis in Pakistan, is a 'dubious character,' who is sowing 'seeds of dissension,' South Asia experts in the US tell Aziz Haniffa in Washington, DC.
United States First Lady Michelle Obama played a little tennis with kids, displayed her football skills, handed out some hugs and posed for photos with strapping athletes as she formally began her stint leading the US Olympics delegation.
'The biggest challenge Swaraj and Sitharaman will face is how far they can take their counterparts Pompeo and Mattis seriously.' 'One just doesn't know how long they will even keep their jobs.' 'They are basically salesmen peddling American wares.' 'Actually, there is nothing like 'American policies' in the Trump era,' says Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Donald Trump, the Republican presidential front-runner, could be seizing upon "fear" and "anger" among American people for poll gains instead of hope and a promise for a better future, US envoy Richard Verma has said.
Everyone is adjusting to the new realities of the decline of American power, China's rise and the birth pangs of a new world order. To arrest the India-Russia relationship at this transitory phase is both unrealistic and unnecessary, says M K Bhadrakumar.
Like it gave the prize to Barack Obama to make him fulfill the promise of change, the Nobel Committee has given it to the EU to remind it of its huge responsibility to maintain unity within the organisation, says T P Sreenivasan.
Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz has said that Pakistan's Ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani was the official who asked him to deliver a secret memorandum on behalf of President Asif Ali Zardari seeking help from the Obama administration to prevent a possible military takeover.
The statue, which is across the road from the Indian Embassy, was vandalised on the intervening night of June 2 and 3, prompting the Indian embassy to register a complaint with the local law enforcement agencies. The incident happened during the week of nationwide protests against the custodial killing of Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25.
Russia's Ambassador to India Alexander Kadakin has said that his country's stand on American non-government agencies stalling the 1,000 megawatt Kudankulam project in Tamil Nadu has been vindicated by a statement made by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during an interview with a science magazine on Thursday.
With the signing of the pact, the Quad grouping of India, Japan, Australia and the US is set to gain more heft now, notes Dr Rajaram Panda.
'Indians go to vote next week -- the world's oldest democracy should both celebrate and perhaps analyse this event and its implications.' Dr S Jaishankar, India's ambassador to the US, offers prescriptions for India-US ties.
Pakistan's Supreme Court on Monday lifted a travel ban on the country's former ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani, as it gave the judicial commission two more months to complete its probe in the memo scandal that rocked ties between the civilian government and the military.
A nine-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry also lifted a foreign travel ban on Pakistan's former ambassador to the US, Husain Haqqani, who had resigned after the scandal became public.
The announcement came barely a day after the UNHRC condemned the Trump administration for its policy of separating children from the families at the US-Mexico border.
'Russia is the only country that can act as facilitator for any eventual Chinese-Indian rapprochement,' points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
From former President A P J Abdul Kalam to a defence minister and an Indian ambassador in United States -- Shahrukh Khan has the company of the noted personalities who were detained or underwent a pat-down search while passing through an American airport.
US skier Lindsey Vonn is reportedly shattered and hurt after her recent break-up with golf ace Tiger Woods.
Pakistan's close ties with China and its lack of democracy and disregard for human rights will not be overlooked, said Haqqani, who currently is a Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute think-tank in Washington.
The news report was immediately refuted by both the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and the National Security Advisor, who said that there was no discussion of specific threats with the Russians.
Leading Pakistani lawyer and rights activist Asma Jahangir has said that she would represent former Ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani in the Supreme Court in a case related to the controversial secret memo sent to the American military in May.
'Washington senses that the anchor sheet of India's strategic autonomy lies in its longstanding partnership with Russia, which remains firm and immutable despite the changes in world politics in the post-Cold War era,' notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.<
US Ambassador Cameron Munter on Tuesday said that the American administration was prepared to help in any probe by Pakistan into the secret memorandum that purportedly sought US help to prevent a military takeover in the country.
'Youngsters, it's clear, are voting for Obama. Not only that, they canvass for him, add him to their Facebook and MySpace profiles, and talk about him over coffee and classwork. Should he win, he will be inexorably linked with my generation.'
Former US National Security Advisor James Jones has said that he was the intermediary who delivered to former military chief Admiral Mike Mullen a secret memorandum that businessman Mansoor Ijaz purportedly drafted on behalf of the Pakistan government.
Husain Haqqani, Pakistan's ambassador to Washington, has been summoned to Islamabad following reports that he sought United States help to rein in the country's powerful generals in the wake of the raid that killed Al QaeOsama bin Laden. He has offered his resignation to defuse a growing controversy at home that threatens to aggravate already precarious relations between Pakistan's military and its government.
'The Delhi-Washington stalemate can end only if India's concern over trans-border terrorism is addressed.' 'The Indian security establishment expects a spike in terrorist attacks in the months ahead.' 'And there is every likelihood that India may retaliate against Pakistan at some point,' observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
An Iranian-American accused of participating in a terror plot allegedly by elements in the Iranian government to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in Washington, has pleaded not guilty to the charges in New York on Monday.
Indians at large harbour a notion that their country is cherrypicking out of the American basket of goodies, but the policymakers in Delhi and the political leadership are well aware that it can only be a pipe dream since a military alliance with a superpower is a profound irrevocable commitment, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The names of two Indian-Americans -- Seema Verma and Bobby Jindal -- have emerged as possible candidates.
'President Obama will make a historic visit to India in January, becoming the first US head of State to attend India's Republic Day and the only sitting US president to visit India twice.' 'There's little doubt the relationship has been re-energised, with renewed enthusiasm to take our partnership to the next level.'
In a statement, US Ambassador to India David Mulford noted that scholars and students from India are valued members of its higher education communities.
Like in any expanding relationship, there will always be transactional issues to address between the two sides, says Rao.
Describing the India-United States strategic partnership as a "defining and indispensable" collaboration for the 21st century, American President Barack Obama has said the two countries share a dynamic and broad relationship that serves to advance peace and prosperity in Asia and the world.
Mahinda Rajapaksa is a democratically elected leader who received a massive mandate of 71% of votes, and he owes nothing to Delhi or Washington for staging his political comeback, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The American embassy in New Delhi was informed on Wednesday that two aircraft offered by the US government through the Foreign Military Sales process were not selected for procurement by the defence ministry, an embassy release stated.
Pakistan's powerful Army chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani told a top American diplomat that his establishment wanted the resumption of back channel talks with India, but President Asif Ali Zardari was against it, according to a secret United States cable leaked by WikiLeaks.
India's outgoing ambassador to the United States, Meera Shankar, was showered with praises as the US administration gave her a warm send off, with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton lauding her role in strengthening the partnership between the two countries.
