Nepal witnessed political turbulence in 2022 that dramatically turned rivals into allies and throned former guerrilla leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' as the prime minister for a third time, as Kathmandu made efforts to balance ties with immediate neighbours India and China with high-profile talks and visits.
China on Friday inaugurated its second railway line in Tibet, built at a cost of $2.16 billion, close to Indian border in Sikkim, enhancing mobility of its military in the remote and strategic Himalayan region.
Projects about to be completed include the first rail connectivity projects in Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh, along with crucial gauge conversion between Rangpara and North Lakhimpur, which would connect Arunachal Pradesh to the rest of the country.
Iran's decision to keep India out and welcome China to the scene is a huge strategic setback for India, observes Dr Rajaram Panda.
The Cabinet can take a decision on the matter only after the Election Commission's approval.
Cash-rich China is looking to outwit rival Japan by pledging to invest billions of dollars in India's railway, manufacturing and infrastructure projects during President Xi Jinping's maiden visit to the country this week.
A proposed 24 percent hike in the salaries of 2.6 million employees and pensioners, will land the railways with a wage bill of about $4.7 billion.
'It is certainly time for New Delhi to open up. Not only should it go ahead at full steam with the roads to the LAC, but the government must also allow tourists to visit these stunningly beautiful areas of Indian territory.'
The Chinese Super League (CSL) looks set to start its new season at the end of June or in early July and will not have to shorten the campaign, Guangzhou R&F CEO Huang Shenghua said. The CSL was originally scheduled to kick off on February 22 but was pushed back due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has infected more than 2.33 million and killed about 160,000 people globally.
Deepa Gahlot picks 10 Web series that was worth the viewer's while.
India and China on Friday signed a record 24 agreements in key sectors
Given the security dilemma prevailing between India and China, India should curb the operation of Chinese telecom companies in India, asserts Dr Rup Narayan Das.
A piece of slightly negative news can cause a serious setback, warns Debashis Basu.
On his maiden visit to Beijing, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping during which the two leaders agreed to strengthen the all-weather friendship and the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
If we can adhere to those standards, most passengers will be happy.
Chinese officials hope the cases will come down in the coming days with more specialised hospitals being set up in Wuhan. China's ministry of science and technology said that a batch of Remdesivir, an antiviral drug, which will be put into clinical trials to test its efficiency on the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), is expected to arrive in China soon.
To understand Modi, listen to what he does not say -- vide NRC, suggests Prem Panicker.
India is one of the few countries in the region that enjoys good relations with both Israel and Saudi Arabia, and IMEC would allow it to recreate the old Spice Route to Europe. All this is in jeopardy now, notes Rajeev Srinivasan.
Beyond the barbed wire and watchtowers, though, lies a story that casts more than a little doubt on whether this dream will ever be realised. Praveen Swami reports.
The batch of five experts will also play a role as interpreters between India and China sides during border personnel meetings, sources said.
'The Chinese have taken to telling their Indian interlocutors to bear in mind the 5:1 disparity in the sizes of the two economies.' 'The message from Beijing, says T N Ninan, is clear: Acknowledge superior Chinese power, and behave accordingly.'
China plans to build a 540-kilometre strategic high-speed rail link between Tibet and Nepal passing through a tunnel under Mount Everest, a move that could raise alarm in India about the Communist giant's growing influence in its neighbourhood.
PM Modi's China visit may strengthen ties between both the countries.
How China's all powerful Communist party bungled the response to the coronavirus crisis.
In a world without politics, time zones would change by an hour for a shift of 15 degrees of longitude. But, of course, political considerations apply, explains Devangshu Datta.
Nearly two decades ago, then defence minister George Fernandes said: 'China has built roads up to the border, while there has been negligence on India's part.' Since Fernandes uttered these brave words, what has been done on the Indian side? The Modi Sarkar is apparently trying, but little has been achieved so far, says Claude Arpi.
Eighty-nine deaths were reported on Saturday -- the highest single-day death toll -- and there were 2,656 new confirmed cases of the deadly infection, China's National Health Commission said in its daily report on Sunday.
Goyal was to visit Beijing from August 2 to 3 to take part in the RCEP Intersessional Ministerial meet.
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Despite being cheaper, the Chinese technology is not the preferred option.
Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) chairman Bibek Debroy on Tuesday said the government was losing revenue due to the GST, which should be revenue neutral with a single rate. Speaking at an event organised by the Calcutta Chamber of Commerce in Kolkata, he however said that GST has led to a lot of simplification. "The ideal GST is one that has a single rate, and it was meant to be revenue neutral.
Masood Khan, Pakistan's Ambassador to China, said that a feasibility study of the railway had been conducted but there was still no time-table for starting the construction.
The ministry of external affairs said India has conveyed its "consistent position" on the issue to China on several occasions.
Outbound shipments of engineering products in June to these nations doubled to $1.32 billion in June 2020, from $653.52 million in June 2019.
India's decrepit state-run train services stand to receive at least a 25 per cent boost in investment to over $9 billion.
Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu aligns priorities, funding and organisation to shape a transformation agenda.
'Making the railways better is a different type of a challenge.'
China is planning a 'New Silk Road' at a cost of $660 million that will run through Central Asia and continue into Europe, crossing the Pamir Plateau, to facilitate improved transport and trade.
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has been invited by China to attend an international conference on high-speed rail system.
The new rail and road cargo service launched on Friday, linking Guangdong, Tibet and Nepal, aims to boost trade with the South Asian neighbour as China pushes forward its Belt and Road (Silk Road) initiative, state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday.
Defence Minister Arun Jaitley leaves for Tokyo on Sunday evening for a security dialogue with Japan, a visit that acquires huge significance after North Korea's hydrogen bomb test on Sunday morning.
