'Trump would like the war in Ukraine to be over, and that it would be weighing on his mind even before the Inauguration ceremony in January next year.'
Russia's unprecedented rapprochement with North Korea has raised concerns about the re-emergence of a Russia-China-North Korea alliance which could increase the probability of conflict on the Korean Peninsula, explains Dr Rajaram Panda.
From the time he left office after his loss in the 2020 presidential election to his nomination as the Republican candidate in the 2024 race, Trump continued to dominate the American news cycle and the country's psyche.
'Trump has no more elections to fight and his soaring ambition, which is no secret, will be to carve out a presidential legacy that outshines by far all his mediocre predecessors.' 'Trump's turnaround on the H-1B visa debate shows that he can take tough decisions and there are no holy cows in his domain,' asserts Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
'As we enter 2025, it must be acknowledged that there is a convergence of capital, influential people (from business and politics) and technology deciding the destiny of others in the name of pride, patriotism, nationalism, nation building, all of it thinly veiled disguises for personal profit and glory,' asserts Shyam G Menon.
Outgoing Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday accepted the leadership of the ruling United Russia and declared that he will take over as Prime Minister. A former KGB officer, Putin will leave Kremlin in three weeks after an eight-year reign. The United Russia party has an absolute majority in Russia's lower house, the State Duma.
The Bombay high court on Friday upheld the tender awarded to an Adani Group firm by the Maharashtra government for the Dharavi slum redevelopment project in Mumbai, ruling there was no 'arbitrariness, unreasonableness or perversity' in the decision.
On Sunday the Ukrainian Tennis Federation urged the sport's governing body the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to immediately expel Russia and Belarus from the organisation and ban Russia from team and individual tournaments. Also, athletes from Ukraine and other nations have called on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to suspend Russia and Belarus and ban their athletes from events immediately.
Grandmaster Dommaraju Gukesh played out a hard-fought draw yet again, signing peace with top seed and local favourite Fabiano Caruana.
India abstained in the United Nations General Assembly on a draft resolution calling for Russia to be held accountable for violations of international law by its invasion of Ukraine and requiring Moscow to pay reparations to Kyiv for damages, loss and injury resulting from the war.
Valdimir Putin loves to be in the headlines. This time around, the topic of discussion is his United Russia party's raunchy election campaign video, which has been branded as "unconstitutional".
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the United Nations Security Council that 'we have to prepare' the second peace summit to end the Russia-Ukraine war 'altogether' and he has invited India and other countries to join the peace process.
Russians across 11 time zones voted on Sunday in a Parliamentary election seen as a referendum on President Vladimir Putin's hold on power even after he quits office in May, with a marginalised opposition crying foul.
Biden stressed over "not fighting a third World War in Ukraine" but avowed sending an "unmistakable message that we will defend every inch of NATO territory".
'Communist China continues to aggressively expand its domain in the Indo-Pacific region.' 'It's crucial for the USA to continue its support in countering these malicious tactics.' 'India, along with other nations in the region, is not alone.'
Shigeru Ishiba is expected to prioritise strengthening Japan's military capabilities and fostering deeper international partnerships, particularly with India, with whom Japan shares significant strategic interests, explains Dr Rajaram Panda.
The President of the Security Council for December said India has taken the side of peace and favours de-escalation through diplomacy and dialogue.
'He was making a broader point. Our allies and partners know very well that -- how much this president respects them'
In retrospect, it appeared that the bitterness of the war was still strong and the Ukrainian success in occupying Russian territory just a few days ago had added to the complexity of the situation. The positive US response to the visit, however, remains a silver lining in the dark clouds, notes Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
The Council will vote on the draft resolution at 3 pm Friday (New York time), two days after it held an emergency meeting on the situation in Ukraine just as Putin had announced Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
Over the past few days, the Biden administration has been reaching out to its friends and allies to support it against Russian aggression in Ukraine.
The Biden administration's failure in stopping two major wars and several minor ones was seen as a major disaster by many Americans and the world at large, observes Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
"The two sides note that the relationship between Russia and China has progressed to a more advanced interstate cooperation compared to the military-political unions of the Cold War era as it is not bloc or confrontational in nature, nor does it target any third countries," Russia's new agency Tass quoted the document as saying.
The US has already imposed sanctions on Turkey for the purchase of a batch of S-400 missile defence systems.
"India has been deeply concerned over the rapidly deteriorating situation in Ukraine and the ensuing humanitarian crisis," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti said.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin suffered a bad dent in his carefully groomed image as his ruling United Russia party returned to power with a sharply slashed majority, winning just 238 seats in the 450-strong sixth State Duma, the country's lower house of Parliament.
The two leaders had a complex relationship yet formed a partnership and even after their parting of ways, the two admired each other in their efforts for India's freedom.
According to various claims, from 2,000 to 10,000 people had gathered at the rally in the biggest mass protest over a decade, carrying placards that read 'Down with the Party of Swindlers and Thieves!'.
Indian-origin Republican leader Nikki Haley on Wednesday asserted that like the erstwhile Soviet Union, Communist China will also end up on the "ash heap of history."
For trust in democracy to be retained, elections need to be not just free of intervention -- ruling out Pakistan and Russia -- but also demonstrate the capability to both deliver ruling mandates and hold the potential for large swings in favour of the opposition, points out Mihir S Sharma.And, after an election is done, they need to see a mandate in order to go back to their lives and let their representatives get on with the business of government, points out Mihir S Sharma.
Days after suffering a setback in the Duma polls and allegations of ballot rigging, Russian Prime Minister Vladmir Putin on Wednesday went ahead to file his nomination for contesting the March 2012 presidential election, following which he plans to swap places with incumbent Dmity Medvedev.
'China is India's primary strategic challenge, which will not go away.
'Trump's disregard for norms and institutions could prove very costly for America's social fabric.'
The fault line between the West and Russia has widened into a deep chasm and this is likely to endure in the foreseeable future. Far from forcing its way into the European tent, Russia may be reduced to the status of an even more sullen and weakened bystander on its periphery. The US appears to have won this hand with little cost to itself, observes former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
President Vladimir Putin's United Russia Party on Monday won a big majority in Russia's election.
As the world continues to rage under the ongoing conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, the two presidential candidates in the United States, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump during the presidential debate hosted by ABC News on Tuesday (local time), presented their views on ending the conflict and Washington, DC's role in it.
Trump, 78, launched a scathing attack on his Democratic rival, as he took the stage for the first time to address an election rally after Harris became the presumptive nominee.
There are not too many more vibrant democracies in the world than India, the White House has said, applauding the people of India for exercising their right to vote.
'Trump will absolutely back New Delhi on its position that Pakistan must do more to crack down on terrorists that threaten India.'
'The escalation of tension along the border of Ukraine with the Russian Federation is a matter of deep concern'
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