India's insistence on continuing to buy Iranian oil defying United States sanctions, drawing common approach on China, Af-Pak situation and peace negotiations with Taliban dominated the talks of Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai, who concluded his maiden bilateral visit in Washington on Thursday. The "serious situation" in Maldives after the resignation of President Mohamed Nasheed and the multi-billion jets deal found passing mentions during Mathai's meetings.
The Taliban is highly pragmatic and would regard it wasteful to resume military offensive to capture Panjshir. The Taliban's preference, historically, has been to keep the military option as the last resort, explains Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar
Once Mazar-i-Sharif falls, some isolate pockets of resistance may remain, which the Taliban would tackle through political work or coercion, asserts Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
I am staying here for the last five years. The situation is really bad there (in Afghanistan). The people staying there are far from the normal situation. People are trying to come out and move to either Iran, Tajikistan or India just to save themselves.
United States President Barack Obama on Thursday rebuked a reporter from a major news outlet who asked a question about American citizens languishing in Iranian jails at a time when he led a successful negotiations with Iran on the nuclear deal.
Olympic-bound Ravi Dahiya could not take advantage of a tiring Gulomjon Abdullaev in the final after outclassing the same Uzbek wrestler in his opening round and settled for a silver medal at the Poland Open in Warsaw on Wednesday.
Pompeo defended the killing of Soleimani saying he was making efforts for an attack on Americans in the region.
Pakistan's efforts for the peace process in Afghanistan would be remembered for long, he said.
Out of 120 members of the Knesset (Israeli parliament), Netanyahu has the support of 64 members
The Taliban knows that Washington holds the key, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Kim Jong-un declared he would never surrender North Korea's nuclear weapons weapons even if his country faced 100 years of sanctions. Dr Rajaram Panda explains Pyongyang's new nuclear doctrine that makes the world a much more dangerous place.
He denied suggestions that he sought conflict with the US, saying Iran was 'trying to find ways to love people.'
The United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday lauded the steps taken by India to reduce its dependence on Iranian oil saying that New Delhi has put itself on the line to get Iran back to the negotiating table.
The Taliban have the ISIS in its crosshairs. The Taliban has shown the skill to assimilate extremist elements if they are reconcilable as well as the ruthlessness to eliminate troublemakers, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar
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.
Ex-US secretary of state John Kerry has torn into Trump for accusing him of holding "illegal" meetings with Iran.
With satisfactory progress of monsoon rainfalls prompting farmers to bring in additional area under basmati sowing, prices are set to fall lower going forward.
Rouhani's win is likely to have a huge impact on the country's relations with the West
Trump's tweet came a day after he reluctantly signed into law a bill imposing tough sanctions against Moscow under mounting domestic pressure.
Declaring that they consider the avoidance of war between Nuclear-Weapon States and the reduction of strategic risks as their foremost responsibilities, the leaders of the five countries in a joint statement said, "we affirm that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought."
The bill sanctions Russia -- citing its cyberhacking as well as aggression in Ukraine and Syria -- while also slapping new sanctions on North Korea and Iran.
Learning perhaps from the Kargil debacle, Musharraf tried hard to evolve as a statesman in his dealings with India, recalls Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W.
The world's attention is on the new Taliban and the imminent announcement of an inclusive government in Kabul, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar
Russia and China have a broad consensus today on almost all core issues related to global strategic stability, which is unprecedented in modern history, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
In his brief address, the external affairs minister said India's friendship with Afghanistan is "strong and unshaken" and that no part of the country is untouched by New Delhi's development programmes.
The Taliban's rise will see an increase in infiltration on India's western border and terrorist groups in Pakistan will get funding from the Taliban, warns Brigadier Rajamani Kannan (retd).
'India would not like to see Pakistani domination and tutelage of Afghanistan against Indian security and economic interests.'
Obama and Putin discussed the necessity of countering the Islamic State and the situation in Ukraine, the White House said.
The Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday the Charge d'Affaires of Pakistan High Commission was summoned and informed about the decision which was based on instances of involvement of Pakistani officials in 'acts of espionage' and 'dealings with terrorist organisations'.
Hundreds of Afghan protesters, including women, took to the streets of Kabul on Tuesday, chanting 'death to Pakistan' and denouncing Islamabad's interference in Afghanistan and airstrikes by its jets in Panjshir province in support of the Taliban, according to a media report.
'Pakistan is determined to garner the peace dividends.' 'On the diplomatic front, this will be, principally, in terms of a revival of Pakistan's relations with the US,' notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The Taliban have postponed the formation of a new government in Afghanistan for next week, their spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said on Saturday, as the insurgent group struggles to give shape to a broad-based and inclusive administration acceptable to the international community.
Robust military preparedness along the entire perimeter of our nation is the only iron-clad permanent guarantee for our security, asserts Vivek Gumaste.
We got the same Diwali bonuses. We ate together. We carried equipment together on shoots. And when the odd reporter tried to throw her weight around and leave the camera person to carry bags of equipment, cables, the camera and tripod down the stairs and to the shoot location, Prannoy would step in, take the tripod off the shoulders of the colleague silently, lightening the load, recalls Revati Laul.
Ignoring objections from the US, India on Monday said it will go ahead with the proposed gas pipeline project with Iran.
The Post report noted that US officials are saying that 'India has made unrealistic demands, such as retaining the right to test nuclear weapons.'
'We are encouraged by what the prime minister said recently on these issues... We will keep a close eye on these issues. They are very important and as are other elements of our human rights and religious freedom.' 'So, absolutely, we'll keep a focus on them.'
Regional States will be worried that the US's nascent engagement with the Taliban behind the fig leaf of humanitarian aid enables the return of US intelligence personnel to Afghanistan, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
by External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lvavrov met at the Chinese mission in New York.
'The hardliners in Delhi are in for a big disappointment,' predicts Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
