India's dual pursuit of a robust strategic partnership with Washington and a pragmatic, tension-management policy with Beijing represents the essence of modern multi-alignment. By embracing economic pragmatism, learning to compartmentalize political differences, and engaging in continuous dialogue, India can secure its borders, grow its economy, and contribute to a stable, multipolar Asian century, points out Ambassador Rajasekhar.
As India marks a decade of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the focus is shifting towards enhancing efficiency through artificial intelligence, data sharing, and process simplification. The reform, which unified India's indirect tax system, has significantly broadened the tax base and boosted revenues, with future plans including a streamlined two-tier rate structure and continued technological integration to reduce compliance costs and combat evasion.
India has strongly criticised China's practice of assigning 'fictitious names' to areas within Indian territory, stating that such actions are futile attempts to alter reality and negatively impact efforts to normalise bilateral relations.
For the foreseeable future, the most likely outcome remains continuation of the status quo. Taiwan will remain self-governing without formally declaring independence, while China continues to apply sustained pressure short of war, predict Krishnan Srinivasan and Manoj Mohanka.
Occasionally, the silence of the night shift would be shattered by an ear-splitting alarm: 'ALERT, ALERT... This is a security warning.' We were drilled to move away from the windows and avoid the lifts, recalls Krishna Kumar NP, a veteran Dubai-based journalist.
A potential agreement between the United States and Iran, including a comprehensive ceasefire and gradual lifting of US sanctions, may be announced soon, according to reports. The agreement aims to de-escalate tensions and establish a framework for resolving disputes.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk has rejected Ladakh Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena's claim that he was 'unsure' of the online movement's origins, asserting he considers himself an 'honorary cockroach'.
Delhi recorded a marginal decline in economic offences in 2024 compared to the previous two years, but suffered the highest property losses among all Union territories, according to the National Crime Records Bureau data.
'China continues to perceive its relations with India through the prism of India-US relations, with the US using India to counter balance against China in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.'
A joint Pakistan-Afghanistan jirga in Peshawar has called for an immediate ceasefire to de-escalate tensions between the two countries, emphasising dialogue and mutual respect.
FIFA officials are visiting India this week to try and resolve a deadlock over broadcast rights for next month's World Cup, with millions of Indian soccer fans potentially missing out on the tournament.
As tensions in the Middle East approach a critical juncture, reports have surfaced regarding a draft memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran aimed at de-escalating the ongoing conflict, Iranian state media reported on Wednesday.
The Delhi High Court has recognised an individual's 'right to be forgotten', ruling that search engines cannot perpetually display judicial records in name-based searches for private cases or those ending in acquittal.
International water sports star Bilquis Mir has filed a contempt case against the Jammu and Kashmir sports department for withholding her salary for over two-and-a-half years, despite a tribunal order to release it.
Palestinian soccer federation President Jibril Rajoub refused to stand alongside Israel FA Vice-President Basim Sheikh Suliman in a heated moment at the FIFA Congress on Thursday.
Beijing has been wary of Sanae Takaichi's efforts to boost Japan's military profile since taking office six months ago, points out Dr Rajaram Panda.
'Why are we deliberately taking apart an electoral system that has worked?' 'There is no answer to that, and there is no data and has never been any on the absurd slander that foreigners are voting here,' asserts Aakar Patel.
China has established a new county in Xinjiang province near Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and the Afghanistan border, a move seen as strengthening security along the Wakhan Corridor and addressing concerns about Uyghur separatist militants.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that the country believes that dialogue and negotiation are the only viable solutions to resolving disputes and that the continued escalation of the conflict serves no one's interests.
The second season of Beef delves into a new, class-driven conflict at an elite Southern California country club, in a compelling narrative of escalating domestic disputes, blackmail, and corporate intrigue, notes Deepa Gahlot.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed deep concern over the escalating situation in West Asia, emphasising the need for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve disputes. India is closely monitoring developments to ensure the safety of its citizens in the region.
India has voiced its deep concern over reports of increasing civilian casualties in Lebanon due to Israeli strikes, emphasising the protection of civilians and the importance of international law.
China's week-long mediation between Pakistan and Afghanistan concludes without a formal agreement, though Beijing claims progress in exploring solutions to resolve their differences.
The US Trade Representative's office removed a social media post featuring a map of India that showed the entire region of Jammu and Kashmir, including Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, as well as the Aksai Chin region as part of Indian territory.
The Supreme Court of India resolved a decades-old land dispute in the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, involving land originally vested in the Portuguese government.
The Congress party has called on the BJP-led government to adopt a unified national approach to restore India's role as a voice for peace, criticising the government's foreign policy and its impact on India's global standing.
China has reaffirmed its territorial claims over the Shaksgam Valley, dismissing India's objections to infrastructure projects in the area. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated that the territory is part of China and its activities there are beyond reproach.
The Gujarat government has introduced the Gujarat Uniform Civil Code Bill, 2026, aiming to establish a common legal framework for marriage, divorce, succession, and live-in relationships, regardless of religion. This follows a similar move by Uttarakhand and excludes Scheduled Tribes and groups with protected customary rights.
The agreement was to disengage from remaining standoff sites along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), two days before a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian maintained a stance of defensive necessity, noting that Tehran is "forced to retaliate to attacks" but clarified that this does not imply a dispute with neighbouring countries
Amid growing confrontation between China and Japan over a group of uninhabited islets in the East China Sea, Chinese government will be briefing the Indian government regarding its case.
Buyers should understand the distinction between the losses the policy covers, those that need add-ons, and those it excludes.
The ceasefire is still technically holding, to the extent that no overt hostilities have been reported yet, but the rhetoric has hardened dangerously. The week ahead will also clarify whether the Islamabad failure was a negotiating tactic or whether Washington has genuinely locked itself into a position from which the only exits are climb-down, escalation, or the slow bleed of a new status quo that nobody chose and nobody controls. Prem Panicker continues his must read blog on the Iran War.
'After the Galwan clash, the rules of engagement changed with the army commanders allowed to use any means at their disposal as they deem fit for tactical operations.'
The 'rescue' operation occurred within kilometres of Iran's underground tunnel complex at Isfahan, assessed by the IAEA and US intelligence as holding a substantial portion of the country's 60 per cent enriched uranium stockpile. Retired senior US military officers have highlighted that the mission's footprint -- hundreds of special operators, multiple heavy-lift aircraft deep inside Iran -- appears outsized for recovering a single airman. Prem Panicker continues his must read blog on the Iran War.
The core issues to be settled -- access to Hormuz, Israel's aggression in Lebanon, the question of Iran's nuclear programme, sanctions relief and compensation -- are thorny enough to require weeks of patient negotiation. The most likely outcome of the opening sessions is that both sides take the measure of each other, establish what is and is not negotiable, and return home without having broken anything. That would count as progress.
A Chinese diplomat's aggressive comments threatening the Japanese Prime Minister over remarks about Taiwan have ignited a diplomatic row between China and Japan.
Sonia Gandhi has criticised the Modi government's silence on the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader, arguing it raises doubts about India's foreign policy direction and credibility.
Nepal's claim on Lipulekh and Kalapani reopens a 200-year-old border dispute, while historical maps and treaties show the area belongs to India, asserts Lieutenant General Shakti Gurung (retd).
'Let's hope all other Kuki-Zo MLAs are also on the same page. But I will not be a part of this government unless our demands are met.'
