The recent spate of high-profile attacks, including the Jaffer Express’ hijacking in March, by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), points to its evolution from a group of guerrillas operating in the mountains to an urban guerrilla movement. One of the deadliest Baloch insurgent groups, the BLA has not only improvedContinue Reading
Early in April, a video showing a group of men in a fish market in India’s national capital of New Delhi sternly asking vendors to close their businesses went viral on social media. The men, some of them wearing saffron clothes, the color associated with Hindu nationalism, ordered the market’sContinue Reading
There has been a lot of diplomatic activity between Pakistan and the United States in recent weeks regarding cooperation in the area of critical minerals. At least two U.S. government delegations have visited Pakistan in April to discuss proposals to enhance economic collaboration. The first delegation was led by EricContinue Reading
The Ganga Water Treaty is crucial to Bangladesh-India relations because it guarantees a systematic process for water sharing between the two riparian states. The treaty, signed in 1996, expires next year. It needs to be renewed in the interests of both India and Bangladesh. Preliminary negotiations are already being made toContinue Reading
When U.S. President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement on Climate Change on January 20, 2025, the global climate agenda suffered a major setback. Just two days later, Nepal’s government decided to revive the prestigious Sagarmatha Sambad, also known as the “Everest Dialogue,”Continue Reading
Eight months after the ouster of Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus met for the first time on April 4 on the sidelines of the sixth BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok. The meeting was important. It was the first face-to-face meetingContinue Reading
India still relies on the labor-intensive coal sector and coal-based thermal power plants to meet most of its electricity demand for sustaining its economic growth. In 2023-24, 997.826 million tonnes of raw coal was mined in India. Out of 973 MT dispatched raw coal, 859.336 MT went to the powerContinue Reading
India and Sri Lanka signed seven Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the island on April 4-6. The MoUs cover a range of sectors, including defense, energy, digital infrastructure, health, and trade. Key among these is the Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA). Coming almost fourContinue Reading
On March 26, 2025, Muhammad Yunus, the chief adviser of the interim government of Bangladesh, visited China and signed an agreement on economic and technological cooperation along with eight memoranda of understanding. These MoUs cover diverse sectors, including cultural exchanges, media collaboration, sports, and health. Since a student-led mass uprisingContinue Reading
March marked the fourth year that Afghan girls were told their minds are still unwanted, and that education for any female over 12 was still impossible. Their tears and acts of self-harm are unheeded. International attention is now aimed at papering over the problem. In the same month, in NewContinue Reading
