In his final days in office, former U.S. President Joe Biden announced what is being described as the “most significant sanctions yet” hitting Russia’s oil and gas revenue. The sanctions target some of Russia’s largest producers, Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas, along with their subsidiaries, and ship insurance providers Ingosstrakh andContinue Reading
India’s fencing of its border with Bangladesh has emerged as the latest sore spot between the two neighbors. On January 12, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Indian high commissioner in Dhaka to convey to him Bangladesh’s “deep concern” over the “unauthorized attempts to construct barbed wire fencing andContinue Reading
China-India relations are back to sizzling again after a recent thaw. China recently created two new counties in Hotan Prefecture – an area in Aksai Chin that India claims as part of its Union Territory of Ladakh. The administrative move is expected to consolidate China’s de facto control of theContinue Reading
The district of Kurram, in Pakistan’s northwestern tribal region, has been under siege for the past three months due to the closure of the main Thal-Parachinar Road, a key route connecting the region to the rest of the country. Besieged communities in the district have been facing severe shortages ofContinue Reading
On January 13, 2025, the festival of Maha Kumbh Mela (Great Pitcher Festival) commenced at the holy city of Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, India. It’s the world’s largest gathering of people — an estimated 400 million people are expected to congregate in Prayagraj between January 13 and February 26 whenContinue Reading
Until five months ago, the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh had a law that barred people with more than two children from contesting elections in local rural and urban bodies. Now, the state may have a policy barring people with fewer than two children from contesting such elections. From “you can’t have moreContinue Reading
Over the past few weeks, multiple reports have emerged suggesting that Chinese companies are restricting export of vital advanced capital goods and machinery to India. Indian manufacturers of electronics, solar panels, and electronic vehicles are struggling to keep up with their production, given the shortage in supplies of key machinery.Continue Reading
