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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has secured his political survival since October 7 by managing his key constituencies – domestic and in the U.S. – and doubling down on his war strategy. Now he is making another calculated risk – to ensure a non-nuclear Iran, and thereby his continued political positioning.
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The Maritime Silk Road, the Belt and Road Initiative, and a sizeable catalogue of agreements with actors from Kabul to Tel-Aviv have been the basis for the growing presence of China spanning the military, diplomatic, economic, and political spheres in the Middle East.
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There is much discussion these days on the world order and the continuation or demise of the current format. To understand why this powerful agglomeration of states and rules is now being questioned, it is necessary to understand the role of China, its co-option of the institutions and rules of the world order, and the parallel order it is creating centred around itself.
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In the backdrop of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit being held in Islamabad this week, is a restive state and peoples. Three high profile attacks in just a week were followed by a show of defiance from the large Pashtun community, demanding political equity – but also electricity concessions. The military has been stepping in to resolve commercial power deals, underlining the criticality of this issue in Pakistan.
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China has just announced a grand stimulus for its economy. An analysis of the outcome of the Third Party Plenum held in July, where many of these measures take birth, shows that despite the optimistic planning, China is readjusting its ambitions for future stability.
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The new Sri Lankan government led by President Anura Kumar Dissanayake held its first meeting with the International Monetary Fund on October 3, to discuss further debt relief. Dissanayake, who overcame voter apprehension in the country’s presidential elections held two weeks ago, now has a historic opportunity to bring Sri Lanka out of the crisis and enable a compassionate and efficient transformation.
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The presidential election in Sri Lanka on September 21 is the country's first since its economic crisis of 2022. Dr S D Muni, Professor Emeritus at the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, discusses major issues on the ballot, principal candidates in the race and their policies, long-term social and political trends, and takeaways for the Sri Lankan parliamentary elections due later this year.
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The economic agenda is the key issue in the Sri Lankan Presidential elections to be held on Sept 21. This island nation is seeking a return to prosperity through relief from onerous debt, reduced corruption, an effective bureaucracy, and constitutional and economic reforms. The five principal players in the race, however, have varied agendas that may not fulfil all of the people’s needs and desires.
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Pakistan’s latest economic data tries to paint a cheerful picture, but the economy is still in deep trouble. The main culprit is the ‘managed’ float of the Pakistani rupee, which covers for a multitude of other sins.
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Chinese state media and other outlets are increasingly using disinformation to undermine Taiwan's political stability, sway public opinion, and erode national unity. The government in Taipei mitigates this threat by employing a range of high- and low-tech solutions. Other countries will benefit by using the Taiwan model to fortify their democratic institutions and enhance their readiness against an advanced arsenal of disinformation tools.