Untitled design (10) Courtesy: Foreign Affairs
15 January 2026

How Strong are The Strongmen?

Not long ago in the sweep of history, countries that had once been buried behind the Iron Curtain, and even some Soviet republics, were transformed into members of the solidly democratic club. Some of those that weren’t, such as Ukraine, Georgia, and Kyrgyzstan, experienced mass revolts against rigged elections and corrupt misrule amid widespread public yearning to join the West. Free trade was again celebrated as an instrument of peace; Kant’s “democratic peace theory” enjoyed a revival.

Website articles  (32) Courtesy: Gateway House
15 January 2026

Reviving U.S.-India high school exchange programmes

The new U.S. Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, has much to do – and reviving high school exchange programmes stalled due to funding shortages is one important task. Students are a significant element of the bilateral: 300,000 Indian students study in the U.S., but barely 1% of that comprises U.S. students in India. The exchange programmes can bridge the gap - and India can pick up some of the tab.

Website articles  (31) Courtesy: BBC
15 January 2026

Venezuela and the Donroe Doctrine

U.S. action in Venezuela has resurrected the 200-year-old Monroe Doctrine which sought to prevent foreign interference in the Western Hemisphere. Originally intended to keep European colonial powers away, it has been reinterpreted over the years beyond that. Donald Trump has reasserted and updated it to the “Donroe Doctrine,” to revitalise U.S. regional hegemony – and through it, some reduction of Chinese and Russian influence.

Website articles  (29) Courtesy: Somaliland Presidential Office
15 January 2026

Somaliland recognition strengthens alternative diplomacy ecosystem

Israel’s recognition of Somaliland as an independent state in December 2025 is not merely a diplomatic gesture toward a long-marginalised polity; it is a strategic act with implications for Somalia’s territorial integrity, regional security dynamics, great-power competition, and the evolving politics of recognition in a fractured international order.

News on Air Courtesy: News on Air
8 January 2026

2026: India’s foreign policy challenges

In the shifting sands of contemporary geopolitics, terms such as ‘fluid multipolarity’, ‘multiplexity’, ‘tripolarity’, and ‘bipolarity with multipolar characteristics’ are replacing the old dogmas and orders. But what is driving the world today? How does India plan to protect its vital interests in the current age of ongoing polycrisis? The road ahead is challenging, marked by risks and uncertainty.

Website articles  (27) Courtesy: Gateway House
8 January 2026

India-Oman CEPA: what it means?

India and Oman signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) on December 18, 2025. The agreement reflects India’s approach to engaging with trusted partners while rediscovering its historic trading ties. Ambassador Anil Wadhwa explains what CEPA means for India: it is less about becoming a global gateway and more about anchoring a strategic economic partnership in a geopolitically sensitive region.

The Muslim News Courtesy: The Muslim News
24 December 2025

How the West cheered Dhaka’s collapse

On December 18, Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent leader of the 2024 student-led uprising, was assassinated. What began as protests against civil service quotas became a leaderless uprising. As Western powers celebrated a “democratic dawn”, Bangladesh slid into structured anarchy. Dhaka now faces two futures with terrifying clarity: one with elections skewed by military advantage and Islamist mobilisation, and the other by acknowledging that democracy cannot be airlifted.

Gateway House (2) Courtesy: Gateway House
24 December 2025

Bangladesh economy spirals downwards

Bangladesh’s economy, already weak at the time of the August 2024 coup, has been on a downward spiral since. Banks are insolvent and cannot lend, business confidence is low, and investors are staying out. These issues will worsen the ongoing radicalisation, extremism and violence in the country. 

@narendramodiX Courtesy: @narendramodi/X
18 December 2025

Ethiopia is a key ally in Africa

Ethiopia's importance as an African country that has played a vital role in advancing the vision of African unity and integration, and as a nation that killed its own demons of dictatorship to emerge as a successful democracy, is remarkable. In this upgraded frame, Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Addis Ababa is significant, with India as a partner offering economic and technological engagement.

US Embassy and Consulates in Italy Courtesy: US Embassy & Consulates in Italy
18 December 2025

U.S.’ National Security Strategy 2025

It is customary for every U.S. president to release a National Security Strategy (NSS) early in their tenure. President Trump published the NSS for his second term in November 2025. It’s a contrast from his 2017 NSS, which addressed broad threats. The 2025 version is narrower, emphasising trade over security, with the Western Hemisphere being the primary area of focus. Is the U.S.’s global role shrinking?