Opinion

Balen’s bold start: Oli’s arrest signals accountability, but Nepal’s real test starts now

Nepal’s new Prime Minister, Balen Shah, has made a decisive start by ordering the arrest of former PM KP Sharma Oli, signalling a strong push for accountability, but the real test for his government will be translating the people’s aspirations into lasting change

Bundi: Rajasthan’s timeless blueprint for water conservation

Bundi’s stepwells, kunds, and lakes are not mere water bodies; they are symbols of a harmonious way of living with water, blending utility, devotion, and artistry

How ‘I, Me, Myself’ dictates Trump’s Iran adventure

Donald Trump seems focused on advancing his personal priorities during his final term

How China’s anxiety over US-Japan ties deepens ahead of Trump’s Beijing visit

For Beijing, the success of Trump's upcoming visit will depend on whether Xi can convince the US president that a partnership with China offers more 'winning' than a containment strategy led by a resurgent Japan

How India faces a strategic squeeze amid Trumpian disruption and China’s silent advance

Xi Jinping may juxtapose his professionalism with Donald Trump’s antics to position himself as a trustworthy statesman, but India should have no illusions

How India and Europe enter a new era of deals, diplomacy and convergence

India-EU relations have come a long way since June 2022, with a clear recognition that mutual interests are best served by prioritising areas of convergence

How AI can help South Asian nations manage global energy shocks

The integration of artificial intelligence into national crisis management systems is now a strategic imperative, transforming fuel crisis management from a localised operational response into a globally aware, proactive security strategy

Denmark elections: Moderates emerge as kingmaker in historically fragmented mandate

With neither the centre-left red bloc nor the centre-right blue bloc able to govern alone, the Moderates’ 14 seats make them the decisive kingmaker in coalition talks

US Sutra | Trump’s two-and-a-half front war: Strike Iran, silence critics, signal China

Whatever happens on the two obvious fronts, China’s discomfiture on the half-hidden third front is almost a foregone conclusion

Moltbook wasn’t the story — human interpretation was

The danger is not that machines are becoming human. The danger is that human judgement remains far too ready to confuse mimicry with meaning

Iran may turn Hormuz into a toll route, but it violates international law

The Strait of Hormuz remains a vital global lifeline, and no country can legally turn it into a toll route under international law

How Iran’s attacks on Gulf states have forged a new alliance in West Asia

The regime that once posed as a defender of Muslim causes was revealed as a reckless aggressor, endangering its neighbours—unifying Sunni Arab capitals against Tehran in a way diplomacy could not

From Landau to Colby: America’s careful calculus on India’s rise

Recent comments by two senior US officials reveal how the India-US relationship continues to oscillate between attempts to contain India and balancing Chinese assertiveness

US-Israel-Iran war: Pakistan is trying to avoid existential crisis in playing ‘peacemaker’; to call it ‘winning’ is darkly funny

What serves India’s national interest? To shuffle letters between two mutually hostile principals and end up being a pawn in a larger game