International Affairs

Official says joint exercise proposal could have been channelled through China Nepal’s decision not to participate in the India-proposed military exercise of the Bay of Bengal group of countries is not a a snub to New Delhi, but rather it signals that a new set of rules need to be …

President Trump warns Beijing against targeting U.S. farmers U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said China had been taking advantage of the U.S. on trade for many years and that he knew how to stop it. “China has openly stated that they are actively trying to impact and change our …

‘Missile was given during the Soviet era’ Russia’s Defence Ministry on Monday said that it was releasing fresh information to back its claim that the missile that downed a Malaysia Airlines flight over war-torn Ukraine in 2014 was fired by Kiev’s forces. At a briefing, the Ministry said it was …

Britain’s economy would suffer “substantial costs” should it leave the European Union in March with no divorce agreement, the International Monetary Fund warned on Monday. Brussels and London have failed to resolve “fundamental” aspects of Brexit and this could leave London defaulting to World Trade Organization (WTO) tariffs, the IMF …

British PM May says EU and non-EU nationals will have the same immigration rights after Brexit EU and non-EU citizens, including those from India and Australia, could have the same immigration rights after Brexit, British Prime Minister Theresa May indicated on Monday. Asked whether the EU would get a preferential …

MusicalKinky Bootshas broken new ground in the socially conservative nation, with shows in theatres across cities Sign language interpreters swung their hips and gestured at deaf audience members to the rhythm of a rollicking performance by drag queens singing and dancing on stage behind them. Nothing surprising for a Broadway …

Later in September, Hong Kong’s first high-speed train will head for Guangzhou, a port city and industrial power house. Its 200-km-an-hour sprint will finally end in nearby Shenzhen, the crucible of China’s reforms. The high-speed train will cover a short span of 141 km between Hong Kong’s West Kowloon station …

The two countries have signed an MoU to establish a 1,700 km corridor, connecting key areas China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) got a high-octane boost last week, when Myanmar — facing the heat from the West because of the Rohingya refugee crisis — inked an agreement with Beijing to …

Trump seeks to force an ‘ultimate deal’ The United States has decided to close the Palestinian mission in Washington in the latest move against them by President Donald Trump, a Palestinian official said on Monday, denouncing it as a “dangerous escalation”. The closure comes as Mr. Trump seeks to force …

The lives of the former spy and Putin, two former intelligence agents from the Soviet-era, intersected at key points Sergei V. Skripal was a little fish. This is how British officials now describe Mr. Skripal, a Russian intelligence officer they recruited as a spy in the mid-1990s. When the Russians …

Sweden Democrats could garner 16-25% of the vote share Swedes voted in legislative elections on Sunday with a far-right surge expected if voters punish traditional parties over their failure to address immigration concerns. Social Democratic Prime Minister Stefan Löfven has called the election a “referendum on the future of the …

The U.S. has extended by over five months the temporary suspension of premium processing for H-1B visas as part of its efforts to clear the backlog. Premium processing is a feature that shortens the usual processing time of visa petitions from about of six months to 15 days for a …

Exercise Peace Mission 2018, the joint military exercise of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), ended in Russia on Wednesday with the eight-member states undertaking joint training on combating terrorism. This is the first time India and Pakistan participated in the exercise, which began on August 24 at the firing ranges in …

Global superstars Lady Gaga, Ryan Gosling and Vanessa Redgrave descend on Venice this week as the annual film festival kicks off on Wednesday to controversy over the inclusion of Netflix productions and there being just one female director in competition. Some 21 features will be locking horns for the prized …

In 2016, Turkey launched its first military operation in Syria to prevent both the Islamic State (IS) and the People’s Protection Units (YPG), a Kurdish militia, from advancing on the town of Azaz. Though the stated objective was to push the IS further away from the border, what concerned Ankara …

In countering the Indo-Pacific strategy led by the U.S, China should forge closer ties with India, Japan and Australia, says an official media commentary. The article run on the website of China Global Television Network (CGTN) — the state-run broadcaster — argues that instead of staying aloof, China should positively …

Scott Morrison was on Friday sworn in as Australia’s seventh Prime Minister in 11 years, after a stunning party revolt against Malcolm Turnbull, which the new leader admitted had left the government “bruised and battered”. Former Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, an ex-police officer and right-winger, was the driving force …

The Quad grouping is one of the many avenues for interaction among India, Australia, Japan and the U.S. and should not be seen in an exclusive context, a senior Japanese diplomat said on Wednesday. “We should not really regard Quad in any comparative or in an exclusive context. This four-country …

Official also welcomes Pak. PM’s remark on peace in S. Asia Opening up trade with India is a key priority of the Trump administration, a senior official of the U.S. State Department has said. Briefing reporters on the administration’s Asia-Pacific policy, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian …

‘Maybe Clapper is being nice to me so he doesn’t lose his security clearance’ U.S. President Donald Trump stayed the course of his conflict with professional spies and strategists of the U.S. on Tuesday as debate continued on his decision last week to revoke the security clearance of former Central …