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The entry of StarTimes into the Kenyan market in 2012 expanded digital TV access through affordable packages, improved media infrastructure, and a focus on local content. However, its operations have raised concerns over media sovereignty and China’s growing soft power in Africa. StarTimes’ programming promotes Chinese culture, subtly shaping public perception and fostering pro-China narratives. While the company continues to dominate digital

The deployment of a Chinese nuclear submarine - presumably a Type 093 Shang-class - as part of the anti-piracy patrol of two ships and a supply vessel operating off the Gulf of Aden has set alarm bells ringing loudly in the Indian Navy. The implications of such a strategically significant move are simply enormous.

The 6th BRICS Summit brought together the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa on July 15 in Brazil. The annual diplomatic meeting announced plans for the New Development Bank, which would be located in Shanghai, China.

Tibet and the Dalai Lama's status continue to worry the Chinese. India's stated policy that Tibet is part of China notwithstanding, Chinese feel that India has a hidden agenda. The fact that Lobsang Sangay was invited to Modi's swearing-in has made the Chinese nervous.

The shift in Chinese foreign policy poses new and different kind of challenges to India. Even while we are working feverishly to ensure the defence of our Himalyan border militarily, the Chinese are throwing an economic challenge, as manifested by its growing ties with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives and Nepal.

India paid a high price for failing to anticipate the Sino-Pak nuclear nexus in the 1970s and 1980s. It is erring again by neglecting the potential for a maritime alliance between China and Pakistan that could severely constrain India's freedom of action in the Indian Ocean.

Given that the Chinese submarines are likely to be found operating frequently in the IOR, the Indian defence establishment must develop some adequate responses, rather than just being alarmed repeatedly.

It is not often that Pakistan's leaders justify their outreach to India by citing its all-weather friend, China. That is precisely what Pakistan's premier Yousuf Raza Gilani did last Sunday when he welcomed the talks between President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

With the World Bank punishing Bangladesh by withdrawing support to $3 billion multipurpose bridge over River Padma, Dhaka is hoping that China will step into the breach. Could India pit ch in too? Or Delhi and Beijing collaborate on a transformative economic venture in Banglade sh, setting a new basis for regional cooperation?

I have been in receipt of some mail from my readers asking for my comments on the reports carried by the "Washington Post" and the CNN TV channel of the US during the week-end regarding the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) of the USA setting up a new intelligence collection unit called the Strategic Support Branch (SSB), which has been operating in Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries since 2002.

The exasperation of Porter Goss, the Director of the US' Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), with Pakistan's role in the hunt for Osama bin Laden and other remnants of the Al Qaeda, is evident from his remarks on bin Laden during an interview with the "Time" magazine which has been carried by it this week

India’s vast coastline and rich marine biodiversity offer immense potential to advance a US$100-billion blue economy by 2030. A challenge to this potential is that India generates 6-8 million tonnes of underutilised marine biomass waste annually, comprising fish waste, shells, seaweed, and beach wrack. This paper explores a circular blue economy approach—with a waste-to-wealth model at its core—to convert marine biomass waste into high-valu

In generations to come, India will no doubt produce finer minds; but it is unlikely to give us a bigger heart. More than his achievements as a missile and defence technologist, beyond governmental accomplishments and far removed from the prizes and honours he received, President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam touched human lives.

Privatised electricity distribution in Delhi completed ten years last June. Now an important question which we have to ask time and again is, why should the citizens pay for the inefficiency of the distribution companies? This is yet another public service that has become a score point for political parties, giving no relief to the ordinary citizen.

At a conference on "Civil Society and Nuclear Weapons Policy", organised by ORF and Chatham House in Bangkok, there was a general consensus among participants that the emphasis should be given on raising awareness on the various hazardous impacts of the nuclear weapons explosion, especially in the nuclear weapons states.

Beginning March 26, 2015, a Saudi Arabia-led coalition of countries, comprising nine other Arab countries, backed by the USA, France and UK, launched air strikes in Yemen against the Houthis and army units loyal to former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Nepal's Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi has been appointed the Head of the interim government. His main mandate is to hold elections for the CA. But 22 opposition political parties have begun their protest programmes against the new government, raising doubts whether polls can be held in June this year.

In the CJ impeachment case in Sri Lanka, the options for the Government are fewer, while for the Chief Justice, it is still worse - when it comes to enforcing Parliament's will on the one hand and the judiciary's decisions on the other.

The current legal framework is based on the assumption that whistle-blowing is always done for good reason

Cost and time over-runs have reportedly led to losses of approximately Rs29,000 crore in the DRDO; some 10 projects have been delayed for over five years. The Armed Forces continue to be woefully short of modern weapon systems, ammunition and a vast range of critical equipment.

A research study by Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) has found that there is a clear danger to India from CBR (Chemical, Biological and Radiological Materials) terrorism due to the known intentions of terrorist groups active within India's borders.

Even today, renewable energy sources definitely cannot replace fossil fuel that is getting scarce over time. Given this theoretical underpinning, why do we have a negative price for crude oil?

Climate change has added to the enormity of India’s food security challenges. While the relationship between climate change and food security is complex, most studies focus on one dimension of food security, i.e., food availability. This paper provides an overview of the impact of climate change on India’s food security, keeping in mind three dimensions — availability, access, and absorption. It finds that ensuring food security in the face

The climate narrative is beginning to exert itself in the development processes of poor countries. The impact of climate negotiations, and green capitalism that is rearing its head, are some elements that will define climate and security for India and other developing countries.

The alchemists of capitalism have turned the sparse carbon into 'carbon real estate,' available for sale to the highest bidder. The weak and poor have been priced out. And at the G20, we have just offered to subsidise the rich to buy more.

In 2015, the Paris Agreement of UNFCCC emphasised the role of climate finance in strengthening the global response to climate change. Since then, developed countries have made various claims about climate finance flows. Some of the myths surrounding climate finance need to be demolished.

The time has come for rapidly growing Asia to distinguish between the global, regional and national aspects of climate policy, recognise the linkages and shape the deliberations for the new climate regime by taking substantive measures at home.

Clinton's visit to southern India clearly underscores the increasing clout the region has, both economically and politically. No longer is there a sense that foreign policy is framed exclusively through a north Indian way of thinking. And Clinton discussed Sri Lanka with the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

There is a periodic urge in the West to fix Iran. Syria and Iran had been listed on the State Sponsors of Terrorism list for decades even before September 11, 2001. In 2002, George Bush described Iran as a member of the 'Axis of Evil'. Despite all this, there were talks of negotiations.

The Gujarat poll date controversy demands urgent reforms to the Model Code of Conduct

There can be no peace unless the Taliban and Afghan security forces de-escalate

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal should take a leaf from the Republic Day chief guest, Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, and profer the much-awaited #AAPnomics of job creation, a strategy on wealth distribution, and, a vision on efficiency. His genius will lie in these making sense to the poorest and the weakest - without forgetting global investors and our diaspora.

As the world comes closer in the wake of information explosion and gobalisation, the idea of ¿Cooperative Federalism¿, which is seen as a tool to resolve conflicts, is gaining increasing relevance and acceptance. Inspired by this development, a two-day International Conference on ¿Co-operative Federalism and Management of Diversity¿, has been organized from November 2-3, 2004, under the auspices of Observer research Foundation (ORF) , New Del

Governance of the energy sector in general and the coal sector in particular has to radically change if India wants to take advantage of its vast coal resources. It must be understood that coal is the only fuel that India has in abundance and it must be exploited to the fullest.

Coal companies can achieve a great deal if they strategise action plans to improve mine productivity, capital equipment utilisation, mine recovery ratio etc., to international standards. There is also urgent need for introducing more advanced technologies and modern management systems.

As the two codes of conduct on space - European Union's (EU) Code of Conduct (COC) on Space and the Stimson Code - are gaining momentum in the international arena, Observer Research Foundation (ORF) organised a roundtable on Thursday, May 26, 2011 to discuss India's concerns with these codes.

With Gaddafi around, there will be no peace in the Arab region. Africa will also be badly affected. That is why Gaddafi's Foreign and Interior Ministers and several Libyan Ambassadors deserted him. What high moral dictate or compelling necessity led to India's neutral stance in the vote on Security Council Resolution 1973?

The challenge for India is much larger than voting choices on the international resolutions on Syria. It is about finding effective ways to cope with the expanding Saudi-Iran rivalry, which is not limited to Syria.

Riyadh, Jerusalem, Washington, in that order of anxiety, must be in a huddle on the change in Tunisia and chill winds blowing across Egypt, Yemen and Jordan. The State Department has issued a warning that must send shock waves throughout the Arabian peninsula "status quo in the Middle East and North Africa is not sustainable".

Civil wars are drawn-out conflicts, often lasting up to a decade or even longer before a political settlement is reached. Pakistan's military campaign against Pashtun militants, variously allied to the Afghan Taliban, the al-Qaeda, and often fighting for localised interests has stretched into its 12th year.

Even before 9/11, many commissions had been appointed by different Governments to study the threat posed by terrorism and many seminars, conferences and workshops organised by different think-tanks on the subject. In the US alone, there were three high-powered commissions on the threat posed by terrorism. All this could not prevent 9/11.

A two-day deliberations by 20 experts from India, China and U.K, have underlined the need for a collective regional action to ensure environmental security in South Asia. The meeting was organised by Observer Research Foundation in collaboration with Royal United Services Institute, London and Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing.

Address by Colombian Deputy Foreign Minister, at the Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi, on November 3, 2011 on Colombia's Agenda for Domestic Prosperity.

The UPA's policy failures on Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have generated much bemoaning in Delhi's national security establishment about the breakdown of the rules of the republic that made the conduct of foreign policy the sole responsibility of the Centre. A closer look reveals that it is not the states that are exercising a veto over foreign policy decisions.