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The recent decision by the government of Naoto Kan to denuclearise Japan by 2050, regardless of its naivete, has certain traits that could help in overhauling the political economy of Japan's energy sector.

Japanese ODA has eased the burden of borrowing in the Indian market. Moreover, with the Japanese economy still struggling to induce growth, investments in India offer an avenue to earn interest income. Increased Japanese FDI is also likely to give a huge boost to the Indian economy.

Japanese and Indian foreign ministers, Mr Fumio Kishida and Ms. Sushma Swaraj, have now agreed to hold a meeting at an earlier date this year that would allow the foreign ministers of India, Japan and the US to conduct talks. This positive move will contribute significantly to creating stability in the Indo-Pacific.

The expanding engagement with the Japanese navy, one of the strongest in the world, should give a boost to India's maritime diplomacy in Asia. If New Delhi's interests in the Pacific are growing, Tokyo's naval profile in the Indian Ocean has begun to expand.

Japan’s renewed engagement with Africa, underscored by the outcomes of the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) in August 2025, reflects a recalibration of its Africa policy toward strategic partnerships and sustainable development. Framed by principles of human security and mutual prosperity, Japan emphasised high-quality infrastructure, resilient supply chains, and green transition initiatives, particularly in

Increasingly, many countries that have traditionally maintained a defensive and pacifist posture, like Japan, are having to reconsider their options.

A detailed study of Japan's role in the peace settlement of the Cambodian issue is important as it was one of the earliest political efforts made by Tokyo in a region which had been known for its antipathy to Japan due to the strong historical memories of the Second World War. Southeast Asia posed one of the most serious challenges to Japan's post-war diplomacy which had to wrestle not only with the bitter legacies of the war, but also with the r

The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, just after the withdrawal of US-led troops, will have ramifications in Japan’s activities in the region. Since 2001, Japan has provided 759 billion yen (USD6.9 billion) to reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. This, despite the fact that Japan does not share geographical proximity with Afghanistan and therefore has no direct strategic interests in the country. To be sure, Japan’s partners s

If someone in Sri Lanka thought that the jail-term handed down to Jayalalithaa, until then the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, would ease avoidable political tensions across the Palk Strait, they should be sadly mistaken.

Whilst Jeb Bush, belonging to a family with two former US Presidents, still hasn't won the primaries, he has managed to conjure a lot of enthusiasm around his candidacy. Even though he has not emerged as the favourite of the GOP's large block of more moderate supporters, junior Bush is often been called the front-runner.

Pakistan has been using Jihad as a grand strategy for various reasons but primarily to influence events in its immediate neighbourhood, according to Dr Paul Kapur of the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.

Is there a link between the jihad in London and Southern Thailand? Yes, there is. Some of the terrorists involved in the London blasts as well as in the recent upsurge of terrorism in Southern Thailand were trained in the madrasas of Pakistan.

As I was driven into the heart of Jakarta from its international airport, I could hardly believe I was in the capital of a Muslim country, with the world's largest Muslim population. I noticed very few external signs of the Islamic character of the country in the form of mosques, calls to prayers over powerful loudspeakers, quotations from the Holy Koran written on the walls, men with beard and a white cap and women with their heads covered .

The explosions of October 1, 2005, in the predominantly Hindu-inhabited tourist resort island of Bali in Indonesia came on the eve of two important religious observances¿¿on the eve of the Dusserah (called Galungan in Bali) festival, which the Hindus all over the world observe as marking the triumph of good over evil and the Muslim holy fasting period of Ramadan.

Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the Pakistan-Afghanistan region, India, Israel, South-East Asia, Russia and the USA would be the main theatres of jihadi terrorism of a strategic nature during the year 2005.There could be sporadic incidents of jihadi terrorism in other parts of the world¿¿such as West Europe and the Central Asian Republics¿¿but they would be more of a tactical than of a strategic nature.

Jihad, as it is not known today, is not guided by any specific logic, and it is not meant to achieve any political objectives', said Dr. Faisal Fatehali Devji, Professor of History at Yale University, while making a presentation on 'Jihadism', at Observer Research Foundation, on August 24, 2004.

It was sad enough to see anchors across all channels celebrate four medals (not one gold) but it was downright embarrassing having prime time TV blaring the hollow chant: "Tricolor will cover the skies over London".

The unemployment rate is now around 10.1 per cent in the rural areas and 9.4 per cent across the nation. This means that around 40 to 50 million youth are without jobs. Unless they are given proper training, and higher education, they will not be fit to join the service sector or the manufacturing sector.

In industrial countries , with several times higher per capita incomes than India, an 'unemployment benefit' or dole is given to unemployed citizens. In India, the unemployed are supposed to fall back on their own means for survival. The Employment Guarantee Scheme Act that has been introduced in the Parliament recently is meant to address the basic human need for a job ( though it may be only for 100 days).

As the Biden administration would take time to settle down, the first half of 2021 will be crucial for Beijing to lay down new terms of engagement. It is shaping the battleground before Biden can come up with his own strategic response.

There is no real incentive for the Taliban to concede on any issue given that Washington's best bargaining chip—its military prowess—is now off the table.

India joins the regime at a time when export regulation of dual-use technology items have become increasingly complex.

While the unified structure being adopted by China will lead to the strengthening of its military prowess to back up the country's global ambitions, in India, political waffling has so far prevented the emergence of a similar combined structure for its armed forces.

Both West Asia and India have suffered terror strikes in the recent past, bringing to the forefront a global crisis that has been diluted in multilateral forums

While China's engagement strategy appears to operate on a quid pro quo basis, India's approach seems to be driven by its objectives

Whatever be the model for judicial appointments, the crux of the matter is the necessity of giving "cogent reasons in writing" on nominations as well as appointments and whatever model the executive and legislature chooses in its wisdom must give voice to the same.

The visit of America’s Defence Secretary earlier in June has prepared the ground for the the Indian Prime Minister’s U.S. visit next week, which could see some big ticket announcements

It is astonishing that a Government that constantly harps on nationalism has not spared any effort to degrade and destroy its own armed forces, those very people who keep the country safe

Securing justice - social, economic and political to all citizens is one of the key mandates of the Indian Constitution. This has been explicitly made so in the Article 39-A of the Constitution that directs the State 'to secure equal justice and free legal aid for the citizens'.

Six of every 10 of India's prisoners languishing in jails across the country are undertrials: their cases have yet to be tried, and they are spending more time in jail than they would have, if convicted. The slow march to justice for undertrials must be seen in the context of a criminal justice system in need of an overhaul. This paper examines the plight of the country's undertrials and recommends ways to move forward.

The Russia-Pak-China Axis in Afghanistan was forced to contend with Afghan-led and owned reconciliation efforts

Many politicians and leaders go out of their way to claim that they are the aam aadmi. But if there was ever a man of the people, it was A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who rose from a humble background to become India's true People's President.

If the US is to stay on in Afghanistan's half a dozen or so bases in the event of it scaling down its combat troops by July 2011, these bases will require a steady flow of supplies.

The ongoing political oscillation in Karachi reflects structural impediments that a country with a weak state and strong society has to face. It underlines the problems that politicians face due to strong kinship.

The Kargil military conflict of 1999 between India and Pakistan came in the wake of the "bhai-bhai" ("we are brothers") euphoria generated by the bus ride of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the then Prime Minister, to Lahore and his high-profile meeting with Mr.Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan's then Prime Minister. In the euphoria, we let ourselves be caught napping by the Pakistan Army in the heights of Kargil.

Many military veterans have returned the medals awarded to them for gallantry and fighting wars to the President, a sure sign of frustration and feeling of neglect.

Whatever happens between Kabul and Rawalpindi, India has no reason to get too anxious. If Delhi holds its nerve and plays well the few cards it has, India could yet have some impact on the evolution of the Af-Pak dynamic.

The sad fact is the Pakistani rulers are unable to prevent Taliban activists from targeting their own people, the Shias, whose processions have been periodically attacked in Rawalpindi and Karachi. It is high time Pakistani rulers realised the fact that terrorism would consume their own people even before it targeted others in India.

The abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019 provoked intense diplomatic response from the international community. For the most part, India received widespread support for its decision. At the same time, however, there have been criticisms of the restrictions imposed in the region on communication and civil liberties. China and Pakistan, in particular, reacted with hostility and attempted to

Nawaz Sharif may have made friendly noises towards India, but two years of relative tranquility that the two countries have enjoyed along with Kashmir is threatening to become a casualty of the big power game. Some interested powers have begun to show inordinate interest in the Kashmir dispute all over again.

The government is burying its head in the sand when it comes to the Kashmir problem, repeating exactly what it did 30 years ago.

The apparent role of Lashkar-e-Tayyeba in the terrorist attack in Srinagar on June 24, killing 8 jawans, has raised several questions which may sour the tone and tenor of New Delhi's renewed engagement with Islamabad.

It has had to navigate the debate on civil liberties, overcome history, and deal with China’s posture

I have stopped reading columns in the International Herald Tribune because I get most of them pushed through my door as op-ed articles in our mainstream English language newspapers.

Located between France and Spain in southwestern Europe is a place called Andorra; 468 kilometres in all, 2.5 times the size of Washington DC with a population of 69,150, predominantly Roman Catholics, 43 per cent of whom are Spanish and rest either Andorrans, French or Portuguese.