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The primary objective of the US is to prevent Afghanistan from being used as a launchpad by Al Qaeda

Beijing is not doing as well as it would like us to think. Its economic challenges and isolation have meant it is keener than its put-off partners to achieve some normalcy in ties with other countries.

The failed attack on the Indian consulate in Jalalabad on August 3, and the conspiracy to attack the Indian ambassador in Afghanistan, reported in Mail Today the day before that, are indications that we need to plan for the worsening scenario in Afghanistan, rather than for an optimistic one.

The two powers have a common aim of undermining America’s hold on West Asian security but have also built their circles of influence

Prolonged turmoil in the West Asia region could result in rising oil prices and interruption in India's trade with the region valued at $120 billion a year. India should have contingency plans in place to deal with unforeseeable consequences of a spreading conflagration.

India has seen this movie before and it does not have a happy ending. As the idea of a nuclear deal between the United States and Pakistan gains some traction in Washington, Delhi is unlikely to lose much sleep.

As UPA 2 enters the last lap of its tenure, it is not just the Indian economy that is unravelling. New Delhi's loss of purpose and direction in the last few years has had an equally damaging impact on the diplomatic front.

A closer look at a recent interaction between the two sides.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani visited China on May 17, barely two weeks after the killing of Osama bin Laden. The original purpose of the third Prime Ministerial meeting in 17 months - celebration of 60 years of Sino-Pakistan relations - was overshadowed by the Abbottabad raid,

If India is not celebrating too much, it is because India has not been able to get membership in the group that New Delhi covets most — the NSG.

The current crisis in Pakistan-US relations over the detention of Raymond Davis, the American security contractor charged with the murder of two Pakistanis, confirms many well-known trends, such as increasing anti-Americanism among Pakistanis and the growing importance of 'strategic corporals'.

A closer look at what relations between Washington and Moscow mean for New Delhi.

The international system may not revert to Cold War era blocs. But some tough choices lie ahead for countries

While the controversy risked being added to the list of issues both sides are having, thus far the fallout has been managed relatively well.

While the US-China trade talks have stalled for now, it would be too soon to pronounce a verdict on the trade row.

Egypt is the fulcrum of the Arab world and developments there can have a profound impact in other Arab nations. That is why it is important to get things right. The immediate challenge for Egypt is to ensure that it does not degenerate into civil war.

It has been five years since General Pervez Musharraf came to power in Pakistan in a bloodless coup on October 12. One questionable referendum staged in April 2002, the less-than-credible parliamentary elections in October the same year, a controversial constitutional amendment and two changes of government this year later, Gen Musharraf is still the numero uno.

The Russian president, who will be in New Delhi on December 6, is not just coming to maintain the ‘special, privileged strategic partnership’, but to also deepen bilateral relations

Where is the national leader of sufficient stature who can distil the message from the treaty of Hudaibiya and from Iqbal, and give it contemporary relevance? Or, in a more narrow focus: where is the Muslim leader to manage the post verdict mood? I believe the Congress has two or three but the nation has not seen them in the past week.

Friendly Indo-Bangla relations will play a major role in securing peace and prosperity in the South Asia and these can be achieved with sincere initiatives by the government in resolving outstanding issues. India's Bangla policy could be a for the new government in dealing with other countries in the Neighbourhood.

While Dr. Manmohan Singh must necessarily wait for Nawaz Sharif to determine the pace at which he might be comfortable moving forward with India, in the case of Bangladesh, the burden is entirely on Delhi to implement the historic agreements it had negotiated with Dhaka.

Cabinet and sub-cabinet picks are no doubt important in understanding the direction of the new administration's policies. However, equally important is the need to understand who has been chosen and why.

The Biden administration's Indo-Pacific strategy was announced days before the conflict between Ukraine and Russia took a turn for the worse, necessitating that the US turns its focus sharply on Russia and Europe once again.

The issues in Afghanistan do not exhaust potential areas for India-US cooperation. For example, combating the drug trade, engaging China, Central Asian nations, Iran, and Russia. Successful coordination and collaboration will go a long way towards creating a post-2014 Afghan scenario amenable to both India and the US.

India’s presidency must leave the grouping with the agility and energy to respond to new realities, and it must create a future-ready multilateralism through a novel and robust institutional architecture

Potential security engagements among the three have spotlighted their increasing convergence.

A closer look at the trajectory of an important relationship.

Telecom companies are stuck with falling ARPUs. Indian researchers from two unlikely companies show them new tricks of the trade

There was more to Narendra Modi's visit to the US than the razzmatazz of Madison Square Garden and Central Park. He had gone to the US after three basic foreign policy initiatives, and was making a statement on the world stage beyond the confines of the UNGA.

Will the globalization of the economic relationship trump the geo-politics that is being played out in East and South East Asia? For the US, the dilemma is acute, for it cannot ignore the pleas of its allies in the region nor allow an incremental drift to take place in the relationship.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe faces many challenges in terms of public perception.

Privacy and democracy have always had an uneasy relationship in India. However, now India has a unique opportunity to evolve a progressive and expansive legislation on privacy and protection of personal data. The report of the experts group chaired by Justice Ajit Prakash Shah is a good starting point.

People are going to have a hard time trusting the government or the RBI.

The challenge of a “net zero” for India is not an easy one. Being one of the fastest growing economies with the second largest population that aspires to be $5 trillion economy soon, will India be able to circumvent the trade-off between the environment and economic growth?

For Trump, any amplified war with Iran will stand against his promises of not dragging the US into wars in faraway lands.

The BJP has tried to play smart politics with its insulting break with Mehbooba Mufti. The fallout of the move could envelope Kashmir in distress — and hurt the BJP too.

While it is legitimate to question the ethics and rules surrounding autonomous weapons, the idea that their development will necessarily usher in an apocalyptic future may not be accurate

Beijing has been Africa’s largest trading partner since 2008.

The Citizens Grievance Redress Bill, despite its impressive provisions, is fraught with certain inadequacies that might not appreciate the grass-root realities of public grievances - like lack of a holistic interpretation of likely grievances.

Can Delhi go beyond diplomatic statements and help China's neighbours to stand up to Beijing? As the Philippines and Vietnam look to diversify their security partnerships and build national capabilities for deterrence against China, Manila and Hanoi would like to see Delhi be a little more forthcoming with its hard power.

Contradictions in the India-Russia relationship, rooted in China and the Quad, will be difficult to overcome in the long term.