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India must quickly recognise the evolving changes, challenges, and opportunities in Central Asia to avoid being relegated to the periphery of Eurasian trade AND geopolitics. It is now up to Prime Minister Modi to manage a rebalancing in Central Asia through diplomacy and cooperation rather than competition
Courtesy: Xinhua
China’s Silk Road Economic Belt initiative will feature prominently on the agenda when Prime Minister Modi visits Beijing and Shanghai on 14 May. India can make a strong move to co-design the framework and details of this initiative – making it truly collaborative and win-win for all of Asia
Courtesy: Getty images
In the exceptionally divisive general election on May 7 in the UK, no party is expected to win a majority. Smaller parties like the SNP are fragmenting votes and another coalition may emerge, or the Conservatives-Liberal Democrats or Labour may seek outside support. With the Scotland issue adding to the divisiveness, the post-poll scenario is precarious
Novelist Sharadindu Bandopadhyay created fictional detective Byomkesh Bakshi in exciting geo-political times, in Calcutta, then an interesting global city. The movie Detective Byomkesh Bakshi , directed by Dibakar Banerjee, tries to capture some of these fragments
Courtesy: Foreign Affairs
It is clear by now that China’s economy is set to slow in the years to come, although economists disagree about how much and for how long.
Courtesy: Review Journal, Xinhua
Although Uber has a $41billion global valuation, over 99% of the taxi app market in China is controlled by local competitors offering personalised services, informal networks, and a familiarity with regulations that Uber cannot match. In such a scenario, can Uber live up to its valuation? And will local entities eventually also have an advantage in the crowd-sourced trucking and waterways sectors?
Courtesy: MEA/Flickr
Afghan president Ashraf Ghani visited India from April 27-29. Ghani accords a very different priority to India than his predecessors – both the timing and the outcome of his visit reflected this. He is choosing to play to Pakistan, by keeping India out of Afghanistan's security sector
Courtesy: Arya News
Afghanistan president Ghani has placed his eggs in the Pakistani basket and is waiting to see whether its actions match the plentiful words. However, New Delhi knows it enjoys a depth of support in Afghan society and can bide its time while Ghani tests the waters, as he will likely reach the same conclusions as most others
Courtesy: Gage Skidmore
With the 2016 U.S. presidential primaries in less than a year, Republican candidates have begun to multiply. Former Senator Jeb Bush is leading the pack, followed by Governor Scott Walker and Senator Marco Rubio. It is early days yet, but in their focus on countering Democrat Hillary Clinton, discussions on issues like the growing rivalry with China and plurilateral trade agreements are, so far, missing
Courtesy: CentralMaine
Huge threats to human rights continue in Afghanistan. President Ghani has pledged to end official tolerance for torture, and his government must also protect the freedom of the media, ensure that more women participate in peace talks, and bring transparency to negotiations with the Taliban. These correctives are overdue