BUSINESS
Nepal protests for restoration of monarchy and reviving a Hindu state pit India against US
Amid the unlikely Centre-Left alliance between Prachanda and Sher Bahadur Deuba, which has helped India and the US edge out China, a new political twist is the rising clamour for restoration of monarchy and a Hindu state. But Deuba is caught between India and the US, and their contrasting positions on secularism
POLITICS
Why India can and should play honest broker in Bangladesh
India must mediate before the situation goes out of hand and radical elements like jihadi outfits start filling the vacuum left by a failing state. An understanding between the ruling and opposition parties to allow smooth conduct of election is key to putting Bangladesh back on the rails
BUSINESS
Why there’s no immediate threat to the floundering Rishi Sunak premiership despite Conservative disarray
The Conservative Party is lurching to near certain defeat in the next general elections, which are due before January 2025. Despite falling approval ratings, the spectre of defeat may just be helping Sunak cling to the Prime Ministership without challengers as no one wants the ignominy of helming the government at this late juncture
WORLD
Bangladesh: With polls nearing, Sheikh Hasina walks the extra mile to please New Delhi and Kolkata
Sheikh Hasina’s razor-sharp focus on keeping India’s BJP government happy, goading West Bengal’s Mamata Banerjee to change her stance on Teesta river water sharing, and bagging all the minority votes available for the taking in Bangladesh is evident as she reaches out with tactful signalling to each of them for an unprecedented fourth term in office
WORLD
Why Mohamed Muizzu’s plan to end Indian military presence is dangerous for Maldives
Ever since the timely intervention to foil the 1988 coup, India has been an effective guarantor of Maldives’ security, which deters terrorists, pirates, and traffickers from attempting mischief. The resulting tranquillity bolsters Maldivian tourism. Indian forces are also the first responder when Maldives faces calamities
BUSINESS
Why the India Middle East Europe Economic Corridor is a poor alternative to the Suez Canal
The IMEEC has kicked up a lot of excitement given the possibility of a new trade route that can rival the Suez and the BRI. But the logistics industry is sceptical about whether it can offer cheaper and quicker cargo transportation
BUSINESS
China’s stock rises in Maldives but India’s footprints are too deep to efface
Even if the outgoing pro-India president Solih loses, India can take heart at its close engagement with Maldives over the past five years that ensured considerable investments, which will benefit the island nation. India must play its cards right and engage with the frontrunner Mohammed Muizzu
BUSINESS
Will Mamata Banerjee’s attempts to woo investors succeed like her politics?
The Bengal CM’s overseas trip aims to give a fillip to the state’s MSME sector and boost job creation. Anticipating early Lok Sabha polls, Banerjee is focussed on the optics, firing up Bengali sentiments on the political front and projecting earnestness in welcoming foreign investment on the economic front
WORLD
Bangladesh: India owes microfinance pioneer Muhammad Yunus too much to watch his persecution silently
Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina will be in India to attend the G20 summit and it is an opportunity for us to join many notable global thought leaders in urging a halt to the harassment of Yunus, who helped or inspired so many of India’s microfinance institutions take the first steps on the long road to success
BUSINESS
Bangladesh: Why is ‘ally’ US undermining India in its backyard?
India’s bet on Sheikh Hasina has served it well as the avowedly pro-India Bangladesh politician has kept the anti-India opposition party BNP and the Islamist party with Pakistan links Jamaat on a tight leash. With the US threatening more sanctions against Hasina’s colleagues hurting free and fair elections, the opposition is reviving
