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Sheikh Hasina’s death sentence was foreseen. Jamaat-e-Islami now controls the levers of state power, which is expected to consolidate further after next year’s ‘managed’ election. It leaves Awami League as the only meaningful opposition, which may even nudge its traditional political rivals to quietly back it
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Moneycontrol analysis shows both alliances have gained vote share since 2020, but not at each other’s expense
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RSSFACTS: India’s changing religious demography, driven by illegal migration, poses national security concerns. The RSS has raised alarms, urging government action on border control, population policy, and safeguarding cultural identity
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NTR’s successful disruption in AP politics, and not TN politics, offers a reference point to contextualise Vijay’s effort. There are useful lessons for him in the way NTR crafted a stunning upset in his electoral debut
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Data show BJP consolidating base as Nitish Kumar’s party struggles to retain vote efficiency
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Japan is on track to appoint its first female prime minister after Sanae Takaichi was elected leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. A staunch conservative who regards former British Prime Minister as a role model, Takaichi might strengthen the military giving sleepless nights to Chinese leaders
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President Trump’s address to the brass was very political in nature. The dilemma for the military comes from the effort to demand loyalty to the President, which will challenge a force that swears loyalty to the US Constitution
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Beginning with the war on terror that US embarked on in 2001, the country has seen an erosion in its reputation as a reliable security partner. The recent incidents in Qatar and Poland have only added to the narrative that the security umbrella is full of holes
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The tragic deaths of Gen Z protestors in Kathmandu on September 8 has its roots in the frustration they experience over lack of livelihood opportunities in the country. Linked to is the failure of political parties to create conditions that could provide the country’s young with hope
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WWII remembrance is a highly politicised contemporary global event. India doesn’t really figure in these narratives. That’s a pity because it’s Indian blood and treasure that played a consequential role in the outcome. Something Indians, unfortunately, are not well acquainted with
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Sanghnomics: The US tariff war is disrupting global trade, hitting India’s MSMEs hard. While diversification offers opportunities, India must remain cautious of China and prioritise self-reliance to safeguard economic sovereignty
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Nitin Gadkari says he will double the speed of building roads and highways in India. Exclusive on impact of tariffs, Bihar elections, GST rationalisation and more.
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For now, it would be desirable for Delhi to remain committed to the bilateral track with Washington as regards security and technology cooperation and strengthen the structural and institutional elements of what could still be the most consequential relationship of this century, even as negotiators try to hammer out a modus vivendi
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Cold War politics and commercial interests in the backdrop of a menacing China will help both countries get over this phase. Don’t expect an immediate rapprochement but never underestimate the binding power of mutual self-interest
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If the United States truly wants a home‑grown manufacturing renaissance, nudges will not suffice. Either erect a near‑total barrier as China did in e‑commerce or create a market environment that lets smaller players compete on speed and price. The real lesson is not that protection wins, but that scale married to relentless reinvestment wins
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A joint rally last week by the Thackeray cousins was a landmark event. It’s likely to be followed by a joint campaign in local body elections which will be mutually beneficial. Shinde Sena will be hard put to claim the Bal Thackeray legacy. None of these developments however are likely change Maharashtra’s political reality: BJP is in pole position
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Last week, China’s ‘Supreme Leader’ Xi Jinping purged high ranking military personnel. A look at the long list of purges unleashed by Xi leads to the question if it’s a form of insurance against being toppled from within. Is China’s contemporary ‘emperor’ a lonely and insecure man?
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India’s approach to trade talks are undergirded by two critical premises. One, concessions are linked to geopolitical context. Two, policy space is a strategic asset and not a bargaining chip. In the case of the US as the administration is prone to flip-flops, India’s insisting on review clauses that lets both sides revisit flash points
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NPT divides the world into nuclear haves and have-nots. The have-nots forego the nuclear option under the treaty for safety guarantees. However, from Ukraine to Iran, it’s nuclear weapons owning states which have been aggressors. It makes a mockery of NPT and is bound to catalyse strategic questions by some states on the trade-offs involved in covert nuclear weaponisation
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It’s almost a year since street protests toppled the Sheikh Hasina regime. The fervour that undergirded the protests and the anticipation of far-reaching change have given way to something akin to weary acceptance. An Indian journalist in Dhaka spoke to a cross-section of Bangladeshis to discern that they yearn good governance
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The gulf between the Yunus-led caretaker government and the military brass is evident. A deterioration in both political and security conditions have catalyzed speculation of a coup. That said, when studied against the backdrop of conditions that enable a coup, Bangladesh seems unlikely to witness a military takeover. At present.
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Allowing the private sector to compete to build a stealth fighter plane for IAF represents an inflection point in more ways than one. It’s a vote of confidence in the domestic manufacturing base, public and private. Furthermore, it’s a signal that the government will not let India lose its fighter combat edge on account of the China-to-Pakistan supply chain. That said, the challenge of getting a grip on an adequately powered engine remains
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TDP is in the midst of its three-day Mahanadu at Kadapa, the home ground of its arch-rival Jagan Reddy. Beyond the symbolism of holding its meeting there, the party is expected to announce a more substantive change, the appointment of Nara Lokesh as working president. From being dismissed as a dynast a decade ago, Lokesh has come through a trial by fire. While Chandrababu Naidu is TDP’s unquestioned leader, his son’s star is in ascent
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The animosity between the MP from Thiruvananthapuram and sections of Congress High Command is barely concealed. It a steep fall from the time Tharoor seemed to be a potential Kerala CM on a Congress platform. Is his defence of the BJP-led Centre a signal of his impending destination, or a harking for a more bipartisan era? Or, is Tharoor just a hard-nosed politician extracting something out of the leadership of a party under pressure?
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Op Sindoor marked a strategic departure point for India in its attempt to combat Pakistan’s state-sponsored terrorism. In line with international law, India will harness its superior military capabilities to deliver a calibrated response. The onus of managing escalation is on Pakistan, and if it chooses to go up the escalation ladder, India will retaliate. A strategic analyst integrates the many dimensions of Sindoor to present a coherent narrative of what changed in Indo-Pak dynamics
