India’s trade deficit with its FTA partners was actually widening
By Veena Venugopal/Financial Times New Delhi, January 13 – Donald Trump has announced a 25 per cent tariff on countries that do business with Iran, a move that could hit India hard as a key trading partner to the Islamic republic. The White House declined...
The collapse of a Seven-Star illusion: Why India’s “Cleanest City” Failed the Test of Life
By Tang Lu Beijing, January 6 – During my years in India, I personally witnessed the nationwide rollout of Prime Minister Modi’s “Swachh Bharat Mission” (Clean India Campaign). I traveled across multiple cities to observe the transformation firsthand. In my view, the most significant achievement...
India performed creditably in the May 2025 India–Pakistan conflict: Stimson Centre analyst
By P.K. Balachandran/Daily News Colombo, January 6 – Despite losing some aircraft during the brief but intense India–Pakistan conflict in May 2025, India ultimately performed creditably, striking deep into Pakistan with missiles and drones while largely defending itself against Pakistani retaliation, according to Christopher Clary,...
World of Fitness – he jogs, she juggles
By Indu Balachandran Bengaluru, January 4 (Sunday Deccan Herald) – There’s one thing about exercise we all know: it features in every single New Year resolution list in the world, his or hers. Now here’s something I bet you didn’t know: exercise, in ancient times,...
Geo-political and domestic challenges facing Sri Lanka as it steps into 2026
By Veeragathy Thanabalasingham Colombo, January 4 – The people of Sri Lanka have entered the New Year in a precarious condition, facing enormous challenges in rebuilding the country from the ravages of cyclone Ditwah. The cyclone stalled the progress made in the restructuring programme to...
Khaleda Zia – a valiant fighter for democracy
By P. K. Balachandran/Sunday Observer Colombo, January 4 – Bangladeshi leader, Begum Khaleda Zia, who died of multiple illnesses in Dhaka on Tuesday at the age of 80, had a packed 44-year political career marked by both achievements and controversies. But there is no gainsaying...
India performed creditably in the May 2025 India-Pakistan war, says Stimson Centre analyst
By P.K. Balachandran Colombo, January 3 –Though India lost some aircraft in the four-day India-Pakistan air war in May 2025, it struck deep into Pakistan with missiles and drones while defending itself well against similar attacks by Pakistan, says Christopher Clary, a Fellow at Stimson...
Emerging multipolar world could be India’s moment
By Milinda Moragoda/Pathfinder Foundation India’s influence today extends well beyond South Asia. Its economic gravity increasingly shapes outcomes across West Asia, Africa, the Indo-Pacific Colombo, January 3 – As the world enters a new year, it is becoming increasingly clear that South Asia’s existing models...
Jaishankar’s objective in initiating handshake with Ayaz Sadiq in Dhaka
Jaishankar’s friendly gesture towards Pakistan parliament’s Speaker Ayaz Sadiq was most probably meant to be noticed and deciphered in Bangladesh rather than in Pakistan
From 2015 to 2025 – Two Mumbai New Year’s Eves, and the changing story of delivery riders
By Laxmi/Substack Mumbai, January 1- Ten years ago today, on December 31, 2015, I snapped a photo on the streets of Colaba, Mumbai: a Domino’s delivery rider wearing a bright red helmet, carrying two large blue insulated boxes boldly labelled “Yehi Hai Right On Time”...
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