Politics

Stryker armored fighting vehicles take part in a joint training exercise in India.
International relations

U.S. and India strike deal to co-produce Stryker armored vehicle

New Delhi becomes full member of Middle East naval coalition, expanding global role

11 November 2023
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin arrives in New Delhi on Nov. 9. (Photo by Ryo Nakamura)
Defense

U.S. defense chief holds China focus amid Israel-Hamas conflict

Austin to meet with Philippine, Thai, other counterparts during Pacific tour

9 November 2023
India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party hopes to ride Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity to victory in key state polls just months before a general election is due. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Ken Kobayashi)
Politics

India state polls kick off, testing 'Modi magic' before national vote

Opposition Congress seeks momentum in string of five regional elections

7 November 2023
Bhutan's King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck arrives to offer prayers at a temple in Guwahati, India, on Nov. 3. His visit to India comes shortly after renewed border talks between Bhutan and China.
International relations

India casts wary eye on revived China-Bhutan boundary talks

Bhutanese king visits India days after foreign minister's rare trip to Beijing

5 November 2023
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will visit New Delhi this week for the annual 2+2 ministerial dialogue with their counterparts S. Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh.
Your Week in Asia

U.S.-India 2+2, Pacific Islands Forum, China Singles Day 'war'

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

5 November 2023
Police detain pro-Palestinian demonstrators in New Delhi on Oct. 27, amid the Israel-Hamas war. India's opposition parties have sharply criticized the government's response to the conflict.
Middle East crisis

India's response to Israel-Hamas war sparks political fight at home

Abstention on Gaza cease-fire highlights dilemma between 'interests' and 'values'

4 November 2023
The remains of a burned school in Manipur. Many schools have been destroyed, robbing young people of educational opportunities. (Photo by Greeshma Kuthar)
Politics

India's northeastern Manipur marks 6 months of deadly conflict

Burned schools stand as monuments to lives disrupted and friendships lost

3 November 2023
Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering, left, with Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in New Delhi in 2018: India is the de facto security guarantor of Bhutan, a diplomatic minnow.
Opinion

Bhutan is not giving in to China's hardball diplomacy

Beijing uses talks to deflect attention from territorial encroachments

3 November 2023
Leaders of the Quad in Tokyo in May: The grouping's image as a U.S.-led tool to contain China could potentially pose an obstacle to cooperation with ASEAN.
Opinion

The Quad needs to work with other groups. ASEAN is the place to start

Maritime security would be productive area for cooperation

3 November 2023
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will head to Asia after visiting Tel Aviv and Amman.
International relations

Blinken to visit Japan, South Korea and India next week

China and North Korea on agenda for U.S. secretary of state and Asian leaders

3 November 2023
A Qatari court recently sentenced eight former Indian Navy personnel to death on uncertain grounds, prompting a diplomatic scramble in New Delhi.
International relations

India lobbies for 8 nationals facing death penalty in Qatar

Murky case of ex-navy officers will test New Delhi's prowess and leverage

2 November 2023
Saima Wazed, left, with her mother, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, right, in 2014. Wazed has been chosen to lead the WHO's regional office for Southeast Asia.
International relations

Bangladesh PM's daughter nominated for key WHO regional post

Saima Wazed chosen over Nepali rival despite criticism of 'apparent nepotism'

1 November 2023
India's new import monitoring system for computers and other selected IT hardware takes effect Nov. 1. (Source photos by Kosaku Mimura and Ken Kobayashi)
Trade

India launches IT hardware import management system: 5 things to know

Monitoring of PCs and tablets follows uproar over plan to impose restrictive licensing

1 November 2023
"No other part of the world will see such a big growth opportunity" as India, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal told Nikkei on Oct. 27. (Photo by Shigeru Seno)
Interview

Japan firms should not 'miss bus' on India, commerce chief says

New Delhi ready to roll out 'red-carpet treatment' for companies that invest

28 October 2023
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomes Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau to the Group of 20 summit in New Delhi on Sept. 9, shortly before their diplomatic spat went public.
International relations

India to partially resume visas for Canadians amid diplomatic spat

Services had been suspended as countries sparred over Sikh separatist's killing

26 October 2023
U.S. President Joe Biden, center, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, at the G7 summit in Germany in 2022.
Opinion

India-Canada spat is no-win situation for the U.S.

Biden administration keen to avoid taking sides in row over dissident's killing

25 October 2023
A woman uses her smartphone in Gaza in 2022: The ongoing Israel-Hamas war is fast-moving and the many gaps in information leave room for misinformation to take root.
Opinion

Israel-Hamas war shows the formidable power of narrative

Democratic governments need to build societal resilience to manipulation

24 October 2023
Oil tankers pass through the Strait of Hormuz: In 2018, 76% of crude oil traveling through the strait was bound for Asia.
Opinion

India, Japan and South Korea should work together to protect shipping

Renewed Middle East fighting highlights energy security vulnerability

23 October 2023
An "India Out" flag in the Maldives last year. Rather than building goodwill, New Delhi's investments and security support for its South Asian neighbors have largely fueled resentment.
Comment

Maldives exposes India's backfiring China containment strategy

Why New Delhi struggles to win friends and influence neighbors

22 October 2023
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in New Delhi in 2018. Trudeau in September announced "credible allegations" that Indian agents were behind the death of a Sikh separatist, which Modi's government called "absurd."
International relations

Canada pulls dozens of diplomats from India as dispute flares

New Delhi had demanded parity after being accused in Sikh separatist's death

20 October 2023
India's Adani Ports and local partner Gadot Group bought Israel's Port of Haifa for $1.2 billion. 
Middle East crisis

Adani Group 'very confident' in Israel port as conflict rages

Indian conglomerate's maritime unit reportedly eyeing Mediterranean investment

19 October 2023
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, right, is pictured with her daughter Saima Wazed in 2018. Wazed is running to become the World Health Organization's regional director in South and Southeast Asia.
International relations

Bangladesh PM's daughter denies nepotism driving run for WHO post

Experts urge election transparency as outcome could affect health of billions

17 October 2023
Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, left, with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son in Hanoi.(Photo by Yuji Nitta)
International relations

India, Vietnam foreign ministers confirm aligned national interests

Jaishankar discusses economic and security issues during Hanoi visit

17 October 2023
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, pictured during a visit to France in July.
Middle East crisis

Modi warns conflicts benefit no one as Israel-Hamas war rages

Indian PM laments lack of 'terrorism' definition; over 200 citizens flown home

13 October 2023
The Sun Tzu Art of War Museum in Suzhou, China: The ancient tactician still influences Beijing's foreign policy. (Imaginechina via AP Images)
Opinion

India can get permanent Security Council seat by outwitting Sun Tzu

Ancient strategies of Chanakya point way for place at U.N. high table

13 October 2023