Narendra Modi’s disappointing electoral showing could be the catalyst that India needs for a shift away from divisive Hindu nationalism back towards the imperative of economic development. Having set his sights on a supermajority of 370 seats, not even a historic third consecutive term could shake the feeling of disappointment for Modi. His Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stumbled to 240 […]

Hazaras: Intensifying persecution As reported on June 11, the Taliban instructed the Hazara residents of Nowabad, located in the 6th Security District of Ghazni city, the provincial capital of Ghazni, to submit their land ownership documents to the group. The Taliban issued eviction orders, claiming the area had been “usurped” by the residents. On March 6, 2023, the Taliban forced […]

Some of the major anti-Taliban resistance groups active in Afghanistan have condemned Russia’s removal of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA, i.e., the Afghan Taliban) from its terrorist list. Their criticism comes as the U.S.-led international community is slated to hold the third Doha meeting on the future of Afghanistan on June 30-July 1, 2024. In a May 29 statement, […]

For over three decades, Beijing has deployed an initially slow but now accelerating campaign to degrade Philippine maritime rights and access in the West Philippine Sea. This long-term effort has been characterized by often seemingly benign actions and even conciliatory rhetoric interspersed with escalatory words and deeds designed to test the thresholds of neighbors and allies. Today, China’s rising aggression […]

Terrorism poses a persistent and significant threat in Indonesia, with several extremist groups, including those sympathetic to ISIS, challenging national security. The government has taken legislative measures and implemented de-radicalization initiatives to combat terrorism. However, the ongoing presence of terrorists raises doubts about the effectiveness of these policies. This article critically evaluates the Indonesian government’s approach to terrorism, with a […]

After record rapid urbanization, China is moving to the next stage with integrated and coordinated multi-city clusters. The Yangtze River Delta region is a case in point. Last November, Chinese President Xi Jinping chaired a Shanghai symposium on advancing the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta (YRD). Half a decade before, he had championed the initiative that made the […]

C’est la saison des grandes manœuvres. Manœuvres politiques, manœuvres économiques. Et surtout, des manœuvres stratégiques et militaires. Parce que tous les pays du monde sont en train de se positionner dans la perspective du nouveau risque global. De ce que, pour simplifier, nous pourrions appeler ces manœuvres la troisième (ou la quatrième) guerre mondiale. Car c’est bien de cela qu’il […]

In The Rise of the Anglo-German Antagonism, 1860–1914, the British historian Paul Kennedy explained how two traditionally friendly peoples ended up in a downward spiral of mutual hostility that led to World War I. Major structural forces drove the competition between Germany and Britain: economic imperatives, geography, and ideology. Germany’s rapid economic rise shifted the balance of power and enabled […]

Despite growing unemployment and a significant increase in the number of billionaires, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have won a third term in government. While the government trumpets about its economic achievements, growing wealth disparities and persistent unemployment put doubt on Modi’s narrative of broad prosperity. In a nation of stark differences, Mukesh Ambani, India’s […]

Despite efforts and the slogan “Teesri Baar Modi Sarkar” for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP secured 240 seats, forming a coalition government with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) totalling 293 seats. This result was a major electoral setback as the poll survey had projected a larger majority for BJP. Modi was sworn in for his third term as […]