Four years after the abrogation of Kashmir’s special status, Leh and Kargil regions of Ladakh are seeking statehood as well as extension of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. Both regions have found themselves on the same side as per the demands, and have formed a joint core committee to decide the future course of action. Two groups based in […]

India is on a drive to induct unmanned combat systems into the military. Months after the Indian Army announced the induction of “swarm drones” into its mechanised forces, the Navy chief, Admiral R Hari Kumar, reiterated the importance of autonomous systems in creating a “futureproof” Indian Navy (IN). Speaking at the Navy Day press conference last month, Admiral Kumar listed […]

India is on a drive to induct unmanned combat systems into the military. Months after the Indian Army announced the induction of “swarm drones” into its mechanised forces, the Navy chief, Admiral R Hari Kumar, reiterated the importance of autonomous systems in creating a “futureproof” Indian Navy (IN). Speaking at the Navy Day press conference last month, Admiral Kumar listed […]

The project to cut a canal through the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Bay to facilitate ship movement between the East and the West coasts of India is controversial in both India and Sri Lanka. On January 12 the Tamil Nadu State Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution urging the Indian government to immediately implement the long-pending “Sethusamudram project” envisaging […]

On 3-5 January 2023, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visited China with the aim to shift China-Philippines relations to a higher gear. The visit resulted in the signing of 14 agreements by two governments spanning various areas aiming to elevate the status of their comprehensive strategic cooperation to the next level of partnership. In one of his statements delivered during […]

On January 8, 2023, Mohammad Salim, deputy leader of Block B, Rohingya Camp-8 West, in the Ukhiya Sub-District of Cox’s Bazar District, was killed by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA). On January 7, Mohammad Rashid, the leader of Block A, Rohingya Camp-15, in Teknaf Sub-District of Cox’s Bazar District, was killed by masked assailants. On January 6, 2023, an […]

The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan — abbreviated as Chongryon in Korean — has long served the interests of the North Korean government in Japan under the supervision of the 225th Bureau of the United Front Department of the Workers’ Party of Korea. It is the only conduit between the governments of North Korea and Japan as there is no […]

The winter months are a time of hardship and hunger for many Afghans, of whom an estimated 97 percent are threatened with poverty. This winter, 18.9 million Afghans are suffering from starvation. Meanwhile half the population are reliant on international humanitarian aid for survival. Making matters worse, this aid is now at risk after the Taliban banned NGOs from employing […]

The East Sea (also known as the South China Sea) has been a vital maritime route because of its strategic position linking the Indian Ocean with the Pacific Ocean. According to economists, around $5.3 trillion worth of global trade transit through this critical oceanic space..  Because of the strategic significance of the East Sea for East Asian, Southeast Asian and […]

Much is expected from the visits of Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar and Chinese Vice Minister Chen Zhou.  The Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar will be in Colombo on a two-day visit from January 19, All India Radio said on Friday. Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan media reported that a Chinese Communist party delegation headed by the Vice Minister of […]