There’s a potential silver lining in Hindu nationalism’s endorsement of Indonesia’s Humanitarian Islam. That is if the approval produces a Hindu equivalent. At first glance, Hindu nationalist Ram Madhav’s call on Indian Muslims to embrace one, if not the world’s most moderate expression of Islam, seems patronising and out of step. Mr. Madhav is a member of the executive of […]

On May 4, 2022, a District Reserve Guards (DRG) head constable identified as Salik Ram Markam (37) was killed during an encounter with Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres in Tulargufa Forest area in Mungeri region under Chhotedonger Police Station limits in Narayanpur District. On the same day of May 4, 2022, a 25-year-old villager identified as Satyam Pulse was […]

On May 5, unidentified gunmen killed two former Afghan National Army soldiers, a father and his son, in the Dehrawood District of Urozgan Province. On May 1, 2022, Taliban fighters killed a former ‘commander’ of the National Security Directorate (NDS), Mohammad Asif Sultani, in the Pul-e-Rangina area in Police District (PD) 6 of Herat city, Herat Province. April 17, 2022, […]

One year ago, U.S. president Joe Biden announced U.S. troops would leave Afghanistan so, as far as Washington is concerned, it’s now someone else’s problem. Among the “someone’s” are Central Asia, Russia, China, Pakistan, India, Turkey, and Iran. Russia’s increasing isolation due to the NATO-Russia proxy war in Ukraine will limit economic opportunities for the region. One example of an […]

Tehran has granted Iranian citizenship to 22 Afghan investors who successfully went through the legal process. The Afghan entrepreneurs received Iranian nationality at a ceremony in Tehran on Tuesday, Mehr News Agency reported. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Alireza Bikdeli, addressing the ceremony, referred to religious, cultural and historical commonalities between Iran and its neighbors. The Ministry of Interior in Tehran […]

The Russian foreign minister has hit out at the West for blocking the assets of Afghanistan’s central bank. The Western countries were not ready to allocate the frozen funds for the needs of the Afghans, Sergey Lavrov alleged. He slammed as a theft EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell’s suggestion to seize Russian assets and hand them over to Ukraine. […]

On the morning of April 1, seven children were playing in the lush wheat fields of Afghanistan’s Marjah district, in the southern Helmand province, by tossing around a metal object. Moments later, it exploded. The blast claimed five of their lives, including the youngest in the group, a 5-year-old boy. “My daughter has not only lost her three sons, but […]

Terrorist groups within Afghanistan are still about a year away from being able to attack targets in western countries, but remain a significant concern for U.S. military planners, intelligence officials told lawmakers on Tuesday. Last fall, Defense Department officials said that groups like al-Qaida and Islamic State Khorasan Province (known as ISIS-K) could strike at the United States within six […]

Vessels from the First Training Squadron of the Indian Navy — INS Tir and INS Sujata along with Indian Coast Guard ship Sarathi — arrived on Thursday at Jeddah port for a training exchange. The exercise comes amid growing defense ties between India and Saudi Arabia. The ships were also joined by INS Tarangini, one of the few sail training […]

The renewed polarisation of the international system following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the intensification of the US–China strategic rivalry is increasing pressure on other countries to pick sides. But despite this return to a ‘with us or against us’ narrative, Japan and India, as aspiring global powers, are well-positioned to bring a much-needed non-western perspective to discussions on the […]