For a long time, North Korea was seen as merely a satellite of China—a sort of nuclear-armed little brother. But it was a useful one: useful for bothering the United States, for maintaining constant pressure on South Korea and Japan, and as a buffer zone between the American military and the Chinese border. However, this old view is no longer sufficient. Xi Jinping’s visit to North Korea on June 8 and 9, 2026 (his first in seven years) is not just a socialist friendship trip; rather, it m...

India’s plan to buy 114 French Rafale jets is not just another arms deal. It marks a move toward more strategic independence.

New Delhi has not yet finalized the purchase of the 114 Rafales. India has sent France a Letter of Request to start talks for a contract worth about 3.25 lakh crore rupees. Some jets are expected to come from France, but most will be made in India as part of the “Make in India” program.

This deal is important for more than just technical reasons. Afte...

The South China Sea dispute is one of the most complex geopolitical conflicts in the contemporary world. It involves multiple claimants including China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan, and Indonesia, each asserting sovereignty over islands, reefs, and maritime zones. The conflict is driven by overlapping territorial claims, competition over natural resources, strategic considerations, and major power rivalry, particularly between China and the United States.

The Sout...

A big military contract with Israel and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s expected visit to Israel at the end of February 2026 are not just news items. Put together, they look like a diplomatic statement: India wants to be seen as more than a customer or a distant observer in the Middle East. It wants to be a serious actor with interests, partners, and influence—without joining anyone’s camp.

India has been managing the region for years by striking a careful balance between its growi...

The ouster of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government in Bangladesh in August 2024 has not only rendered the country unstable in political terms, it has also manifested severe fault lines that have already existed there since decades in a pronounced manner. While the upheaval in Bangladesh could be mistaken for a political tussle among rival factions, the events unfolding since past one year point more towards assertion of identity by the Muslims than an attempt to gain political space....

The victory of Sanae Takaichi in the legislative elections on 8 February 2026 is not only a change of leadership; it is a change of strategic latitude. It transforms a political line already in gestation (security, rearmament, strategic firmness) into a parliamentary mandate. Japan moves from a country that 'adjusts' to a country that can decide earlier, higher up, on issues that structure Asia: China, Taiwan, American alliance, rearmament, technological chains.

A Strong Mandate: Int...