International Relations
Bilateral ties, multilateral forums, treaties and India's foreign policy
Oil jumps 8% to above $100 ahead of U.S. blockade on Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump announced on April 12, 2026 that the US Navy would begin blockading the Strait of Hormuz following the failure of marathon peace negot...
US-Iran peace talk failure to hit market recovery; rupee; oil may see setback
The failure of US-Iran peace negotiations has sent shockwaves through financial markets, with stocks, currency, and energy markets all expected to take signi...
Elusive deal: On the Iran-U.S. ceasefire talks
A recent editorial analysed the collapse of US–Iran ceasefire talks in Islamabad and argued that diplomatic engagement must continue despite the failure. The...
Tourism and trade: On the Great Nicobar mega-infrastructure project
A recent editorial has highlighted that the ₹81,000 crore Great Nicobar mega-infrastructure project requires broader consensus — among environmental experts,...
India rejects China assigning ‘fictitious names’ to places that are part of Indian territory
India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on April 12, 2026, categorically rejected China's latest attempt to assign standardized Chinese names to geographi...
UK Won’t Take Part in Trump’s Planned Blockade of Hormuz Strait
The United Kingdom confirmed it would not participate in the US-led naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz announced by CENTCOM on April 12, 2026. UK officia...
U.S. military says it will start blockade of all ships going to and from Iran on Monday
US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that from April 13, 2026, US forces would begin a naval blockade preventing all ships from entering or departing Irani...
China's 'fictitious names' mischievous, says India
India strongly rejected China's latest attempt to rename 23 places in Arunachal Pradesh, with the MEA spokesperson calling it a "mischievous attempt" to assi...
Mazagon Dock acquires controlling stake in Colombo dockyard for $26.8 m, move will help counter China's control of Lanka port
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), a Navratna Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU) under the Ministry of Defence, completed the acquisition of a 51...
‘Mischievous attempts’: India rejects China’s ‘fictitious names’ to places in Arunachal Pradesh
On April 12, 2026, India formally rejected China's attempt to rename 23 locations in Arunachal Pradesh, with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) calling t...
Retail inflation likely rose 3.5-4% in March
Retail inflation (CPI-based) is estimated to have risen to 3.5–4% in March 2026, driven primarily by food price pressures, according to analyst projections a...
West Asia crisis may push India’s current account deficit to 2% of GDP: Crisil
Rating agency Crisil warned that a prolonged West Asia crisis and elevated crude oil prices could push India's Current Account Deficit (CAD) to approximately...
'Civilisation will die' remarks brought Iran to bargaining table: Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that "A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again" — a direct threat against Ira...
Islamabad talks: U.S. and Iran fail to reach agreement after 21 hours, Vance departs Pakistan
US and Iranian delegations held direct face-to-face talks in Islamabad, Pakistan for 21 hours on April 11–12, 2026, in an attempt to negotiate a ceasefire to...
China sets up new county in Xinjiang near PoK, Afghan border
The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region government of China announced the establishment of a new county named "Cenling" on March 26, 2026. Cenling county is lo...
Iran and Strait of Hormuz: A lone battle for control
With the outbreak of the U.S.-Iran conflict in early 2026, Iran's decades-long strategic leverage over the Strait of Hormuz has moved from theoretical threat...
DMRC launches mid-life refurbishment of Blue Line trains to enhance safety and passenger experience
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) launched a phased mid-life refurbishment programme for its Blue Line trains (Rolling Stock 1 — RS-1 batch). The RS-1 ...
Islamabad talks conclude on a cliffhanger. Iran says Vance-led delegation ‘failed to gain our trust’
Historic face-to-face talks between the United States and Iran, hosted by Pakistan in Islamabad, concluded without an agreement after approximately 21 hours ...
Bangladesh government starts China outreach, to send 20-member delegation this week
The Bangladesh government, led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, has initiated a major diplomatic outreach to China, dispatching a 20-member delegation to Bei...
PM Modi to inaugurate Dehradun-Delhi Expressway on April 14
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Delhi–Dehradun Expressway on April 14, 2026 The 210-km, 12/6-lane access-controlled expressway cuts travel time ...