International Relations
Bilateral ties, multilateral forums, treaties and India's foreign policy
WTO accepts request of India, Taipei to defer ICT import duty dispute ruling until Oct 2026
At a meeting of the WTO's Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) in Geneva on April 21, 2026, the DSB accepted a joint request from India and Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) ...
Iran says tanker defied US blockade; Maritime data links it to India
The tanker Felicity, operated by the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC), dropped anchor near Sikka on Gujarat's coast — a key crude-handling hub serving ...
Expert Explains | Why China’s new Atlas drone swarm system could worry India and the world
In late March 2026, China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) publicly demonstrated the Atlas drone swarm operations system — a mobile, vehicle-mounted platform...
The Strait of Hormuz blockade, explained
Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on April 18, 2026, citing the United States' refusal to lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports — an esca...
Resolution 47 on Kashmir: When India ran into ‘power politics’ at the UN
UN Security Council Resolution 47, adopted on 21 April 1948, became a defining early test of independent India's engagement with international institutions —...
US-Iran diplomatic road long, arduous but why ‘grand bargain’ remains the goal
Peace talks between the US and Iran have stalled, with the administration holding out for a "grand bargain" rather than incremental agreements — a comprehens...
How a U.S.-Iran deal over Hormuz unravelled
A two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran, agreed on April 7, 2026, began unravelling within days, driven by two unresolved disputes: the status of the St...
India, South Korea expand shipbuilding ties, target ₹2.2 lakh crore maritime push
India and South Korea formalised a comprehensive maritime and shipbuilding partnership framework titled VOYAGES (Vision for Operation of Yard Assisted Growth...
Japan overhauls post-World War II pacifist military approach, lifts restrictions on defence exports
On April 21, 2026, the cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi approved the lifting of a near-complete ban on lethal weapons exports, marking the m...
Development initiatives, capacity building will be in focus at fourth India-Africa Forum Summit
Preparations for the fourth India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-IV) are underway, with India holding consultations with African partner countries on the agenda, ...
Japan approves scrapping a ban on lethal weapons exports in a change of its postwar pacifist policy
Japan's Cabinet approved a new defence export guideline on April 21, 2026, formally scrapping the longstanding ban on the export of lethal weapons — the most...
West Asia crisis impacts India’s trade, oil imports and remittances: RBI Governor
RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra, speaking at Princeton University on April 18, 2026, outlined the multi-channel economic impact of the West Asia crisis on India...
FTA partners drive India’s trade surge as reliance on non-FTA countries dips, says NITI Aayog report
NITI Aayog released the seventh edition of its Trade Watch Quarterly report covering October–December (Q3) of FY 2025-26, highlighting a dramatic rise in Ind...
Ahead of nuclear non-proliferation treaty meet, China & NATO train guns on each other
The 11th Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is scheduled from April 27 to May 22, 2026, at UN Headquarters in ...
U.S. positive on Iran deal but talks still uncertain as ceasefire end nears
The United States expressed cautious optimism about the possibility of a new nuclear agreement with Iran, but negotiations remained deeply uncertain as a tem...
Taiwan President cancels trip to Africa, accuses China of applying ‘coercive actions’ to prevent visit
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te cancelled a planned visit to Eswatini — Taiwan's sole remaining diplomatic ally in Africa — scheduled for April 22–26, 2026. ...
India-hosted Quad leaders’ summit overdue, but no invites sent yet as US signals low interest
India's turn to host a Quad Leaders' Summit remains pending; the summit was not convened in 2025 as scheduled, making it overdue by the time of this report (...
Pakistan extends airspace closure for Indian planes till May 24
Pakistan extended the closure of its airspace for all Indian-registered civilian and military aircraft until May 24, 2026 (2359 hrs UTC on May 23, i.e., 0530...
India’s GDP growth to slow to 6.4% in FY27 amid geopolitical headwinds: UN report
The UN-ESCAP's Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2026 projected India's GDP growth to slow to 6.4 percent in FY2026-27 from 7.4 percent in 2...
Iran-Israel war LIVE: Yet to receive formal response on Iranian participation in talks: Pakistan Information Minister Attaullah Tarar
The Ministry of External Affairs reported that over 11.6 lakh (1.16 million) Indian passengers have returned from the West Asia conflict zone since February ...