International Relations
Bilateral ties, multilateral forums, treaties and India's foreign policy
U.S. report flags high import duties, non-tariff barriers in India
The United States Trade Representative (USTR) released its 2026 National Trade Estimate (NTE) Report on Foreign Trade Barriers, flagging India's high import ...
Iran’s Parliament commission approves Hormuz toll plan: state TV
Iran's Parliamentary Security Commission approved a plan to impose tolls on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to state television reports, m...
Artemis II, the international space race, and what is at stake for the U.S.
NASA's Artemis II mission launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on April 1, 2026 — the first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in ...
Fertiliser shock looms as Strait of Hormuz shipping disruption ripples through supply chains, warns UNCTAD
UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) has issued an urgent warning that near-paralysis of Strait of Hormuz shipping — transits down ove...
Why a second global shipping chokepoint could soon live up to its name as the ‘Gate of Tears’
With the Strait of Hormuz nearly paralysed — shipping transits down over 95% since Iran's IRGC began enforcing closure warnings following US-Israel strikes o...
West Asia conflict could shave off 1 percentage point from India's FY27 GDP growth projections: EY
EY India's Economy Watch report released in March 2026 estimates that if the West Asia conflict persists throughout FY2026–27, India's real GDP growth could ...
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to visit Delhi mid May for BRICS meet
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is confirmed to visit New Delhi on May 14-15, 2026, to participate in the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting — announced...
Earth’s orbits are filling up because governance hasn’t kept pace
Earth's orbital shells — particularly low Earth orbit (LEO, 200–2,000 km altitude) — are filling with active satellites, defunct spacecraft, and fragmentatio...
Russia offers fertiliser supplies to Global South amid Strait of Hormuz crisis
With the 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis severely disrupting global fertiliser shipments, Russia has positioned itself as an alternative supplier to Global Sout...
U.S. strikes Isfahan as Iran targets fully loaded oil tanker off Dubai
The United States military struck the central Iranian city of Isfahan on March 31, 2026, targeting a mountainous region on the city's southern edge where Ira...
India diesel exports to SE Asia hit 7-year high in March due to Iran war, data shows
India exported approximately 7.45 million barrels of diesel to Southeast Asia in March 2026, the highest volume in seven and a half years, driven by tighteni...
Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar junta chief, elected as Vice-Presidentscvnks
Myanmar's lower house (Pyithu Hluttaw) elected junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing as Vice-President with 247 of 260 votes on March 31, 2026. The uppe...
More than 200,000 fled Lebanon for Syria in March: UNHCR
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that more than 200,000 people — the vast majority of them Syrian nationals — fled Lebanon ...
In a fillip for e-commerce export, India eases norms for couriers
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) operationalised a set of comprehensive reforms for e-commerce exports and courier trade from April 1, ...
India warns against forced rules, flags WTO legitimacy risks at ministerial meet
At the World Trade Organisation's 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal led India's deleg...
Missiles overhead, mines below: How an Indian LPG tanker survived the Hormuz blockade
The Indian-flagged LPG tanker Pine Gas, carrying 45,000 metric tons of LPG, was stranded for nearly three weeks after Iran began selectively blocking passage...
Centre plans sweeping reforms as West Asia war jolts supply chains
The Union government is preparing a comprehensive reform plan in response to supply chain disruptions caused by the West Asia war, with energy security and f...
On global tensions and India’s economy
The ongoing U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict has transmitted an acute external shock to India's economy through three primary channels: elevated crude oil prices, d...
Japan to create special cell to push FDI into India
Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is establishing a new dedicated center to assist Japanese companies in navigating India's regulatory environment and iden...
Hormuz blocked, but India may get first delivery of Iranian crude oil after 7 years
An Iranian crude oil tanker is set to deliver its cargo to India for the first time in approximately seven years, even as the Strait of Hormuz remains effect...