PEPE ESCOBAR | This may not be about condos on North Korean beaches after all. Arguably, the heart of the matter in the Trump administration’s embrace of Kim Jong–un has everything to do with one of the largest deposits of rare earth elements (REEs) in the world, located only 150 km northwest of Pyongyang and potentially…
Read moreFRANCESCO SISCI | TRUMP’s unclear outcome with North Korea and bad attitude toward friends and global institutions may weaken the US dominance on global narrative and give hawks in Beijing mistaken impressions that could mislead everybody to war. Just hours after the end of the historic summit in Singapore between US president Donald Trump and…
Read moreSUBIR BHAUMIK | A report by Indian think tank CUTS INTERNATIONAL has suggested cutting down on non–tariff barriers in a big way to boost India–Bangladesh bilateral trade. The report by CUTS policy analyst Rahul Arora says that the bilateral trade between the two neighbours was way below potential and cutting down on non–tariff barriers held…
Read moreJUNAID ASHRAF | DURING the current decade, China has started looking outward, especially after the “Belt and Road Initiative” was announced by President Xi Jinping during his visit to Kazakhstan in September 2013. China’s strategic culture has often been described as defensive; the cult of defense, the teachings of Confucius and Sun Tzu and the…
Read moreNAYPYIDAW | In an interview, Aung San Suu Kyi told that deep–rooted communal sentiment in Rakhine State cannot be resolved overnight. Q: The Myanmar government has agreed to have UN Agencies assist with the repatriation process of the Rohingya people in Rakhine State, and to set up an independent committee to investigate human rights violations….
Read moreKATHMANDU | Former prime minister and Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Co–chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that forging understanding for trilateral development cooperation between Nepal, India and China is possible. Dahal’s statement has come ahead of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s visit to China. “A high level visit from China will happen soon,” Dahal said…
Read moreNEW DELHI | China and India settled a dispute over the flood–prone Brahmaputra River that flows from Tibet to Bangladesh in a sign of growing cooperation between them. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed the agreement as they began the two–day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. “Our talks will add…
Read moreNAYPYIDAW | Myanmar de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi said her government would seek outside advice, including from foreign legal experts, to resolve the Rohingya crisis that has ignited international condemnation of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. On June 7, Suu Kyi indicated that efforts would be made to encourage Rohingya refugees to return…
Read morePrime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Thank you for your friendship, your leadership of India–Singapore partnership and a better future for the region. Defence Ministers, Mr. John Chipman Dignitaries and Excellencies, Namaskar and a very good evening to all of you! I am pleased to return to a region, known to India since ancient times…
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