Comment & Briefs

China’s launch of a yuan-denominated oil futures exchange will provide it with the opportunity to create an Asian crude oil benchmark and give it more clout in crude pricing and for promoting the yuan as a truly global currency.

Notwithstanding differences on some issues, chiefly, Afghanistan and India’s UNSC aspirations, India and Iran have decided to focus their energies on areas of concurrence such as connectivity and economic cooperation.

The Doklam episode should prompt India and Bhutan to rethink their hitherto overlooked issue of resituating Menser and Darchen-Labrang in their academic discourse and policy positions.

Affordability, software domination, reduction in mission costs and risk reduction are some of the advantages swarm technology promises in military campaigns.

Political instability in the wake of the arrest of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia in a corruption case will not portend well for Bangladesh and the region.

The dexterity with which Japan handles this case and the follow-up measures it adopts will strongly influence other countries to either liberalise the use of cryptocurrencies or strictly forbid them in the interest of consumers, law enforcement and national security.

Indian assistance to the Palestinians could not be routed through Israel without political controversy both at home and abroad, and India cannot help the Palestinians constructively without coordinating with Jordan.

In the backdrop of joining the Ashgabat Agreement, India now must enlarge the strategic role of Chabahar port for evolving an integrated transportation network involving both the INSTC and the proposed transit corridor to Central Asia.

While the intended targets of the Maoists are security forces personnel, often civilians and animals become casualties in blasts triggered by pressure mines.

Not intervening at this stage would be viewed by the people of Maldives as an abdication of responsibility by India.