Geeta's World

The U.S. Department of Justice has indicted a senior Indian government intelligence official for allegedly plotting the assassination of U.S. citizen Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil. But the question is: To what extent will the U.S. pursue this case, given their decision not to disclose the identity of the Indian official? Does it mean they don't want to risk its relations with India...

Nearly 1,00,000 delegates from 198 countries are participating in the global conference in Dubai for COP28, which commenced on Thursday and will run through December 12. Delegates at COP28 in Dubai established a new fund to aid developing nations in coping with climate-induced damages. So far $660m from 15 developed countries and the host, UAE has been pledged. But is this enough? And as per Oxfam...

Geert Wilders, an anti-Islam populist, won a significant victory in the Dutch election with his Party for Freedom (PVV) emerging as the single largest party with 37 seats in the 150-menber lower house. Despite the win, he lacks a majority and he says that he must negotiate with other parties to reach the required 76 seats. But several parties such as the Labor-Green alliance have rejected collabor...

Distinguished delegations from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and Palestine, alongside Indonesia's foreign minister, convened in Beijing for a two-day middle east summit hosted by the Chinese government on November 20 But is there a reason why an important and significant player like Iran gave it a miss? And despite attempts, which include threats from Iran or Hezbollah, and persistent diplomat...

Maldives’s president Mohamed Muizzu has decided to send Indian troops out of the country, while pledging to safeguard the Maldives' independence and sovereignty. So how will this decision impact India-Maldives relations? Should India be concerned? And is it because the Maldivian opposition and its people have actually seen more tangible gains in terms of growth and development from Chinese assista...

In his first ever speech following the Israel-Hamas conflict, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah openly challenged Israel and the United States. He emphasized Hezbollah's readiness and lack of fear towards U.S. warships. But why now? Why did the Hezbollah leader wait until now to issue a response to the recent month's devastating attacks? And reports suggest that Iran does not want regional war, an...

At the UN General Assembly, India chose not to vote on a resolution promoting an immediate humanitarian truce between Israel and Hamas. Was it a clever diplomatic move on India's part, considering they don't want to ruffle feathers with Israel and the United States? On the one hand, the resolution seeks to prevent further escalation of the conflict and increase humanitarian aid for Gaza, while on...

Nearly a week has passed since the Israeli military ordered the evacuation of northern Gaza's civilians to the southern region in preparation for a potential ground offensive. However, the invasion has been postponed. Doesn't this delay seem like a ploy for political gains, because we know Netanyahu is being able to avoid immense domestic scrutiny from his own electorate because of this war? And U...

Hamas launched a major attack and fired more than 5,000 rockets from the Gaza Strip toward Israel, resulting in the deadliest violence in Israel since the Yom Kippur war.  And the global response varies, with some arguing that it was long overdue, and it's a response expected from the Palestinian people who have endured Israeli settler colonial rule and occupation for decades, while other...

Last week, as the world's attention remained fixated on the diplomatic row with Canada, a significant and alarming development unfolded in the Caucasus when Thousands of ethnic Armenians fled from Nagorno-Karabakh following the region's surrender to Azerbaijan on September 20th.  This region is home to a majority of approximately 120,000 ethnic Armenians.  What transpired was the resurge...

Canada's prime minister Justin Trudeau is yet to release any specific evidence tying India to the killing, which if proven would constitute a violation of “Canadian sovereignty” and “international rule of law”. How probable will this evidence then be, which in a way will also have Canada implicated in this violation?  An unnamed ally in the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, the United States,...

An investigative report by The Intercept reveals that the U.S. aided Pakistan in securing IMF relief in exchange for arms sent to Ukraine during the Russia-Ukraine conflict. But why did the US specifically choose Pakistan to get the munitions?  And what does this reveal about the US’s strategic interests in the region and its willingness to engage in covert diplomacy at a time when it's also...

Despite India's softened language regarding the Ukraine conflict in the Delhi declaration, both China and the US have hailed India's G20 summit as a 'success' and a 'positive signal.' How did India achieve unanimous consensus? At the G20 summit, a mega connectivity corridor, the IMEC or the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, was  unveiled. It is seen as a response to countering China...

As India eagerly prepares to host the G20 summit this week, the notable absence of key leaders like Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin has sparked intrigue and speculation regarding China's motivations for not attending. What could be its reason? G20 is a great spectacle, but the preparations for it have resulted in people’s displacement, with the poor fearing they are being erased. Shouldn't Delhi be...

The 15th BRICS summit, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, kicked off today in Johannesburg, South Africa. The summit spans three days, culminating on August 24. Reverberating with significance, this summit emerges as a beacon of optimism, particularly in the aftermath of the Ukrainian conflict. In this episode, our host Anna Priyadarshini and foreign affairs editor at India...

It’s strange that we're sitting here on our Independence Day, in a free and democratic country that is India, to talk about how on the same date, 15th August, a couple of years back, millions of Afghans lost their freedom at the hands of the Taliban.  Two years ago, Afghanistan saw a return of an oppressive regime which believes in stripping women of all their rights and locking them up in th...

Russia's relentless war in Ukraine shows no signs of abating, extending over 500 days since its invasion. The devastating war, characterized by air, land, and sea attacks, has caused the loss of hundreds of lives and inflicted suffering upon more than 44 million people. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, a staggering 24.7 million border crossings have been recorded sin...

West African nation Niger faces unrest under military rule after President Mohamed Bazoum's overthrow in a coup. President Bazoum is now held captive by members of his own guard. Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani, head of Niger's presidential guard, declared himself head of a transitional government. This move has plunged the nation into unrest and turmoil, drawing strong condemnation from the internatio...

The G20 has been a long-standing topic of discussion, particularly in the global south, and with India taking on the presidency for the first time since the forum's establishment in 1999, it has garnered even more attention. From December 2022 to November 2023, India's presidency offers a significant opportunity for the country to influence global economic and financial policies and engage in cons...

Last week witnessed a momentous occasion in Jakarta, Indonesia, as top diplomats from across the globe gathered for the 56th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers meeting. This high-level meeting centered on addressing pressing security concerns in the Asia-Pacific region. Distinguished foreign ministers from influential nations such as India, China, the United States, S...

So what seems like a never-ending tech war has now escalated, with some really pertinent developments recorded recently/ This is about the ongoing chip war between China and the US, and it wouldn't be wrong to say that it's indeed becoming the next oil war, or maybe even more important than it, owing to the fact that now China spends more money each year importing chips than it spends on oil. And...

Recently, an Iraqi refugee Salwan Momika engaged in a controversial act by setting ablaze pages of The Holy Quran and desecrating it with a strip of bacon. But this was not a first, since earlier this year, a far-right politician Rasmus Paludan also burnt the Quran. While the refugee claimed his act wasn't against Muslims, the politician paired his act with an anti-immigrant speech. So should thes...

In a surprising development amidst the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, internal strife emerged between the Russian military and the Wagner mercenary group led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.  So giving a brief as to what really ensued is that last week, Prigozhin openly accused Russia's military of attacking a Wagner camp, resulting in the deaths of a s...

PM Modi’s first state visit to the US, since his election in 2014, is an important chapter for India-US relations. But how does the timing of the meeting between Modi and Biden play a crucial role in terms of optics and its potential impact on “electoral prospects” back home? What are the challenges that both the countries face in working together currently, especially when it comes to India’s clo...

US’s ex-president Donald Trump has been charged with 37 counts of unauthorised possession of classified material, obstruction of justice, concealing documents and making false statements to law enforcement. But the fact that despite facing a second indictment, Trump could potentially be elected president, what does he even stand to lose in this situation? And given that Trump is the only former Pr...