Iran Stalemate Intensifies With More Sanctions (March 15, 2007)
So called permanent U.N. powers and Germany, weary of Iran's hardening position on its nuclear program, agreed "in principle" on a new set of sanctions on Tehran for continuing to defy world demands to abandon its enrichment program.<More>

Ore Export to China Hit (March 13, 2007)
Responding to concerns from environmental groups, domestic steel businesses, and manufacturing houses, the federal government had imposed an export duty of Rs. 300 per ton but Chinese importers are boycotting Indian ore demanding exporters absorb the duty.<More>

Pak Alienating Neighbors, World Powers (March 12, 2007)
Despite signs of souring relations with Tehran and strained relations with Washington, Pakistan has asserted that it will not allow its territory to be used by the U.S. for anti-Iran operations.<More>

Sunni-Shia Consensus? (March 05, 2007)
Iranian hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz have reportedly agreed to stem increasing rift between Sunni and Shia Muslims that is dragging West Asia into crisis.<More>

Congress Party Loses State Elections (February 27, 2007)
Main coalition partner of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) governing the federal government, the Congress Party, lost several key states including economically rich Punjab and militarily rich Uttarakhand.<More>

Cheney in Surprise Pak Visit (February 26, 2007)
In a surprise move, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney visited Pakistan on his way to Kabul carrying a message from President George Bush that Islamabad will lose its financial aid if it cannot manage its border with Afghanistan.<More>

Trilateral Conference Concludes in Delhi (February 19, 2007)
The first structured and sixth trilateral conference between India, Russia, and China ended in New Delhi with an emphasis on cooperation rather than confrontation should govern approaches to regional and global affairs."<More>

Disappointing Cauvery Verdict (February 14, 2007)
After 17 years of deliberation and unimplemented awards, the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal passed a disappointing verdict where not only were the four states unhappy but also disappointing those who were looking for a broader direction.<More>

BSF Wants No Habitation on Bangla Border (February 09, 2007)
The Border Security Force (BSF) has proposed a "no-habitation zone" of 150 yards along the long Indo-Bangla border in West Bengal, Meghalaya, and Tripura so it can effectively manage it and stop illegal infiltration.<More>

Achieving a Sustainable Economic Growth Rate (February 08, 2007)
In yesterday's piece "Is the Economic Growth Sustainable?" we showed that the Indian economy has excellent fundamentals but is also riddled with risk. In this article, we will list various fixes that are necessary to ensure that the growth rate continues.<More>

Is the Economic Growth Sustainable? (February 07, 2007)
If economic reforms keep pace, in the next several years, the Indian economy is expected to pass Italy, France, and the UK and become the fifth largest in the world spurred by more efficient industries competing with the global system.<More>

New Environmental Body (February 06, 2007)
France has proposed a new environmental body that could police, monitor, and hold responsible nations that over-use resources in the name of development and received support of several nations but not the US, China, India, and Russia.<More>

Russia Supports Natural Gas Cartel Idea (February 05, 2007)
Russia has proposed a gas producing cartel idea from Iran along the lines of the oil producing cartel so natural has exporters can come under a banner to control output to keep prices at higher levels.<More>

GDP Growth Projected at 9%, RBI Hikes Rate (February 02, 2007)
The government raised the country's gross national product (GDP) growth to nine percent up from 8.4 percent because of higher than expected agriculture output this fiscal year but the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) hiked short-term rates to check inflation.<More>

India-ASEAN Relations at “High Point” (February 01, 2007)
The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretary General Ong Keng Yong said that his organization has “gone beyond” characterizing “China as the best economy and India as a secondary economy” and has now accepted India “as a strong economy.”<More>

IPI Agreement Closer to Reality (January 31 , 2007)
As US-Iran relations nosedived over accusations of meddling over Iraq and Tehran’s nuclear program, India, Pakistan, and Iran seemed to have agreed on a price to transport natural gas to India over the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline project.<More>

Political Color to Religion through Sachar Report (January 30 , 2007)
With elections coming up in Uttar Pradesh, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government is reportedly reading democratic statistics to execute minority welfare schemes even as Muslims accuse the Sachar Report of ignoring their women.<More>

Indian Economy to Surpass US by 2050 (January 29, 2007)
A recent Goldman Sachs study projected that India, along with China, will surpass the US economy by 2050 as India has moved onto a much faster trajectory fueled by strong and steady manufacturing productivity gains.<More>

Russia Wants Energy, Military Pie (January 25, 2007)
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in India to rejuvenate ties hoping to win a strong share of India’s large energy and military budget and also be the Guest of Honor of the Republic Day Parade that showcases Indian military and cultural might.<More>

Iran Bars IAEA Inspectors, US Warns (January 24, 2007)
In an apparent retaliation against UN sanctions imposed last month on its controversial nuclear program, Iran barred 38 UN nuclear inspectors from entering the country and the US upped the ante saying that rapprochement with Iran was “not possible.”<More>

Personality-Neutral Relations with Iran (January 23, 2007)
In an act of militant defiance in response to the second US aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis into the Persian Gulf, Iran tested short range Zalzal and Fajr-5 missiles ostensibly to evaluate “defensive and fighting capabilities of the missiles.” <More>

Halted Support for US Iraq Strategy (January 22, 2007)
Even as US allies in West Asia expressed support for the US’s new Iraq strategy, Riyadh haltingly expressed support but also doubted the even-handedness of the government in Baghdad to deal with the Sunni population or its capacity to stop sectarian violence.<More>

Involve Myanmar in ULFA Hunt (January 20, 2007)
With increased violence from United Liberation of Asom (ULFA), External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee is visiting Myanmar over the weekend to cement oral agreement on the sidelines of the ASEAN meet in the Philippines on joint operations.<More>

AEC Chairman Guarded on Nuke Deal (January 18, 2007)
In an interview with The Hindu, Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) was guarded on the Indo-US Civilian Nuclear Deal only to list the concerns that the Indian establishment still hankers but also said that these are issues that can be clarified.<More>

SC Upholds MP Expulsion (January 17, 2007)
The Supreme Court (SC) upheld the Parliament’s controversial expulsion of 11 Members of Parliament (MPs) caught in a media sting over the cash for query scandal and said that the expulsion was in accordance to law.<More>

Indo-Portugal Ties Takes Off (January 16, 2007)
Portugal President Professor Anibal Cavaco Silva, a politically representative parliamentary delegation, and large business delegation visited India and signed 4 significant agreements.<More>

Ortega Assumes Power in Nicaragua (January 10, 2007)
Ringing warning bells in Washington, former revolutionary Daniel Ortega assumed office in a ceremony attended by a dozen anti-American world leaders and left ideologues even as he promised to balance economic and ideological considerations.<More>

Moon Rover Plans (January 09, 2007)
As part of the second Chadrayan mnission in 2010-11, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is planning to land a motorized rover on the moon to pick up samples of soil or rocks, perform chemical analysis, and beam data to mother spacecraft.<More>

New Goal-Oriented Iraq Strategy (January 08, 2007)
As US Generals gave a sobering view of progress made by their troops in Iraq, a recent report suggested that President George Bush may introduce a new policy in Iraq that includes a set of goals that the government must meet.<More>

Bangla Polls Dubious (January 05, 2007)
After indicating their participation in the January 22 polls, the 14-party opposition led by former Prime Minister and Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina have now decided to boycott the elections alleging that it was “stage-managed.”<More>

Indo-Japan Ties Need Boost (January 04, 2007)
Given regional and global developments arising out of globalization and nuclear weapons program of North Korea, industry leaders are asking for a more active political engagement of Japan which they say will be more active this century.<More>

No SLMM in Combat Areas (January 03, 2007)
As the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission (SLMM) withdrew from combat areas in the North and East, the Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) raid killed 15 civilians (including 4 children), wounded dozens, and destroyed all but 5 houses in Northern coast near Mannar.<More>

Islamists Driven Out of Mogadishu (January 02, 2007)
Islamists controlling Somali capital Mogadishu the last 6 months and enforcing medieval laws were driven out by Western-supported Somali government troops and backed by Ethiopian tanks and MIG fighter jets.<More>

Tehran Defiant on Sanctions (December 28, 2006)
For the first time, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad acknowledged its nuclear weapons program when dismissing the UNSC resolution imposing limited sanctions against Tehran as a “piece of torn paper” meant to “scare Iranians.”<More>

Increased Foreign M&A Projected (December 27, 2006)
Investment bankers and analysts project increased merger and acquisitions (M&A) activity in the information technology (IT) space where smaller Indian companies are acquired by larger foreign players but do not rule out a large deals either.<More>

Bush Allays Indian Concerns (December 26, 2006)
US President George Bush called Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to wish him for the season and to also allay fears in India over the civilian cooperation bill and both leaders concluded that these concerns can be addressed in the “1-2-3 Agreement.”<More>

Energy Concerns & Alternatives (December 25, 2006)
As India’s economy grows at a breathtaking 9.1% its hunger for energy to sustain this growth is higher and though per capita energy consumption is relatively low, its energy use is expected to surpass Russia and Japan to be the third largest consumer of energy by 2030.<More>

Govt to Divest from Maruti (December 23, 2006)
After 25 years of partnership with Japanese Suzuki Motors through Maruti Industries, the Government has decided to sell its remnant 10.27% stake for an estimated Rs. 2,700 crore (USD 586 million) to overcome budget deficits.<More>

No Shortcuts in Kashmir (December 21, 2006)
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf proposed a “four point solution” to resolve the Kashmir dispute that includes Indian troop withdrawal, self-governance for Kashmiris, joint supervision by the three sides, and maintaining current borders in exchange for giving up claim to Kashmir.<More>

The Iran Problem for US (December 20, 2006)
As Tehran civic polls brought in moderate and reformist opponents of hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s to power, US policy makers are increasingly concerned about developments and statements from Iran and especially about their nuclear program.<More>

No Sanctions Says NK ( December 19, 2006)
A defiant Pyongyang declaring itself a nuclear power and threatening to increase its arsenal unless UN sanctions imposed on it since its October 9 nuclear test and remove financial restrictions that prompted the bankrupt nation to break-off the 6 nation dialogue 13 months ago.<More>

Manmohan’s Japan Visit (December 18, 2006)
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Japan where he invited greater investment from Japan under a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and also requested Tokyo’s support for the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).<More>

Hamas Takes Over Gaza Border (December 15, 2006)
After weeks of politically motivated assassinations and murder of children, Hamas gunmen fought fiercely with Fatah-allied border guards to seize control of the Gaza Strip’s EU-monitored border crossing with Egypt.<More>

Taliban Is a Virtual Mini State in Pak (December 14, 2006)
Finally, Western media has woken up to the dangers of the peace pact between Pakistan and the local Taliban in the North West Frontier Province and the New York Times (NYT) reported about a resurgent Taliban supporting Indian concern for this development.

New Money Laundering Law (December 13, 2006)
India has enacted the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) that would allow government agencies to track funding of terrorist activities and greatly help intelligence agencies monitor the flow of funds often indicative of terrorist strikes.<More>

Qualitative Jump in Indo-US Relations (December 12, 2006)
In a major show of good faith, US policy makers worked into the night to reconcile the House and Senate versions of the amendments to US law that would facilitate Indo-US civilian nuclear cooperation and will be signed into law by US President George Bush.<More>

Citizens in Crossfire (December 11, 2006)
Thousands of civilians took shelter in schools and Buddhist temples after wayward artillery fire wounded dozens and killed and wounded many soldiers, rebels, and civilians and the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) and rebels trading charges on who was responsible.<More>

LTTE Wants “Independent” Nation (December 08, 2006)
The Sri Lankan Government rejected Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader Vellupillai Prabakaran’s call for an “independent” Tamil Eelam as there is no other option left for the Tamils and has enacted tougher anti-terror laws.<More>

Chávez Wins a Polarized Nation (December 07, 2006)
In yet another irritant for globalization enthusiasts, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez won the presidential election by a landslide for the 3rd time based on a strong economy and blatant anti-Americanism and global economy he calls “socialist revolution.”<More>

Coup in Fiji (December 06, 2006)
The military commander of Fiji overthrew the elected Government, declared a state of emergency, and installed a new prime minister and police chief claiming to prevent legislation that favored indigenous Fijians over naturalized and native Indians.<More>

Jordan King Visit (December 05, 2006)
King Abdullah II visited India on a three day state visit and both nations used the visit to boost ties by signing four agreements to promote and protect investments, cooperate in agriculture, conduct exchange programs, and increase tourism.<More>

Hu’s Visit to India (December 04, 2006)
India categorized Chinese President Hu Jintao as “an important step forward” to develop “cooperative framework of engagement” but acknowledged “outstanding