Author: Sarthak Mukherjee

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is due at Beijing next week for a state visit, at the request of the Chinese President Xi Jinping. Raisi’s first visit to China is expected to facilitate greater relations between the two countries – connected by the Belt & Road Initiative and united in their rivalry against the USA. The visit is scheduled from Tuesday to Thursday, Beijing officials confirmed on Sunday. According to Iranian press, Raisi will be leading a large delegation of senior officials on this visit, including the central bank chief ; six members of the incumbent cabinet including the ministers of…

BRICS officials recently announced that 13 countries, all ranging from diverse geographies, were interested in joining the association, with six of them already having submitted their applications. After China took the initiative last year to expand the grouping to a second generation of developing economies, BRICS+ continues to grow in importance. This article explores the idea of BRICS+ and the expansion plans surrounding it. BRICS, the informal grouping of the world’s fastest-growing & emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China & South Africa is set for an expansion in ambit and membership. The economic bloc has secured much importance in…

The UN Secretary-General António Guterres presented his priorities for the current year during his address to the General Assembly. The UN Chief’s roadmap included an appeal for setting an immediate course to achieve among other things, climate action. Recommitting to the SDGs, ending the ‘war on nature’ & signaling a shift to green energy – all made it to his ‘New Agenda for Peace’ for the year 2024.  The Secretary-General’s Address Guterres appealed to all the member states of the United Nations to take urgent & immediate action, to achieve peace, economic rights and development, climate action, respect for diversity,…

As Pakistan’s poly-crisis gets severe, the country turns towards India. India finds itself a unique opportunity, which can fit into the larger vision for its place in the world, and its current initiatives in the South-Asian region. In this editorial, we trace such an opportunity, see the various considerations involved, understand what are roadblocks – and finally connect it to India’s vision to be the ‘Voice of the Global South’. Pakistan’s Crisis Continues to Grow The situation in Pakistan continues to embolden, as multiple crises weaken the very foundations of the nation. On the security front, Pakistan is having to…

January 27 is observed as International Holocaust Remembrance Day to commemorate the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi German extermination camp where millions of Jews were killed. On this day of immense significance for public memory, the author shares what instances diplomacy has to remind itself of and what lessons it has to imbibe. What is the Commemorative Event? The purpose of this day is to pay tribute to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust, and for the world to reiterate and reaffirm their standing unity to fight the evils of anti-semitism, racism and other…

Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, the incumbent President of the Arab Republic of Egypt is the chief guest for the Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi today – for which he arrived on Tuesday. The Chief-Guest invitation is an envelope that gets pushed by an intricate process of diplomatic foresight and strategic thinking – and this article explains the significance of such an invitation, the considerations behind it, and what Al-Sisi’s visit means for India as it celebrates its 74th Republic Day. India’s 74th Republic Day Celebrations India’s 74th Republic Day Celebrations are marked by a list of ‘firsts’ as it celebrates…

Rwandan forces fired at a military aircraft from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Tuesday for allegedly violating their airspace. This incident contributed to the escalations of tension occurring between the two African nations, leading to the Congolese government accusing Rwanda of an ‘act of war’. The rebel M23 offensive that broke out in Congo last year contributes much to the strained relationship between the two nations. What Happened? A Sukhoi Su-25KM jet, flying the flag of the Democratic Republic of Congo Air Force was hit by anti-aircraft fire over Lake Kivu, on Tuesday the 24th of January.…

Cuban Marxist revolutionary leader Ernesto “Che” Guevara’s eldest daughter, Aleida, is currently visiting Kolkata as part of her Indian tour. Her recent visit to Kolkata evoked memories of her father’s memorable and impactful visit to the same city in 1959 as part of his India tour. This article traces the role that Che’s visit played in the current relationship between the two countries.  Aleida Guevara, a physician and human rights advocate, has recently been visiting and engaging with student crowds and enthusiastic audiences in several Indian cities, alongside her daughter Estefania.  Her visit began in Chennai, being received and felicitated by…

In light of recent decisions made by NATO nations to send heavier Main-Battle-Tanks to Ukraine, this article implores whether the Western resistance to send weapons of a higher caliber to Ukraine is shifting, what political background, limitations, and implications it has – and an overall assessment of whether Ukraine benefits in the current situation. As the Russia-Ukraine War enters its 325th day of ongoing hostilities – the attitude of third parties towards the conflict seems to be undergoing a significant shift. On January 4th, President Emmanuel Macron of France announced that he is prepared to deploy a consignment of AMX-10RC…

Exxon-Mobil, the poster child of the US ‘military-petroleum complex’, is under attack over the claims of a new research study that indicates the shocking accuracy of its confidential internal climate change predictions, signaling the duplicity of its own public campaign denying climate change. The research study conducted jointly between researchers from Harvard University & the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, through the means of a systematic assessment, shows for the first time the accuracy of previously unreported forecasts created by Exxon-funded researchers & scientists from as early as the late 1970s. The research was conducted to understand exactly what…