Donald Lu, the US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, will travel to India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh from 10 to 15 May. He plans to meet with consulate officials in Chennai to enhance bilateral engagement in the southern region of India.
Afghanistan’s acting Permanent Representative to the UN, Naseer Ahmad Faiq, a diplomat loyal to the pre-Taliban democratic regime, has warned that the Taliban is attempting to normalise ties and trying to install its appointees in India.
On Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated that Canada has shared no specific or relevant evidence with India regarding allegations in the Hardeep Singh Nijjar assassination case.
After half a year of confronting Myanmar’s military regime, opposition forces have achieved notable progress. However, civilian casualties are escalating as regime troops employ harsh tactics in the ongoing civil conflict. Various militias and resistance groups are intensifying pressure, leading to retaliatory strikes on civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, potentially harbouring opposition members.
Analysts suggest that despite a recent aerial clash between an Australian military helicopter and a Chinese fighter jet in the Yellow Sea causing renewed tensions, efforts to stabilise bilateral relations are likely to mitigate any potential escalation. The incident underscores the increasing frequency of such encounters amidst growing geopolitical uncertainties, with analysts indicating that this could prompt China to reevaluate its military strategies to prevent mid-air collisions, particularly following a fatal 2001 accident in Hainan.
According to Reuters, US President Joe Biden plans to unveil new tariffs on China, targeting key sectors such as electric vehicles. The announcement, anticipated as early as next week, may mostly uphold current tariffs, though the timing remains uncertain. Additionally, specific sectors like semiconductors and solar equipment are expected to be affected.