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Khamenei’s Killing: West Asia, Region at the Hormuz Flashpoint

Escalation around Iran narrows diplomatic manoeuvring room across South Asia. India has cultivated strong defence ties with Israel, expanded strategic cooperation with Washington and maintained pragmatic engagement with Tehran, particularly in connectivity and energy sectors. A widening US–Iran confrontation complicates this balancing act. 

AI: Social Disruptor or National Security Risk? How Will Countries Respond

There is a darker side to AI, it is now seen. Firms have established that AI can manipulate, blackmail and threaten. Findings by Anthropic have revealed that advanced AI systems can resort to blackmailing and threatening human users to achieve assigned goals or ensure their survival. As AI writes better versions of itself and big business powers it to seek new frontiers to occupy, will India re-skill and re-arm to keep its independence or run the risk of becoming a digitised colony?

Islamic State Bengal’s Resurgence: The re-emergence of an ISIS-linked Militant Architecture in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has previously demonstrated its ability to decisively dismantle militant infrastructures. The question now is whether that momentum can be sustained amid shifting political and regional dynamics. If left unchecked, Islamic State Bengal’s evolving model - family cells, criminal financing, cross-border sanctuaries, and technical bomb-making sophistication - could reintroduce a phase of asymmetric violence not only within Bangladesh but across parts of South Asia.

A Line Crossed: The Killing of Ayatollah Khamenei Has Dangerous Consequences for Volatile Region

The killing of Ayatollah Ai Khamenei is not an isolated headline; it is a defining chapter in the evolving story of Middle Eastern and regional geopolitics. It forces a reckoning with questions of power, legality, and consequence. Whether this moment becomes the spark of broader conflict or a catalyst for renewed diplomatic urgency will depend on decisions made now, in Tehran, in Jerusalem, in Washington, and beyond. One era has undeniably ended. What begins next will shape the region for years to come.

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Bangladesh, India need to combat air pollution without compromising economic growth

Both the governments of Bangladesh and India can come out with policies that promote renewable energy sources, which will help to improve air quality and human health, writes Safen Roy for South Asia Monitor

Will Bangladesh be able to lure more Japanese investment?

Attracting Japanese companies shifting out of China thus is consistent with Bangladesh’s Look East policy. To facilitate this a Special Economic Zone is being built, writes N Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor

Biden’s declaration ‘America is back’ must also apply to Afghanistan

The US-Taliban peace deal also needs to be rejected, as it is a disaster in the making for Afghanistan, the region as well as for America since it would turn Af-Pak into a terror cauldron and a springboard to launch terror attacks on the US and its allies, writes Lt Gen Prakash Katoch (Retd) for South Asia Monitor 

High stakes at coming India-EU summit: Opportunities and roadblocks

Can the EU hope for forward-looking language on at least a limited trade deal between India and the EU?, writes Amb Bhaswati Mukherjee (retd) for South Asia Monitor

In India, dissenters are having it rough

The Supreme Court of India has categorically held that criticism of the government, however harsh, does not amount to sedition unless violence is incited, writes Rahul Machaiah for South Asia Monitor 

Need for reinventing India’s aeronautical industry

Fifty years of bitter experience should prompt the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to initiate a major paradigm-shift in India's defence-industrial programmes, writes Admiral Arun Prakash (retd) for South Asia Monitor

India needs a more assertive policy on Tibet to counter China

India must seek a larger role for the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration in the international arena, write Pradeep S. Mehta and Jithin Sabu for  South Asia Monitor 

Bangladesh should keep up pressure on Rohingya repatriation

Bangladesh should keep raising the Rohingya issue in all international forums. It should continue its efforts in various diplomatic arenas to exert more international pressure on Myanmar for a quick Rohingya repatriation, write MD Sakib Hossain & Kawsar Uddin Mahmud for South Asia Monitor

South Asia: Energy imperatives of the Paris Agreement

Asia has significant scope for regional cooperation and collaboration among its energy-deficient and energy-sufficient regions to enhance its overall energy security, writes Partha Pratim Mitra for South Asia Monitor

Ayodhya: A new dawn of communal harmony in India?

Communal or sectarian violence poses a serious threat not only to India’s secular and democratic spirit but also wreaks serious havoc on its economy, writes Asif Rameez Daudi for South Asia Monitor

Deepening a unique bond: An Afghan diplomatic journey in India

The Shahtoot Dam project will be India’s second-largest in Afghanistan after the Salma Dam project. This would invariably help mitigate water scarcity in the country, writes Amb Tahir Qadiry for South Asia Monitor

Brexit's long shadow on UK's new dawn: Time to craft a reinvigorated partnership with India

Brexit could translate into an opportunity for India to reset the legal terms of its trade with the UK and EU at the multilateral level as well as through free trade agreements (FTA). This remains a formidable challenge, writes Amb Bhaswati Mukherjee (retd) for South Asia Monitor 

India needs to embark on a course correction to restore international standing

India's much weaker economic clout in comparison to China's, its controversial and polarising domestic policies, and the lack of dependability have all prompted the rest of its neighbours to embrace the Dragon, helping strengthen its "string of pearls" strategy, writes  E D Mathew for South Asia Monitor

To contribute to global value chain, India needs to move beyond 'self-reliance' label

Being Asia’s third-largest economy, India has been criticized by the US, China, and the EU for rising trade barriers and restrictive investment policies at the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Trade Policy Review, writes Manjari Balu for South Asia Monitor

Possible reset in Af-Pak ties: Need for India to realign Afghan policy

It is critical for India to make some uncomfortable choices to safeguard its strategic interests in Afghanistan, write Prashant Rastogi and Swati Sinha for South Asia Monitor