Written by Lexi Dean | March 25, 2024 Prabowo Subianto Indonesia’s election results were confirmed this week, officially recognizing Prabowo Subianto as the country’s new President. Mr. Prabowo will take over at the end of Joko Widodo’s term in October. The campaign that won him the election emphasized commitment to democracy and promise to continue... Continue Reading →
Written by Lexi Dean | March 14 2024 /// Indian farmers /// Around two-thirds of the Indian population depend on farming for their livelihood, making India’s agricultural workers a vital group that may influence elections and policies. The Indian government is the biggest customer for farmers due to policies in place where the government provides... Continue Reading →
BRICS recently expanded to allow for the integration of six new members into the group. Pakistan has also submitted a formal request to join the group, though this request is made complicated by Pakistan's history and relations with India.
The Organization of Turkic States recently met for their 10th Summit. It is a group that works to advance trade and economic cooperation between member states and serves as a forum to discuss domestic and international issues.
Pakistan announced in early October that all illegal migrants would need to leave the country by November 1st or risk deportation. This policy targeted the 1.73 million Afghan refugees that fled to Pakistan following the rise of the Taliban. Many of these refugees could face persecution upon return to Afghanistan.
Prime Minister Modi of India declared his “unequivocal solidarity with Israel” before any official Western reaction came out, while many Indian news personalities have defined Israel’s military action since October 7th as “a war for all of us”. The Pakistani government, on the other hand, is likely trying to avoid a repeat of last year, when former Prime Minister Imran Khan jeopardized relationships in the West by visiting Moscow in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but this diplomatic approach may be tenuous if domestic pressure increases.
Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed the past successes of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) at a forum in Beijing; he also delivered sharp criticism against those who seek economic decoupling. The forum also saw the Chinese announce easing of investment restrictions as a way to attract more international trade.
Russian President Putin recently made a visit to Kyrgyzstan, where he met with Kyrgyz President Japarov. The meeting addressed security and economic cooperation between the two countries. Though the Kyrgyz president praised the relationship, his administration's actions have demonstrated a resistance to assisting the Russian state.
V.R. Chaudhari, the leader of India’s air forces, recently announced that the Indian Air Force is now effectively the “Indian Air and Space Forces”, a non-official designation that mirrors the American Air Force’s responsibility for space prior to the creation of the Space Force as a separate organization in 2019. Numerous Indian military officials and Prime Minister Modi himself have echoed Chaudhari’s emphasis on space as a security sector in the past year.
Around Monday, September 25, Filipino divers severed a Chinese ball-buoy-barrier near the entrance of the contested Scarborough Shoal. The buoy’s placement is part of China’s policing strategy to block Filipino boats from fishing near the shoal. Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, responded, “what the Philippines [has] done is nothing but a farce that entertains itself. China will continue to safeguard the territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests of Hangman Island.”
