EXPLAINED GLOBAL NEWS

Ganga Water Sharing Treaty: Why renegotiating pact tops new Bangladesh government’s list of priorities

February 15, 2026 18:51 IST

Both countries have expressed willingness to revisit the 1996 agreement’s terms, up for renewal in December 2026. A new treaty would have to account for future needs of rising populations, besides climate change-induced crises

A woman and a child pass at a park in Beijing, China, Sept. 18, 2024.

Why China’s population woes can be partly attributed to the One-Child Policy’s design failure

February 14, 2026 08:00 IST

A decade since the One-Child Policy’s reversal, the number of annual births in China has declined to a record low. In many ways, China is attempting to legislate a future which it spent 40 years building against.

Bangladesh Election Results 2026, Tarique Rahman, Bangladesh Nationalist Party, BNP victory, Jamaat-e-Islami, Sheikh Hasina ouster, Khaleda Zia death, Bangladesh constitutional reform, Jatiyo Shangsad, Bangladesh political news, National Citizen Party, referendum Bangladesh 2026, interim government Bangladesh corruption, Dhaka University elections.

Family man, prodigal son, next PM: Can Tarique Rahman unite Bangladesh?

February 14, 2026 13:54 IST

Soft-spoken and measured, 60-year-old Rahman has his task cut out for him: Tempering communal sentiments and reaching out to minorities

Bangladesh politics explained: Bangladesh election

With BNP’s landslide win in Bangladesh, India must deal with a complex history and many challenges

February 14, 2026 12:01 IST

Bangladesh politics explained: The previous BNP regime from 2001 to 2006 saw a souring of Bangladesh-India ties. Despite the current low in bilateral relations, there are clear areas of engagement, with signals of outreach from both sides.

As Myanmar’s military-backed party wins ‘tainted’ polls, an Expert Explains the state of play and India’s stakes

February 13, 2026 15:42 IST

The Myanmar election results closed a political loop set into motion with the military coup of February 2021. What is the conflict in Myanmar, and how will the poll results impact it?

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. (AP photos)

Expert Explains: Does Japanese PM Takaichi’s historic win deal a blow to ties with China? Why some in China say yes

February 13, 2026 08:53 IST

China had cause for concern the day Takaichi was elected as Japan’s first woman prime minister. With a stronger mandate, here is how the Asian neighbours may navigate their ties.

A nun casts her vote in a polling station during national parliamentary election in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026.

Why Bangladesh elections are being accompanied by a national referendum

February 12, 2026 12:57 IST

This referendum is essentially a yes-or-no vote on the National Charter that was unveiled by the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government. Here is why it was introduced, and the reforms it proposes to bring.

Starmer is not in Epstein files, Trump is. Here’s why UK leader almost lost his chair, while US President gets support

February 16, 2026 17:13 IST

The answer to the asymmetry of Epstein outrage lies in the nature of British polity, Starmer and Mandelson's reputations, and in the American political landscape.

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, center, who founded local newspaper Apple Daily, was arrested by police officers at his home in Hong Kong on April 18, 2020. (AP Photo)

How Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai’s imprisonment points to China’s tightening grip

February 10, 2026 13:11 IST

Many view the targeting of Jimmy Lai as part of a repressive campaign under Xi. Lai is among the many influential figures who have fallen prey to Beijing's bid to cut out what it calls 'foreign influence'.

Expert Explains | US-Iran talks: Why both sides are negotiating amid military buildup

February 9, 2026 14:48 IST

Over the last two decades, US-Iran talks have been infamous for their sluggish pace, the counter-productive format, and severe dearth of good faith between negotiating parties. Mutual trust has only declined further over the last 12 months

Sanae Takaichi, Japan's prime minister and president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), puts pins marking the names of candidates who won lower house elections on Sunday.

Expert Explains: What Japan poll results reveal about country’s mood, and the opportunity for IndiaSubscriber Only

February 10, 2026 18:36 IST

PM Sanae Takaichi now commands a strong parliamentary position, with market indices touching record highs following the landslide win. A former Indian Ambassador explains how this will reflect at home and abroad.

Expert Explains: As Pakistan again points fingers at Afghanistan over terror, a look at Kabul-Beijing ties

February 8, 2026 19:55 IST

The terror outfits active in Pakistan and Afghanistan have a history of targetting Chinese projects and people. The Taliban government and Beijing, meanwhile, are trying to deepen engagement, cautiously.

In his Truth Social post, US President Donald Trump said subjects discussed in their “excellent” call included trade, military, the April trip “(which I very much look forward to!)”, Taiwan, the Ukraine-Russia war, and Iran.

China This Week | Trump’s ‘excellent’ call with Xi, and US claims of secret Chinese nuclear test

February 8, 2026 19:53 IST

Every week, we recap highlights of the news from China. This week, we look at a phone call that reveals much about the priorities of leaders in the US and China, and claims of nuclear explosions in China.

Sanae Takaichi, Japan's prime minister, waves during a campaign rally on the eve of the lower house election in Tokyo, Feb. 7.

Why Japanese PM Takaichi’s snap election call is a bold bet, amid Trump factor and feud with China

February 8, 2026 13:04 IST

Takaichi has energized right-wing groups with promises to tighten immigration and build a “strong and prosperous” Japan. She shares the conservative vision of her mentor, Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, who was assassinated in 2022.

In CIA’s decision to shutter World Factbook, information becomes collateral damage

February 6, 2026 17:49 IST

For over 60 years of existence, the CIA manual went from being reference material for intelligence officers to one for the public at large. But it might have become an unwitting casualty of domestic political upheaval

Oil and beyond: With Russia, India has to balance old ties, new realitiesSubscriber Only

February 6, 2026 08:00 IST

Trump’s claim that India ‘agreed to stop buying Russian oil’ has put New Delhi in a diplomatically tricky position with a longtime ally

How will Thailand’s general election play out?

February 5, 2026 20:35 IST

Opinion polls consistently show the progressive People's Party is Thailand's most popular party. With its ambitious reform agenda and mastery of social media, it has huge appeal among young and urban Thais and will be a force to reckon with

The last US-Russia nuclear pact ends today. Is this the beginning of a new arms race?

February 6, 2026 19:41 IST

From SALT to START, the US and Russia have had a stop-start history of arms control. The expiry of the New START pact on February 5 raises fears over the erosion of restraint among nuclear states.

Expert Explains: Why a conflict in Iran could be far more consequential than in VenezuelaSubscriber Only

February 5, 2026 21:57 IST

In geopolitical terms, a crisis in Iran could potentially have far greater consequences than Venezuela. The US threat of force in the region could upend oil flows and impact prices.

UK-China ties have long been tumultuous. Is Trump enough to bring them together?

February 5, 2026 13:20 IST

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s trip to China is being seen as a ‘reset’ in the bilateral ties. What led up to it, and what were its outcomes?

Bill Gates’ ‘infidelity’, Musk’s ‘wildest party’ plans, Trump allegations: Takeaways from latest, and possibly final, release of Epstein FilesSubscriber Only

January 31, 2026 17:59 IST

Three million pages, 180,000 images, 2,000 videos — and a Mira Nair cameo. The US Department of Justice has released a large tranche of documents related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, saying it had 'erred on the side of over-collecting materials'.

Expert Explains: As START treaty expires, why Europe’s security calculus is under (nuclear) cloudSubscriber Only

February 6, 2026 05:43 IST

The US GDP is roughly USD 31 trillion, and it has a population of 345 million; the Europeans add up to USD 28 trillion with around 600 million people. With such economic might, why are the Europeans unable to ‘keep the Russians out’ by themselves? An Expert Explains.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

China This Week | Top military leader under investigation, China-Canada bonhomie, and population dataSubscriber Only

January 27, 2026 15:58 IST

Every week, we recap highlights of the news from China. This week, we look at an important development in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), a recent visit by Canadian PM Mark Carney, and China’s population woes.

Expert Explains | Bangladesh’s February 12 elections are a chance at a fresh start for all partiesSubscriber Only

January 27, 2026 07:02 IST

Bangladesh’s first palpably free and fair election in 17 years will also be accompanied by a constitutional referendum — a yes/no vote on the July National Charter

China's defence ministry said it had opened an investigation into the country's highest-ranking general over "grave violations of discipline and the law", without any further details.

Month before Xi Jinping’s purge of China’s top general, Pentagon flagged removal of officers, said it triggered ‘uncertainty’Subscriber Only

January 27, 2026 04:30 IST

The removal follows the expulsion of nine top generals in October: one of the largest public crackdowns on the military in decades. With the latest purge, the Central Military Commission is now down from the original seven members to just two.