India

Amid simmering border tension with India along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh, China is planning to build a major hydropower project in Tibet’s part of the Brahmaputra River. According to reports, China is planning to build the dam as part of the proposal for the country's 14th Five-Year Plan that will be implemented next year. It is learnt that Chinese government has already finalised a company to construct this dam. … [Read more...] about China to build major dam on Brahmaputra river: Will the move impact India – Read here

India’s current Covid-19 tally stands at 9,431,691 after 38,772 new infections were logged in the last 24 hours, in addition to 443 new deaths, as per the health ministry’s data on Monday. This includes 8,847,600 recovered cases, 446,952 active cases and 137,139 deaths. Later in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a meeting via video conferencing with Covid-19 vaccine developing teams from Gennova Biopharma, Biological E and Dr Reddy’s. On Saturday, the prime minister had visited vaccine development centres at Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Pune. … [Read more...] about With 140 million Covid-19 tests, India crosses major landmark

Naidu said SCO is key to cooperation based on universally recognised international norms, rule of law, openness and transparency and it is “unfortunate ...that there have been attempts to deliberately bring bilateral issues into SCO and blatantly violate the well-established principles and norms of the SCO charter safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of SCO member states”. … [Read more...] about SCO meet: India launches thinly veiled attack on Pakistan over terrorism

The ministry of external affairs (MEA) said on Monday whether Pakistan will join India’s initiatives at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting is up to them and backed this with SCO charter’s provision. “As far as whether Pakistan is going to join (our) initiatives, it’s up to them. SCO charter has a provision that one country cannot hold up cooperation in areas and allows member countries which are interested to take it forward with the exclusion of one country that is opposing,” MEA secretary Vikas Swarup said. … [Read more...] about ‘Up to them’: MEA on Pakistan cooperating with India’s initiatives at SCO

According to military and diplomatic officials based in Delhi and Beijing, the window of opportunity for disengagement and de-escalation from the friction points along the 597 km-long Line of Actual Control (LAC) would close in December when very heavy snows, polar temperatures and high-velocity winds sweeping the Tibetan plateau and Ladakh heights would make any significant movement of troops, artillery and armour will be near impossible. As of now both sides have deployed more than three divisions of troops on each side with missile, artillery and armor support. … [Read more...] about India seeks answers from China on Ladakh peace plan. It is a make-or-break question