Comment & Briefs

India and Bangladesh fought together “in the defence of human liberty”, in the words of Sheikh Mujib ur Rahman, to liberate Bangladesh, fifty momentous years ago.

Disagreements on cabinet positions continue to hamper the formation of a new Lebanese government, even as the country is going through socio-economic turmoil, compounded by the pandemic and the Beirut port blast.

The iDEX has made a commendable effort at putting a defence start-up ecosystem in place. The challenges ahead include maintaining momentum, obtaining funding, and accessing toolsets and data sets.

The street power of the ulema groups in Bangladesh is pushing the government to further Islamise the social sphere, which will pave the way for the ultimate political success of the Islamists.

Executing extra-territorial targeted killings to eliminate inimical people bent on wrecking death and destruction on Indian nationals and interests is an option India may explore more vigorously, within the confines of international law.

Since taking over as the Iraqi prime minister in May 2020, Mustafa al-Kadhimi has blended pragmatism with caution while dealing with significant domestic as well as external challenges.

In the aftermath of Samuel Paty’s beheading, France is taking measures that seek to reverse the processes through which individuals become ‘terrorists’. If successful, other countries could emulate such policy interventions in their own counter-radicalisation efforts.

It is critical to reduce the risks associated with cyber-enabled elections by ensuring end-to-end verifiability, protection of voter database, managing risks to the election infrastructure and curbing the menace of disinformation.

GCC countries are taking measures to nationalise the labour force, which is adversely affecting the Indian expatriates across all sectors. Even as India is getting equipped to tackle the return migration, the creation of a comprehensive database will help better manage the crisis in the long run.

Biden has set an ambitious agenda to reinvigorate US global leadership by pursuing a proactive grand strategy. He will, however, have to reckon with the legacy of Trumpism that has made a significant imprint on American foreign policy.