Geopolitics & Conflicts Current Affairs

The very structure of BRICS offers India space to pursue strategic autonomy amid intensifying great-power rivalries

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a Bill on September 16 that seeks to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the top-5 countries absorbing the largest shares of Russia’s oil

The MEA says there is no boundary between Pakistan and China; adds that J&K and Ladakh "are and will always remain integral and inalienable parts of India"

Indian and Chinese leaders to meet for third time in three years since standoff, but no reset in ties yet

Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping will hold talks on September 12 on the sidelines of this week’s BRICS Summit

Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and his Indian counterpart Piyush Goyal will be holding discussions on the sidelines of the event

The External Affairs Minister says incidents of attacks on commercial shipping in Black Sea region are affecting developing economies of the Global South in energy security, agriculture production

Iran's army added that "the location of forces and radar systems of the child-killing U.S. army at the Al Minhad Air Base in the UAE was also attacked by missiles and drones of the army"

Russia and India have established a functioning payments infrastructure using roubles and rupees. This system now accounts for ninety-six percent of their bilateral trade transactions. Bilateral trade between the two nations reached seventy billion dollars in 2024. The payment mechanism is considered one of Russia's most reliable with other countries. Most transactions are processed within ten minutes, with many completed in under a minute.

India is actively seeking partnerships with nations like the US for critical mineral development. The country is also engaged in dialogues to build more resilient global supply chains. India's economy continues its strong growth trajectory, remaining the fastest among major economies. Nine trade agreements have secured access to markets with a combined GDP of sixty trillion dollars. These agreements facilitate zero-duty trade, enhancing Indian exporters' global competitiveness.

Prime Minister Modi underlined the need for continued efforts to ensure peace and stability in the region, and for safeguarding freedom of navigation and commerce

PM Modi will also hold bilateral meetings with SCO leaders on the sidelines of the summit; it is learnt that Vladimir Putin will be among the leaders with whom the PM will hold bilateral meetings

US Ambassador Sergio Gor revealed that the US-India trade agreement is on the verge of finalisation, clarifying that Congress's push for tariffs differs from the previous Trump admin. He underscored Trump's admiration for Modi, while also stressing the urgency of resolving the Russia-Ukraine crisis, highlighting India's critical role as evidenced by numerous high-ranking visits from US officials.

Maritime cooperation through the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) can strengthen the Indo-Pacific’s trading system

At its core, the MoA is designed to make maritime cooperation between the two countries more structured, regular and operationally useful

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, in bilateral talks with Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi, welcomed Japan’s recent review of its defence equipment and technology transfer framework

White House has identified more than 40 countries associated with “elevated illegal transshipment risk”, with India among the top “enablers” of China’s evasion of tariffs; the other countries named as the top enablers are Mexico, Canada, the European Union, Japan, and South Korea.

The report has identified more than 40 countries associated with “elevated illegal transshipment risk”; the U.S. has named the Pune-Gujarat-Chennai belt as one of the areas enabling China

The Arctic region is considered to be above 66 degrees north latitude, which, together with the Antarctic region, represents nearly 90% of the ice sheet of the planet and stores 70% of fresh water source

Russia is exploring a rail link to India through Central Asia and Iran as an alternative to maritime routes vulnerable to disruptions at the Strait of Hormuz and Bosphorus. The proposal comes amid expanding India-Russia energy and bilateral trade ties.