Category: 2. World

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to engage with the US and China have reached a stalemate, which exposes limitations to India’s powers on the global stage, The New York Times reported.

Modi’s first attempt came in 2014 through a high-level engagement with China came. The Indian premier rolled out the red carpet for China’s President Xi Jinping in his home town, organising an intimate riverside dinner in Ahmedabad.

The meeting at the time focused on economic cooperation, with India seeking Chinese funding for an overhaul of its dilapidated railways and cooperation in nuclear energy.

However, the talks were overshadowed by a stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops along their shared border. “The flare-up in 2014 was the first of several acts of aggression that would ultimately leave Mr Modi embarrassed, his economy squeezed by the need to keep tens of thousands of Indian troops on a war footing high in the Himalayas for several years,” The New York Times said.

Subsequently, Modi steered towards the US direction. “Mr Modi developed such a bonhomie with US President Donald Trump in his first term that he broke with protocol to campaign for a second term for him at a stadium-packed event in Houston,” the outlet said, adding that the increasing alignment grew further after “the Biden administration looked past that partisan play to continue expanding relations with India, a bulwark against China”.

During a joint session of Congress last year, Modi remarked, “AI stands for ‘America and India’”, the report added.

India’s relations with the US have seemingly faltered during Trump’s second term. Terming the recent trade tensions a “very public humiliation” of Modi, the outlet said that India was singled out for a whopping 50 per cent tariff, with the US citing India’s continued imports of Russian oil and calling India’s economy “dead”.

Trump also “stirred rancour among Indians” by giving Pakistan’s leadership an “equal footing” as he tried to settle the military conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours earlier this year, the outlet said.

In June, Trump hosted Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir at the White House in the weeks following the military confrontation between India and Pakistan. This prompted a private diplomatic protest from India in a warning to Washington about risks to their bilateral ties while New Delhi is recalibrating relations with China as a hedge.

“All that has plunged India into a moment of soul-searching, exposing limitations to its power on the world stage despite its gargantuan size and growing economy,” The New York Times stated. The outlet also highlighted Modi’s acknowledgement this week that he might pay a “personal political price” for the trade dispute with the US.

Amid heightened tensions with the US, India has made moves indicating “increased activity toward warming ties with Beijing again”, the outlet said.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun on Friday welcomed Modi’s plan to visit China for the first time in seven years to participate in the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit. Last month, Indian foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar made his first visit to Beijing since a deadly 2020 border clash between Indian and Chinese troops.

The outlet suggested that relations with China “remain strained” due to border disputes and China’s support for Pakistan during the recent military escalation, adding: “China, for its part, has been wary of New Delhi’s efforts to create a manufacturing alternative to China.”

It further noted Modi’s current engagement with Russia, saying, “Russia’s steadfastness as a partner is being talked up by officials in India. Mr Modi’s national security adviser was in Moscow this week to finalise details of a trip by Mr Putin to New Delhi.”

India’s aim to rise as an economic and diplomatic power “appears deflated by the sudden uncertainty”, according to The New York Times.

It said, “Stuck between two superpowers that have shown no hesitation to put India down in moments of friction, there is a growing sense among Indian officials and experts that the country will have to firmly return to its long-tested doctrine of ‘strategic autonomy’.”

This means that India was “on its own” and must “make do with a patchwork of contradictory and piecemeal ties, and avoid overcommitting to alliances”.

The outlet quoted Nirupama Rao, a former Indian ambassador to Beijing and Washington, who said that Trump’s punishing moves had upended “the strategic logic of a very consequential partnership” that had been carefully nurtured over more than two decades. “There will be ‘very pragmatic strategic recalibrations’ by New Delhi to protect its interests,” she said.

India’s growing economy allows its leaders breathing room, but it is still a moment of “deep introspection” for the country, Rao said, adding: “We have to draw our lessons from that and really focus on the national priorities and what we need to do to become strong and more influential.”

Three people were shot and wounded in New York’s Times Square, the New York Police Department said on Saturday.

The people — an 18 year-old female, 19 year-old male, and a 65 year-old male – are in a stable condition in hospital, an NYPD spokesperson said.

A 17-year-old male is in custody, the NYPD added. The police also recovered a firearm.

The shooting took place at around 1:20am ET (10:20am PKT) and followed a verbal altercation with one of the victims, the NYPD added. It said it was not known at this time whether the shooter or the victims knew each other.

Mass shootings are relatively common in the United States, where guns are widely available.

The incident at one of New York’s most iconic tourist spots comes after July’s high-profile shooting in a Manhattan office tower, which left four people dead, including a senior Blackstone executive and an NYPD officer.

New York experienced record-low shooting incidents and victims in the first seven months of this year, and in July, according to a statement published by the city’s police department on August 4.

Crime is a key electoral issue for America’s largest city, which is set to hold mayoral elections in November.

ANKARA (Reuters) -Muslim nations must work in total unison and work to mobilise the international community against Israel’s plan to take control of Gaza City, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday after talks in Egypt.

Speaking at a joint press conference in El Alamein with his Egyptian counterpart after meeting Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Fidan also said the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation had been called to an emergency meeting.

(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu in Ankara; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)

New York
AP
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Three people were wounded during a shooting at New York City’s iconic Times Square, police said Saturday.

One person was held in custody and questioned over the shooting, the New York Police Department said. No charges have been pressed yet.

Video on social media showed people running away from the scene, police surrounding a vehicle and attending to the wounded lying on the ground. Several have been hospitalized, but their injuries are not life-threatening, the police said.

The shooting took place at 1:20 a.m. No details have been released so far on how it unfolded.

New York City has seen a remarkable drop in gun violence this year. Through August 3, it has seen its fewest shootings in decades, down 23% so far since last year.

New York bans firearms from certain so-called sensitive locations such as public transportation, hospitals, schools and Times Square, and requires that handgun owners prove “good moral character.” The US Supreme Court declined to take up a challenge to the state’s gun laws in April.

ISLAMABAD: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s high-profile bid to court major world powers has stumbled, with his overtures to Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump ending in political embarrassment and raising fresh doubts over New Delhi’s global influence, The New York Times reported.

Modi’s first overture was to Beijing. In 2014, he welcomed Xi with a red-carpet reception in Gujarat, sharing a riverfront swing in a carefully staged display of camaraderie. But even as the two leaders conversed, Chinese troops clashed with Indian forces along the disputed border — the first in a series of confrontations that would see India keep tens of thousands of troops stationed in the Himalayas for years.

Several years later, Modi turned to Washington in search of a strategic breakthrough. Viewing the US as a counterweight to China, he invested heavily in the relationship, even breaking protocol to campaign for Trump’s re-election at a packed rally in Houston. The Biden administration maintained cordial ties despite the partisan move, with Modi memorably telling a joint session of Congress last year that “AI” stood for “America and India.”

That goodwill evaporated in Trump’s second term. The US president slapped India with a 50% tariff, calling its economy “dead” and citing New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil.

He also angered Indians by giving Pakistan equal footing in mediating a ceasefire, a claim which New Delhi publicly disputed to preserve Modi’s strongman image, following this year’s cross-border hostilities after the Pahalgam attack.

The diplomatic bruising has pushed India toward a familiar doctrine of “strategic autonomy” — avoiding deep alliances and relying instead on a patchwork of contradictory partnerships. Modi has reopened channels with Beijing despite unresolved border disputes and China’s backing of Pakistan during the May military escalation.

At the same time, he has deepened engagement with Moscow, speaking with President Vladimir Putin to reaffirm the “India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership” and preparing to host him later this year.

Still, experts warn that the rebuffs have dented India’s ambitions. Former Indian ambassador Nirupama Rao said Trump’s tariff move had “upended the strategic logic of a very consequential partnership” with the US, while author and former adviser to PM Manmohan Singh, Sanjaya Baru, noted that the personal styles of both Trump and Modi had turned a bilateral relationship between nations into a volatile relation between two egos.

Modi, for his part, has kept public criticism of Washington muted, framing his defiance as a defence of “farmers, fishermen and dairy farmers” and signalling he is willing to pay a “heavy price” politically.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s high-profile efforts to court global powers have hit a wall, with his outreach to Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump ending in political embarrassment and renewed questions over New Delhi’s global leverage, The New York Times reported.

Modi’s first major bet was on Beijing. In 2014, he rolled out the red carpet for Xi, hosting him in Gujarat and sharing a riverfront swing in an image-heavy display of camaraderie. But even as they chatted, Chinese troops clashed with Indian forces along the disputed border — the first of several confrontations that would force India to keep tens of thousands of troops deployed in the Himalayas for years.

Years later, Modi sought a breakthrough with Washington. Betting on the US as a counterweight to China, he invested heavily in the relationship, even breaking protocol to campaign for Trump’s re-election at a packed Houston rally. The Biden administration kept ties warm despite that partisan gesture, with Modi famously telling a joint session of Congress last year that “AI” stood for “America and India.”

That goodwill evaporated in Trump’s second term. The US president slapped India with a 50% tariff, calling its economy “dead” and citing New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil. 

He also angered Indians by giving Pakistan equal footing in mediating a ceasefire, a claim which New Delhi publicly disputed to preserve Modi’s strongman image, following this year’s cross-border hostilities after the Pahalgam attack.

The diplomatic bruising has pushed India toward a familiar doctrine of “strategic autonomy” — avoiding deep alliances and relying instead on a patchwork of contradictory partnerships. Modi has reopened channels with Beijing despite unresolved border disputes and China’s backing of Pakistan during the May military escalation. 

At the same time, he has deepened engagement with Moscow, speaking with President Vladimir Putin to reaffirm the “India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership” and preparing to host him later this year.

Still, experts warn that the rebuffs have dented India’s ambitions. Former Indian ambassador Nirupama Rao said Trump’s tariff move had “upended the strategic logic of a very consequential partnership” with the US, while author and former adviser to PM Manmohan Singh, Sanjaya Baru, noted that the personal styles of both Trump and Modi had turned a bilateral relationship between nations into a volatile relation between two egos.

Modi, for his part, has kept public criticism of Washington muted, framing his defiance as a defence of “farmers, fishermen and dairy farmers” and signalling he is willing to pay a “heavy price” politically.