China's dangerous new move in Nepal, Oli and Prachanda out of race, Xi Jinping betting on..., tension for India due to...
Kathmandu: China has again become active in Nepal, and this time it is requesting the Nepali communist leaders to unite and form a working coalition in the country. To implement this, the Dragon has chosen former President Vidya Devi Bhandari instead of KP Sharma Oli. However, Beijing wants Oli's UML party to remain in power. If the communist alliance becomes strong in Nepal, then it can increase India's tension as these communist parties are considered as pro-China.
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Mint
44 minutes ago
- Mint
Stock market: What does Chinese FM Wang Yi's India visit before Trump-Zelensky meeting mean for Dalal Street? EXPLAINED
Indian stock market: After India's NSA Ajit Doval met the Russian President ahead of the Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska, Chinese FM Wang Yi landed in India ahead of the Trump-Zelensky meeting on Monday. This chain of developments provides some cues for the Indian and global markets, and Dalal Street investors need to understand this in a broader perspective, especially when the deadline for 100% Trump's tariffs on India ends on 27 August 2025. According to stock market experts, Trump's tariffs have brought India close to Russia and China, which suits the strong bonding of the BRICS countries. They said that Trump's India tariff has a limited impact as it is just 2% of India's GDP generated by US exports. They noted that warmth in New Delhi's diplomatic ties with Moscow and Beijing is expected to catalyse India's dependence on the US dollar. Experts maintained that Warmth in BRICS member nations and rising business activities may attract more non-NATO countries. They said the move may force the US president, Donald Trump, to soften his stand on tariffs imposed on India, as India is demonstrating its alternatives ahead of the 27 August 2025 deadline given by Donald Trump for raising the tariffs from 50% to 100%. On what this rising bonhomie in Russia-India-China means for the Indian stock market, Sandeep Pandey, Co-founder of Basav Capital, said, "The rising Russia-India-China bonhomie predates the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) grouping, a strong global forum for its member countries to coordinate their positions on global and regional issues. India's NSA visiting Russia ahead of Trump-Putin meeting and Chinese FM Wang Yi visiting India ahead of Trump-Zelensky meeting is a tactical pressure diplomacy that Russia, India and China have been playing in unison. The move is expected to negate any chances of a negative outcome for these nations from the Trump-Zelensky meeting, scheduled on Monday." Speaking on Chinese FM Wang Yi's India visit ahead of the Trump-Zelensky meeting, Sugandha Sachdeva, Founder of SS WealthStreet, said, "Chinese FM Wang Yi's visit to India is positive for the markets and could lead the US to soften its stance on tariffs towards India and could even lead to strengthening of the Indian currency. The visit of China's Foreign Minister to India and any signs of thawing relations could create new space for revitalising refers to the Russia–India–China trilateral dialogue, a platform conceived in the late 1990s to promote multipolarity and cooperation among the three Eurasian powers. All three countries want to reduce dependence on the West and increase their influence in global governance bodies." Sugandha Sachdeva of SS WealthStreet said that by engaging in RIC, India can showcase its strategic autonomy and avoid being boxed into an exclusively pro-US alignment. Highlighting India's ploy to enhance its bargaining capacity in the India-US trade deal and the Russian oil imports, Sugandha Sachdeva said, "India's engagement with China signals that New Delhi is committed to pursuing a balanced foreign policy, preserving its strategic autonomy rather than being seen as fully aligned with Washington. Improved India–China engagement gives India bargaining power in its dealings with Washington." "After the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, Indian and China have been buying Russian oil despite the US and European countries' sanctions on Russia. Russian oil imports surged from 2.5% to 38% of India's imports, with new payment systems bypassing the US dollar. Defence cooperation with Moscow persisted, while Prime Minister Modi prepared for his first visit to China since 2018. Experts warn these developments strengthen China-India ties at Washington's expense," said Gaurav Garg of Lemonn Markets Desk. On whether Trump tariffs may continue to haunt the Indian stock market, Gaurav Garg said, "India's economy proved more resistant than the Trump administration expected. Exports comprise just 20% of GDP, and the U.S. accounts for only 2% of India's GDP, limiting tariff impact. While steel and aluminium exports suffered, IT services and pharmaceuticals, India's largest export earners, were largely unaffected. Domestic institutional investors also helped steady markets after initial volatility." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, vowing his desire to end the Russia-Ukraine war 'quickly and reliably. " After the three-on-three 'progress with no deal' Trump-Putin meeting, the US president had summoned the Ukrainian President for a one-on-one meeting. The two leaders will be meeting at 10.45 PM IST on Monday at the White House. Disclaimer: The views and recommendations above are those of individual analysts or brokerage companies, not Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.
News18
2 hours ago
- News18
'Pakistan Paying 10% Development Funds To Terror Group': JUI-F Chief's Scathing Attack On Govt
Speaking at an All Parties Conference, Fazl warned that the state had 'failed to protect its people, their lives and property,' leaving citizens at the mercy of armed groups. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman has made a scathing attack on the federal and provincial governments, alleging that Pakistan is sinking deeper into chaos due to unchecked terror financing, extortion, and militancy. Speaking at an All Parties Conference, Fazl warned that the state had 'failed to protect its people, their lives and property," leaving citizens at the mercy of armed groups. According to him, militant groups are thriving across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and parts of Sindh, with no real writ of the government visible. 'Institutions have completely collapsed. Militants have taken control of tribal areas, stopping people on roads, checking their IDs, kidnapping officials and looting civilians in broad daylight," Fazl said. The JUI-F chief also claimed that nearly 10 per cent of Pakistan's development funds were being siphoned off to militant groups through systemic corruption. This, he said, had turned terror financing into an institutionalised practice, undermining both governance and security. 'Extortion and ransom for kidnappings have become a parallel economy, while ordinary people live in fear," he remarked. He further warned that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) routes — projected as Pakistan's economic lifeline — were no longer safe. Militants, he alleged, were frequently ambushing convoys, disrupting trade, and targeting workers. Fazl's remarks come amid growing tensions between the federal and provincial leadership over terror financing. Only days earlier, Pakistan's Interior Minister and the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa accused each other of facilitating extortion networks and militant groups. By publicly acknowledging the scale of militancy, Fazl has exposed deep fissures within Pakistan's political establishment. His remarks underline the gravity of the security vacuum, with Pakistan increasingly struggling to maintain control in restive provinces where governance appears to have collapsed. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
New Indian Express
2 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Bolivia's presidential vote heads to runoff between centrist and right-wing candidates
With over 91% of the ballots counted Sunday, Paz received 32.8% of the votes cast. Quiroga secured 26.4%. Candidates needed to surpass 50%, or 40% with a 10-point margin of victory, to avoid a runoff. Addressing fans and flanked by family as confetti hearts sprayed from the ceiling, Quiroga congratulated Paz on his lead. 'What happened is unprecedented. Bolivia told the world that we want to live in a free nation,' he said. 'It's a historic night.' A leftist establishment confronts its demise The results delivered a major blow to Bolivia's hegemonic Movement Toward Socialism, or MAS, party, which has governed Bolivia almost uninterrupted since its founder, charismatic ex-President Evo Morales, rose to power as part of the 'pink tide' of leftist leaders that swept into office across Latin America during the commodities boom of the early 2000s. The official MAS candidate, Eduardo del Castillo, finished sixth with just 3.2% of the vote. A leftist candidate considered to be the party's best hope, 36-year-old Senate president Andrónico Rodríguez, captured 8% of the vote. During his almost 14 years in power, Morales expanded the rights of the country's Indigenous majority, defended coca growers against U.S.-backed eradication programs and poured natural gas profits into social programs and infrastructure. But the maverick leader's increasingly high-handed attempts to prolong his presidency — along with allegations of sexual relations with underage girls — soured public opinion against him. Simmering discontent turned into a tidal wave of anger at the MAS as Bolivia's once-stable economy imploded under Morales' protégé-turned-rival, President Luis Arce. Annual inflation rate has soared from 2% less than two years ago to over 16% as of last month. A scarcity of fuel has paralyzed the country. A desperate shortage of U.S. dollars needed to pay for essential imports like wheat has crippled the economy. As the crisis accelerated, MAS leaders traded blame. A power struggle between Morales and Arce ultimately fractured the party and handed the opposition a real shot at victory even as its uncharismatic candidates failed to unite. In perhaps the most visible sign of how fed up Bolivians are with the MAS, leftist politicians casting their ballots across Bolivia on Sunday faced barrages of boos, insults and thrown objects. At one point, a dynamite stick went off near the school where Rodríguez planned to cast his ballot in Morales' tropical stronghold of Chapare. When he arrived hours later, pro-Morales crowds assaulted him with bottles and rocks as he voted. A centrist takes a surprise lead The win for Paz came as a shock to a nation that had been conditioned by weeks of opinion polls to expect that the leading right-wing contenders, Quiroga and businessman Samuel Doria Medina, would capture the top two spots. Sunday marked Doria Medina's fourth failed presidential bid. He told grim-faced supporters that he had 'no regrets.' 'I wanted to serve Bolivia as president, and it hasn't been possible,' he said. The promotion of Paz and his more moderate tone reflects Bolivian ambivalence about a dramatic veer to the right. Paz has sought to distance himself from pledges by Quiroga and Doria Medina to sell Bolivia's abundant lithium reserves to foreign companies and turn to the International Monetary Fund for billions of dollars of loans. But he has also launched blistering attacks on the MAS party and its economic model of subsidized energy and hefty public investment. 'I want to congratulate the people because this is a sign of change,' Paz said. 'They want a different future.' New face, old roots Despite their grand promises for change, Doria Medina and Quiroga struggled to stir up voter excitement. Bolivians associate them both with the U.S.-backed neoliberal administrations that Morales repudiated when he stormed to office in 2006, famously declaring an end to Bolivia's 20-year experiment with free-market capitalism. Now, after 20 years of Morales' populist, state-directed policies, Bolivia faces a return to belt-tightening. After years of alignment with world powers like China and Russia, Bolivia seems set to reconcile with the United States. 'They were inside the government. If they couldn't govern well before, what makes us think they'll do it now?' asked Yaitzel Poma, 30, referring to Paz's right-wing rivals as she celebrated along the main avenue of Bolivia's capital of La Paz on Sunday. 'It's about learning from the past to make better choices now.' Paz supporters have described the former mayor of the southern town of Tarija as a fresh face with new ideas. 'We want new people, new proposals, another chance for young people,' said 38-year-old Jaqueline Cachaca, another Paz supporter who lost her job at a bank this year amid a wave of layoffs and now sells street food. But Paz, too, has deep ties to Bolivia's old political elite. The 57-year-old lawmaker has had a long career in politics — running for senator with Quiroga's right-wing party in 2014. He's the son of former President Jaime Paz Zamora, who began his political career as a co-founder of the Revolutionary Left Movement, a radical party persecuted under the bloody military dictatorship of Hugo Banzer in the 1970s, before striking a pact with Banzer's right-wing party that would vault him to the presidency from 1989 to 1993. Doria Medina served as his minister of planning in that government.
