Lana Nusseibeh Could Help Usher the United Nations into a New Era
The selection process for the 10th United Nations Secretary-General to succeed António Guterres, whose second five-year term ends on December 31, 2026, is underway, governed by Article 97 of the UN Charter and General Assembly resolution 79/327. The 2026 selection will likely be the most consequential for two reasons.
SSPC Issue Brief Series: 'India and the European Union Building Strategic Resilience"
This India-EU special series features contributions from scholars in the Department of Science, Technology and Policy Studies, School of Language and Literature/Humanities, Nalanda University, Bihar, India.
India–US Trade Negotiations: Where Commerce Meets Strategic Autonomy
The India–US trade dispute is no longer just about tariffs. It is increasingly about whether access to America's market entails expectations of alignment with America's foreign policy.
When War Reaches the Playing Field: How the US-Iran conflict disrupted global sporting events
The ongoing conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the US extends beyond the battlefield, disrupting air travel, shipping, energy markets, and sports in the Middle East. Events like Formula One were canceled, MotoGP postponed, and Iranian sports faced restrictions.
Artemis II: A New Era of Human Deep-Space Exploration and Strategic Competition
On April 10, 2026 (U.S. time), corresponding to April 11 in India, the Artemis II mission concluded successfully with the return of the Orion crew module Integrity. Over ten days, four astronauts completed a crewed lunar flyby, traveling to the Moon and back. Beyond its technical accomplishments, the mission marks a historic inflection point, the revival of human deep-space exploration after more than five decades since the Apollo era.
Critical Infrastructure at Risk: Desalination and the Geopolitics of Water in West Asia
Water has long played a multifaceted role in warfare, serving as a weapon, a target, a strategic lever, and a life-sustaining resource. It is indispensable not only for drinking but also for maritime security and economic stability. In early March 2026, the Iranian Foreign Ministry accused Israel of targeting desalination facilities on Qeshm Island, a claim Israel denied.
Unequal Water World: Have we failed to conserve, manage, and protect water?
To begin with, managing freshwater, the elixir of life, has once again been put at the top of the unresolved scheme of the world. Several conferences, workshops and hybrid consultations are being organised to set the agenda for the Third UN Water Conference to be held in early December this year in the UAE. Meanwhile, the UN General Assembly sponsored the International Water Decade, designed to galvanise collaborative action on water-related challenges, which ends in 2028 and is largely off track.
Iran War and the Silence of the Lambs!
When military operations commence, missiles and bombs are deployed, and alliances are scrutinized; silence can indeed be more profound than the roar of weaponry and air raid sirens. In the escalating conflict involving Iran, the most notable sound in international politics may not be the loudness of fighter jets, but rather the relative silence from two of Tehran’s purported strategic partners, namely Russia and China.
Does the Gaza Board of Peace Undermine UN Peacebuilding Architecture?
Amid sustained criticism of the failure of multilateralism, the first quarter of the 21st century has seen multilateral organizations expand in both scope and mandate.