Now that the Xi Trump Summit in Washington is done with and statements from the leadership’s talks have been released by the Chinese State media, a striking commonality of phrases is evident from what the Chinese President Xi said during his meeting with the US President Donald Trump on 24 September and in his bilateral with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This possibly reflects the common thread of competition and tensions between China and two major powers.

Overall, Bhutan’s PDP government is institutionally stable, but its internal cohesion has been visibly weakened after the August 2026 Speaker election. The Opposition now holds the Speaker’s chair for the first time in Bhutan’s democratic history, signalling a rare institutional setback for a ruling majority

Col R Hariharan in Sri Lanka Strategic Perspectives, August 2026 touches upon the sensitive issue of enforced disappearances and the callousness with which Colombo has handled the cases despite the large numbers involved. Not just Sri Lanka enforced disappearances are a critical rights issue in South Asia

Bangladesh is expected to face major challenges in managing foreign policy due to a mix of factors - inexperience of the top leadership including Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on issues of international and interstate relations, tensions with India with the extradition of Sheikh Hasina becoming a lodestone for practical engagement apart from the kerfuffle over visit of Prime Minister Rahman to Delhi, flawed priorities of engagement with diverse self-seeking players as Turkey

The Thirty-eighth report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team submitted to the UNSC stated that “Al-Qaida and ISIL (Da’esh) have shown a sustained interest over many years in developing chemical and biological weapons, but so far have failed to overcome the associated technical challenges”.

The challenge for South Asian countries is to make democracy work in the true sense – autonomous institutions from the legislature to the judiciary and the election commission, a free media, accountability, elimination of corruption and de-elitism.

There is an old saying though that absence of violence does not imply peace. The UN in India defines peace in the larger context thus, “Peace is not just the absence of war. It is dignity, justice, education, safety, hope”. Security is thus not just physical but also political.

Floods in the North East and Jammu and Kashmir, water logging and disruptions in Mumbai is a reminder of the travesities of the monsoon season in India eve as the El Nino alarm has raised concerns over food security impacting the agricultural sector with a general reduction in overall rainfall. A time perhaps to have a look at the National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP).

Nishqa Devadiga reviews the UNDP report that maps the channels through which a geopolitical shock far from the region mainly war in the Middle East since February 2026 is quietly eroding livelihood, food security, employment and public budgets across one of the world's most economically diverse regions.

Col R Hariharan in Sri Lanka Perspectives April 2026 outlines how the AKD government is managing one of the gravest economic and energy crisis faxed by the Island Nation eve as it is on the path of fiscal recovery.