At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin, China refers to the general as the “acting president of Myanmar”, enhancing the military junta’s credentials. For its part, India plans to send a delegation to monitor Myanmar’s December elections, after signing several new economic agreements with its neighbour. Xi Jinping promised to admit Myanmar as a full SCO member, consolidating Myanmar's integration into Chinese-led regional platforms.

Presented at the Northeast India Regional Pastoral Conference currently underway in Guwahati, the Assamese Missal is the brainchild of Bishop Albert Hermon of Dibrugarh. Assamese is the mother tongue of some 15 million people. This is a fundamental step in the process of inculturation to reach the faithful more effectively.

The Shanghai Co-operation Organisation condemns last April’s attack in Kashmir that sparked border fighting between India and Pakistan, but also terrorist attacks in Balochistan, which Islamabad blames on New Delhi. Modi, unlike his Pakistani counterpart Shahbaz Sharif, avoided expressing support for the Belt and Road Initiative. For China, despite tensions in South Asia, multilateralism remains the best option for building an anti-US bloc.

A new environmental emergency has hit the strait separating the Indian coast from Sri Lanka, threatening to cripple local tourism and fishing. Carried by currents from India, mounds of plastic reach the Mannar region. Monsoon currents, which carry dust, are more difficult to collect, compounding the problem. Globally, the failure to ratify or implement agreements and treaties weighs heavily on the country.

Before his highly anticipated trip to China, the Indian prime minister is in Japan, a clear sign that he wants to counterbalance his overtures to Beijing. Economic co-operation is the focus of the visit, especially in high-speed trains and new technologies. Both sides are seeking a mutually beneficial partnership.

In India's largest textile manufacturing hub, 60 per cent of workers are from scheduled castes working in factories. 50 per cent tariffs imposed by the US place Indian manufacturers at a disadvantage compared to their competitors in Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Cambodia, who face lower tariffs. For Chief Minister Stalin, up to three million jobs are at risk.