Michael Kugelman, Atlantic Council's Senior Fellow for the South Asia region, comments on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Jordan, Ethiopia and Oman. He says it is important for the Indian government to show its clout and engagements. Kugelman also believes it is an opportunity to bolster commercial ties as India faces trade uncertainty with the U.S.

New Delhi

Prime Minister Modi's recent three-nation visit underscores India's strategic focus on strengthening relationships beyond its traditional partners, such as the United States, Russia, and China. The tour, which includes key Middle Eastern countries like Jordan and Oman as well as Ethiopia in the global south, is seen as an effort to showcase India's growing influence and economic clout.

The analyst notes that India, now a top five global economy and the world's most populous country, is moving away from its historic protectionist stance and pursuing new free trade agreements. These efforts, including anticipated deals with the EU and Oman, reflect India's ambition to deepen commercial ties and enhance its geopolitical positioning, particularly as global uncertainties and trade challenges persist.

Why the Middle East remains crucial for India, analyst explains

A lot's been made about this three-nation visit of Prime Minister Modi. He did say this as trying to hold up ancient ties with the three nations that he's visiting. But what makes this particular three-nation tour particularly interesting or significant, especially in this day and age? Well, you know, there's been so much focus of late on India's relations with the big powers, with the U.S., with Russia, with China. But India is a country that, you know, is a rising power. And there it is a power, but it's trying to go beyond that to become an even greater power than it is. And it's important for the Indian government to showcase the country's clout and its engagement. And in that sense, it's important for the Indian government to strengthen its ties with countries across the board, including in the Middle East and in the global south. And with these three countries, Ethiopia is probably one of India's closest friends in the global south. Jordan is one of its closest partners in the Middle East, along with Oman. And at the moment when there's a lot of geopolitical churn in the world, and India is facing uncertainties in its relations with the U.S., I think the opportunity to bolster commercial ties with some of its longstanding partners in the global south is an important opportunity. Yeah, bolstering some of these ties right now is also happening as a backdrop of a lot of these tariffs that India is trying to at least trying to offset or manage at the moment. One thing you've noted also was, you know, the fact that they are trying to bolster their positioning with regards to geopolitical positioning. And I can't help but think of a parallel with regards to China over the last couple of decades being seen as a more important geopolitical ally or a facilitator of economic development. Is India being viewed in the same vein more and more now by countries like Ethiopia or say others in the global south as being a possible conduit or facilitator of economic development the way China has growingly so in the last couple of decades? Well, I mean, China is certainly more entrenched economically in the world than India is. I would argue that in certain parts of the world, particularly, for example, Latin America, you know, India is not as economically present as China is. But that said, I think India has made a lot of progress. I mean, India is a top five economy in the world these days. And of course, it is now the most populous country in the world, which says something about its economic clout as well. And you know, India has made significant levels of headway. And one change we've seen with India in recent years is that it has moved beyond the protectionist stance that it has historically taken. It's looking to bolster free trade. It's looking to pursue more free trade agreements. It's probably going to be reaching a major FTA deal with the EU in the coming weeks. But for now, as you noted before, it's also looking to deepen trade ties with some of its smaller partners, including Oman, where we can expect a trade deal to be reached. So absolutely, I think that India is certainly an economic, a global economic power to be reckoned with, top five economy in the world. And I think that this is something that countries around the world appreciate, and they are keen to engage more commercially, economically with New Delhi.

Police say the alleged gunmen who opened fire at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney's Bondi Beach had traveled to Mindanao in the Philippines last month, as investigators probe ties to extremist networks.

Bondi Beach

Islamic State link eyed after Bondi Beach gunmen's Philippine visit

Donald Trump has launched a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC, accusing the broadcaster of altering his words in a documentary about the Capitol riot.

Washington

Trump sues BBC for $10 billion over edited Capitol riot speech

Zelenskyy hails progress with the US during Berlin talks about security guarantees. Europeans vow to protect Ukraine, including via military means, against Russia in the future. But disagreements over territories remain.

Berlin

EU vows to assist Ukraine against future Russia attack at Berlin talks

Australia's prime minister said a mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach appears to have been motivated by ISIS ideology. Meanwhile, mourners flocked to the site to lay flowers and grieve for the people killed, including a 10-year-old child.

Council of the City of Sydney

Bondi Beach shooting motivated by ISIS ideology: Australian PM

Four people have been arrested in California - charged with plotting a series of bombing attacks on multiple targets on New Year's Eve.

California

FBI arrests four over alleged New Year’s Eve bomb plot in California

Police in Rhode Island are searching for a new person of interest following Saturday’s deadly shooting at Brown University. Investigators say the case remains active as authorities work to determine a motive.

Providence

New person of interest sought in Brown University shooting

The son of filmmaker Rob Reiner was arrested on homicide charges after the director of beloved movies like "When Harry Met Sally ..." and his wife were found dead in their Los Angeles home, a police official said on Monday.

Los Angeles

Rob Reiner's son arrested after director and wife found dead

A jury found Brian Walshe guilty of first-degree murder in the death of his wife Ana on New Year's Day in 2023 in their Massachusetts home. Legal analyst Jennifer Roman joins with more details.

Boston

Brian Walshe found guilty of first-degree murder in wife's death

Hong Kong's High Court on Monday (December 15) found pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai guilty of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and to publish seditious material under a China-imposed national security law that could see him jailed for life.

Hong Kong Island

Hong Kong court finds Jimmy Lai guilty in landmark security trial

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. negotiators are meeting in Berlin. As the U.S. grows increasingly pressed to end the four-year war, the peace negotiations continue, with territorial concessions to Russia remaining the "sticking point" for Ukraine.

Ukraine Invasion

Zelenskyy offers to drop NATO bid for security guarantees

Police have released a person of interest who was detained in a shooting at Brown University. Two students were killed and at least nine others were injured in the Saturday attack. Tom Hanson spoke with students about the shooting.

Police release person of interest in shooting at Brown University

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy proposed abandoning NATO ambitions in exchange for Western security guarantees during peace talks in Berlin. The move marks a major shift as Kyiv seeks to end the war with Russia without ceding territory.

Ukraine offers to drop NATO bid at Berlin peace talks

Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, were found dead Sunday in their Los Angeles home, sources told CBS News, in what police called an apparent homicide. Rob Reiner was 78 and Michele Reiner was 68.

Brentwood

Director Rob Reiner and his wife found dead in their L.A. home

Far-right candidate Jose Antonio Kast wins Chile's presidential run-off, after defeating his leftist opponent.

Santiago

Far-right candidate Jose Antonio Kast wins Chile’s presidential election

The person of interest authorities took into custody in connection with the shooting at Brown University has been identified as Benjamin Erickson. He's a 24 year old, originally from Wisconsin.

Person of interest identified in Brown University shooting

Two alleged gunmen who killed 15 people at a Jewish celebration in Sydney's Bondi Beach were a father and son, police said on Monday, as Australia mourned victims of its worst gun violence in almost 30 years. This video contains graphic images.

Father and son behind Bondi mass shooting, Australian police say

Israel has described a deadly mass shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach as an attack on Jews, after gunmen opened fire during a Jewish holiday event, killing at least 11 people.

Israel calls Bondi shooting attack on Jews, urges action on antisemitism

Two gunmen attacked a Hannukah celebration on a Sydney beach Sunday, killing at least 11 people in what Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called an act of antisemitism and terrorism.

Gunmen kill several at Jewish gathering in Sydney's Bondi Beach

Providence police have detained a "person of interest" in connection with the Brown University shooting that left two students dead and another nine people wounded, as the Ivy League school said it had lifted a shelter-in-place order for its campus in Rhode Island.

Police hold person of interest after Brown University shooting

Belarus has freed more than 120 political prisoners in a major thaw in relations with the United States. The releases came in return for Washington lifting sanctions on potash, a key source of revenue for Belarus.

Minsk

Belarus releases 123 prisoners as U.S. lifts sanctions

Washington was still under a state of emergency on Saturday after torrential rains swamped communities. Plus, snow and dangerous cold are falling on some in the Midwest and on the East Coast. Nicole Valdes has more from Washington state.

Deming

Washington under state emergency as rains ease

China's plans for a massive new embassy in the British capital were delayed until January. Construction plans have proven controversial, with some raising espionage concerns. Ramy Inocencio has more from London.

London

Controversial Chinese embassy construction in London delayed

A United Airlines jetliner lost one of its engines during liftoff from Washington's Dulles Airport bound for Tokyo.

Tokyo

United Airlines flight loses engine during liftoff, sparks brush fire

Thailand says there is no ceasefire with Cambodia, and its military will continue fighting until it faces no further threat. That's despite the US president's earlier announcement that both sides had agreed to stop their attacks. Villages along the border are largely empty, except for a handful of volunteer security guards.

Phnom Penh

Fighting continues along Thai-Cambodia border

U.S President Donald Trump has threatened potential land strikes on Venezuela to target an illegal narcotics trade. Trump says the drugs are arriving on U.S shores and that President Nicolas Maduro is behind it. Maduro has denied the claim.

Caracas

Washington considers Venezuela land assault

King Charles III, who shared his cancer diagnosis with the world in February 2024, announced Friday that he would be scaling back his treatment after his doctors have seen success. The monarch also pushed for people to get early screenings, saying, "Early diagnosis quite simply saves lives."

King Charles to reduce cancer treatments

Belarus has freed more than 100 political prisoners, including a Nobel Peace Prize winner, in exchange for sanction relief on Belarusian potash, a U.S. statement said on Saturday.

Belarus releases political prisoners as U.S. lifts some sanctions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he visited troops fending off Russian advances near the embattled city of Kupiansk that Moscow claimed to have captured last month, which Kyiv denies.

Kup'yans'k

Zelenskyy visits troops as Ukraine claims gained ground near key city

In an audacious move, the EU has decided to indefinitely immobilize the Russian sovereign assets, pushing back against external pressure to release the funds before Moscow agrees to pay war reparations to Ukraine.

Brussels

EU locking in Russian assets for good

U.S. House Democrats released new images from the estate of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein that feature U.S. President Donald Trump and other high-profile people previously linked to Epstein.

Breakdown