Know all about new ISIS chief:Abu Alaa al-Afri

Abu Alaa al-Afri is set to be the new  chief of Islamic State (ISIS) after Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, remains incapacitated due to suspected spinal damage .

Obama-Netanyahu rift widens over Iran and Palestinian statehood

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's stunning victory in Tuesday's Israeli election is a major setback for peace process  as he assured his electorate on the day of elections that  there would be no Palestinian state if he secures a third consecutive win.

With this outcome,a new chapter of rift has opened between U.S. and Israeli leaders over Palestinian statehood and Netanyahu's stiff opposition to Iran-US nuclear deal.

Actually Israel is concerned over increased Iranian role in  the fighting to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria  with the support of US led coalition bombarding on key ISIS strategic bases.Even  Tehran managed  to keep President Bashar al-Assad in power throughout the country’s four-year civil war. While Israel also believed that Iranian-backed Hezbollah supported  Houthi rebels-a Zaidi Shia group to control Yemen .

On the contrary,the White House said the United States will re-evaluate the best way to bring about a two- state resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's election victory. 

White House further stressed that Netanyahu's election pledge to block the creation of a Palestinian state runs against US policy.

World leaders like UK Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted his congrats to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his victory and  Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who said “ Israel has no greater friend than Canada but US President Barack Obama had not yet called Netanyahu rather avoided to congratulate the new Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest assured that "The president in the coming days will also call Prime Minister Netanyahu."

Israel is the America’s strongest and most stable ally but Netanyahu early this month  infuriated the White House when he delivered an explosive speech to the U.S. Congress criticizing nuclear deal with Iran.Consequently,47 Republican senators wrote to the Iranian leadership to tell them that Congress will need to approve any deal Obama may make with Tehran over its nuclear program.

The US State Department clearly said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's victory in the Israeli election will not hamper US efforts to reach a nuclear deal with Iran.

   "We've been long familiar with the views of the prime minister on Iran. We don't think that his win has impacted the Iran negotiations, or will," said State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki.

 US Secretary of State John Kerry is in Lausanne for talks with his Iranian counterpart  to reach a framework accord to rein in Iran's suspect nuclear program before a March 31 deadline.

The Israel vote also reflected the Israelis skepticism over any efforts to find peace with the Palestinians.

With the massive support of ultra-hawkish, Netanyahu is set to  become  the country's longest -serving premier.  Likud said in a statement that Netanyahu intended to form a new government within weeks and negotiations were alreadyunderway with leaders of smaller parties he saw as likely coalition partners.The Joint List of Arab parties emerged as the third- largest party with 14 mandates in the election in which 65.7  per cent of the nearly 5.89 million eligible voters participated.

"Against all odds, we achieved a great victory for the Likud," Netanyahu told supporters while declaring victory for his Likud party.

 "I am proud of the people of Israel, who in the moment of truth knew how to distinguish between what is important and what is peripheral, and to insist on what is important," the 65-year-old premier, known for his hawkish views, said.

 According to final results, Netanyahu's ruling Likud party won 30 seats in the 120-member Parliament -- the Knesset, comfortably defeating the Zionist Union led by Isaac Herzog on 24 seats in a mandate considered a clear victory in the fractured Israeli polity.

EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini has congratulated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his election victory but stressed the need  for the  peaceful resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict 

 "The EU is ready to work with both sides and the  international community, including partners in the Middle East region, to see the State of Israel and an independent,democratic, contiguous, sovereign and viable State of Palestine, living side by side in peace and security and mutual recognition," it added.

Netanyahu and the changing Mid East landscape

Close US-Israel relations have suddenly precipitated to a low ebb due to shift in US Mid East policy necessitated to deal with the changing landscape.

Sri Lanka to ban Chinese submarines from docking in its waters

Sri Lanka who was having a close relations with China is no longer a friend as the new Government in declared it would not allow Chinese submarines to dock in its ports, a move apparently aimed at allaying its sea neighbor India's concerns.

Colombo acknowledged that such a docking did take place coinciding with the Japanese Prime Minister's visited Colombo on September 7 last year when then president Mahinda Rajapaksa was in power..

But now with the change in government of Sri Lanka,changes in foreign and military policies  are bound to happen.

China has built a seaport and airport in the south of the country, raising fears it is seeking influence in the country while Sri lanka is not in favour of becoming a colony of China or military base for China.
Sri Lanka is concerned with the roughly $5 billion in Chinese loans including the US $1.5 billion for the Colombo Port City project it has and will send its finance minister to Beijing to discuss the issue, the foreign minister said on Saturday, as he also ruled out future Chinese submarine visits to the country.

"I really do not know what circumstances led to some submarines coming to the port of Colombo on the very day the Japanese Prime Minister (Shinzo Abe) was visiting Sri Lanka," Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera told , disclosing for the first time that the docking coincided with Abe's Colombo visit.

"But we will ensure that such incidents from whatever quarters does not happen during our tenure," said Samaraweera, who held extensive talks with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
China’s growing naval presence in the Indian Ocean region has opened a new area of rivalry for the two Asian countries.

With an aim of expanding its area of influence in Asia, China docked submarine Changzheng-2 and warship Chang Xing Dao at Colombo harbor for five days and is  already in conflict with Japan especially over the disputed islands in the South China Sea

China had stated that docking was "nothing unusual" as it is common international practice for warships to stop for refuelling at ports abroad. It had said the submarines were part of the fleet of warships deployed in anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden.

Samaraweera, who visited India first after taking charge followed by the new President Maithripala Sirisena, said his government's foreign policy is to bring Sri Lanka "back to the centre".

Elaborating further Sri lanka's new policy barring hosting of foreign submarines,Samaraweera said "Back to centre meant I don't think it has any bearing on Sri Lanka-China relations. It will remain as ever. We will strengthen relations further with China as we are doing with the rest of the world. Back to the centre I meant a more balanced foreign policy."

Asked whether there would be any Chinese submarine visits in the near future, Samaraweera said: “I don’t see any”.

Recently,Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) voiced concern over Beijing's land reclamation efforts in the South China Sea.

To counter China in South China Sea, Philippines and Vietnam are forging closer ties while
Beijing has put the construction work  on six reefs it occupies in the Spratlys  on fast track to expand the territories, building ports, an airfield and communications and surveillance facilities.

PM Modi to decide on India's leadership role in Asia

Expansionist designs of   Russia in Ukraine, China’s in South China Sea extending to the Middle East  and the imminent threat  from ultra jihadists  of Islamic State  across the world  have prompted  US President Barack Obama to designate  some countries  to re-balance Asia  in which India  occupies a strategic position.

Obama in India to give boost to his 'pivot to Asia' policy

On the invitation of prime minister Narendra Modi, President Obama arrives in India for a three day visit  with many objectives in mind.

Boko Haram's 'deadliest massacre' in Nigeria

Boko Haram militants opened fire on villagers in Baga in the northeastern Nigerian state leaving bodies scattered everywhere and as many as 2,000 people feared dead.

Obama's Iran policy changes world order

A new world order is being created  that may significantly change  the old equations and alliances between West and Iran on one side  and relations  between Shia-Sunni regimes  of the Middle East on the other hand. These may also address the concerns of Israel with regard to Gaza controlled by Hamas and West Bank administered by Fatah.Threat posed by Islamic Sate  and other jihadi forces in Syia and Iraq have prompted  West and Iran to

India needs deft diplomacy to deal with Chinese Dragon

India should be aware of Chinese incursions since 1962 invasion and ensure that this process stops once for all. China's designs on India are well known and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should talk to Chinese President Xi Jinping keeping national interest on top of his mind.

Afghanistan-Pakistan crisis may require policy correction by China and India

Afghanistan-Pakistan area  has entered  an extremely chaotic phase . With no government formation in Afghanistan even in distant site while the situation in neighboring Pakistan remains tense with military commanders  intent to clutch  any opportunity  to stage a coup

John Kerry hopes to redefine US-India partnership

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will meet Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi for the 5th U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue to be hld on July31.

Narendra Modi is welcome in Pakistan, says Hafiz Saeed

Pakistani terror outfit Jamaat-ud-Dawa leader Hafiz Saeed, who said Nawaz Sharif betrayed the people of Pakistan by attending the swearing in ceremony of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi,is now in favour of Modi's visit to Pakistan.

ISIS declares Islamic 'Caliphate' in Iraq and Syria,Abu Bakr al -Baghadi as 'Caliph'

As the state of Iraq was driven to its collapse by the Sunni fighters of ISIL subtantially aided by the tribals of Northern  and Western Iraqis,Iraq Government has sent tanks  and armored vehicles  backed by helicopter gunships to try to dislodge insurgents  from the northern  city of Tikrit.

Indian Warships in Persian Gulf for Iraq evacuations

The Indian Navy has deployed its warships in the Persian Gulf for evacuation of Indians stranded in strife-torn Iraq .The warship has been kept on standby while the air force is ready with heavylift transport aircraft C17 and C-130J Super Hercules for any short notice evacuation operation.

ISIL militants seize Saddam Hussein's chemical weapons stockpile

Not US President but Sunni militants from jihadists outfit -The Islamic State of Iraq and levant  captured  Saddam Hussein's former chemical weapons stockpile.

ISIS terrorists behind kidnapping of 40 Indians in Iraq?

Around 40 Indians working on projects near Iraq's Mosul city were kidnapped by suspected ISIS terrorists when they were being evacuated from the war zone area on Tuesday