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Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Auckland, New Zealand, on his third and final leg of his three-nation tour.
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00:07Can one diplomatic visit reshape a region's strategic future while another neighbor struggles
00:13to contain unrest in territory it calls free? Tonight, two stories that reveal two very
00:20different realities. One is about building partnerships, expanding trade and strengthening
00:24the Indo-Pacific. The other is about protests, political unrest and a narrative under pressure.
00:32Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in New Zealand after nearly four decades,
00:36seeking to deepen strategic and economic ties. Meanwhile, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir faces growing
00:41unrest after Islamabad ignored a 48-hour ultimatum, raising fresh questions about the
00:48claim of Azad Kashmir. One country investing in partnerships, the other battling discontent.
00:53One story of strategic opportunity, the other of political instability.
00:59Hello and welcome. You're watching Statecraft with me, Geeta Mohan.
01:01We'll begin with all this and more, but first up, the headlines.
01:05Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Auckland, New Zealand. He is in his third and final leg
01:10of his three-nation tour. The Indian Premier will meet his New Zealand counterpart,
01:14Christopher Luxon, and other leaders. Both countries will focus on enhancing economic
01:18and trade relations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv and Washington
01:23had reached a political agreement on licensing the production of Patriot missiles in Ukraine
01:27following a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.
01:33Zelensky said technical details still need to be worked out by officials from both countries.
01:37Namibian President Netumbunandi Nadeitwa met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
01:42During their bilateral meeting, Xi announced the two countries' bilateral relations will be elevated
01:48to what he called a China-Namibia community of shared future in the new era.
01:52Ministers from both governments signed eight documents, including an agreement on cooperation
01:57in green minerals and an agreement on economic partnership.
02:01Twelve people were killed in a wildfire in Almeria in southern Spain,
02:04with 150 firefighters working to put out the blaze.
02:08The blaze comes after a wildfire burning out of control in southern France earlier this week,
02:12forcing evacuation of over 10,000 people from two dozen small towns and villages near the Spanish border.
02:20Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in an interview said
02:23that she and her Awami League colleagues would return to their home country in December
02:28and surrender to the authorities.
02:30She also declared that they might kill her.
02:33Hasina said she would return from India to Bangladesh.
02:37Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in his final leg of his three-nation tour.
02:41He departed Melbourne, Australia for Auckland, New Zealand.
02:44The Prime Minister on his last day in Australia visited the iconic Melbourne cricket ground.
02:50And Prime Minister Modi, along with his Australian counterpart Albanese,
02:54posed for photographs at the Shane Warne stand in MCG
02:58and paid tribute to one of the greatest cricketing legends.
03:01Meanwhile, Albanese announced that Australia will support India's bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games.
03:07Modi, too, said India is preparing to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games
03:12and is also making efforts to bring the 2036 Olympics to the country.
03:17Modi also welcomed the decision to stage a big bash league match in Chennai,
03:23saying it reflected the expanding sporting partnership between the two countries.
03:27Both the countries launched the India-Australia Sports Collaboration Roadmap
03:30during their visit to Melbourne Cricket Ground.
03:33Prime Minister Modi on Friday said cricket has always been a natural bridge
03:37in his relationship with his Australian counterpart, Antony Albanese,
03:41recalling their earlier visits to the stadium in Ahmedabad
03:44as he addressed a gathering at the iconic MCG.
03:48After the two plus six is equal to eight analogy in Indonesia,
03:53Prime Minister Modi used mathematics again,
03:55but this time in Australia as he spoke of how the two countries can become stronger together.
04:00Listen in.
04:01Today I announce that Australia will bring the Big Bash League to India for the first time.
04:08The season opener for this summer's Big Bash between the Melbourne Renegades
04:13and the Perth Scorchers will be played in Chennai on Saturday the 12th of December,
04:18and it will kick off a week-long G'day Namaste,
04:22Festival of Australian Sport, Culture and Business Engagement.
04:27There will be a senior business delegation led by the Business Council of Australia,
04:33building on the economic roadmap that we launched just last year.
04:38After nearly four decades, an Indian Prime Minister has landed in New Zealand.
04:42But this isn't just another stop on Narendra Modi's foreign tour.
04:46It comes at a time when the global trading order is being rewritten.
04:49The Indo-Pacific is emerging as the world's biggest strategic battleground,
04:53and countries are racing to build new economic and security partnerships.
04:58From a landmark free trade agreement and maritime security to the Indian diaspora
05:02and the sensitive issue of Khalestan-linked activities,
05:06this visit carries implications far beyond bilateral ties.
05:10So what exactly is on Modi's agenda,
05:13and why is New Zealand suddenly becoming far more important for India's strategic calculus?
05:18The centrepiece of the visit will be Prime Minister Modi's talks
05:22with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
05:24At the top of the agenda is the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement,
05:28signed earlier this year.
05:30The deal is expected to transform economic ties between the two countries.
05:34Under the agreement, all Indian exports will receive duty-free access
05:38to the New Zealand market,
05:40while 57% of New Zealand's exports to India will become tariff-free from day one.
05:46Both leaders are also expected to discuss investments, supply chains, technology,
05:51and expanding cooperation in services, agriculture, and innovation.
05:56One issue that could make discussions particularly uncomfortable
06:00is the growing political row over immigration.
06:03Foreign Minister Winston Peters has accused the ruling National Party
06:06of quietly tightening immigration rules for Indian nationals
06:10under the proposed India-New Zealand FTA,
06:13while allegedly keeping New Delhi unaware of the changes.
06:17If raised, the issue could cast an awkward shadow
06:20over an otherwise forward-looking visit.
06:22But trade is only one part of the story.
06:25The strategic importance of New Zealand has grown considerably
06:28as the Indo-Pacific becomes the world's most contested geopolitical theatre.
06:33Although New Zealand is not a member of the Quad,
06:36it increasingly aligns itself with regional efforts aimed at preserving stability
06:41and the rules-based international order.
06:43That makes this visit strategically important for both sides.
06:47Maritime security, freedom of navigation, cyber security,
06:51disaster relief, and protection of critical infrastructure
06:54are all expected to feature prominently in the discussions.
06:58The visit comes immediately after Modi's Australia engagements
07:02where Indo-Pacific security dominated the agenda.
07:05Together, these visits underline India's growing partnerships
07:09with key regional democracies as it seeks to build resilient supply chains
07:14and strengthen cooperation across the wider Indo-Pacific
07:17amid an increasingly uncertain strategic environment.
07:20There is another issue that is unlikely to feature prominently in public statements
07:25but will almost certainly be discussed behind closed doors.
07:29Khalestan-linked activities.
07:31Unlike Canada, where bilateral ties deteriorated sharply following the Niger controversy,
07:37India and New Zealand have maintained constructive engagement
07:39while quietly addressing New Delhi's security concerns.
07:43Indian officials remain concerned about the activities of pro-Khalestan groups,
07:48particularly Sikhs for justice.
07:49In November 2024, the organization held a so-called Khalestan referendum
07:54at Auckland's Aotea Square.
07:57New Zealand authorities allowed the event,
07:59citing freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
08:02While Wellington has balanced civil liberties with domestic law,
08:06India is expected to reiterate its concerns over activities
08:09that it considers linked to separatism
08:11and threats against Indian diplomatic interests.
08:14The relationship, however, is built on far stronger foundations
08:18than isolated points of disagreement.
08:20One of the biggest pillars connecting both countries today is people.
08:24And that community continues to grow in both size and influence.
08:29Nearly 3 lakh people of Indian origin now live in New Zealand,
08:32including around 70,000 Indian passport holders.
08:35Hindi has become the country's fifth most spoken language reflecting the community's growing presence.
08:41So the community was about 20,000, 40 years ago.
08:45And today it's about 400,000.
08:47And the community has grown in every aspect of life.
08:51And they are actually bursting at the seams to welcome our Honourable Prime Minister.
08:57They just can't wait.
08:58But tomorrow of a big event is at Spark Arena,
09:02where we have, I think, about 12,000 people.
09:06But we have bookings for over 20,000.
09:08So that shows the love and affection for a Prime Minister from the diaspora.
09:13People of Indian origin are estimated to contribute more than 10 billion New Zealand dollars annually
09:19to the country's economy.
09:21Education is another major pillar, with around 8,000 Indian students studying in New Zealand,
09:26making India the country's second largest source of international students after China.
09:32Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to address the Indian diaspora,
09:35reaffirming their role as a bridge between the two nations.
09:39This visit is therefore about much more than symbolism.
09:42It marks the revival of high-level political engagement after nearly 40 years.
09:47A stronger trade partnership, greater Indo-Pacific cooperation,
09:51deeper people-to-people ties, and frank conversations on sensitive security issues.
09:57As both countries navigate an increasingly uncertain global landscape,
10:01India and New Zealand are signalling that their partnership is entering a new chapter,
10:06one driven not just by shared values, but by shared strategic interests.
10:12After U.S. strikes on key Iranian locations and counter-strikes by Iran on U.S. assets in Bahrain,
10:17Kuwait, and Qatar, the two mediating countries are rushing in to get diplomacy back on the table.
10:23The effort has resulted in a pause on strikes from both the sides.
10:27Reports suggest that U.S. officials confirm to remain committed to negotiations with Tehran
10:31and continue their technical talks.
10:34Amid hopes of renewed talks between the warring countries,
10:37reports have emerged in the U.S. media that Israel has shared intelligence with Washington, D.C.
10:43about a new specific Iranian plot to assassinate President Donald Trump.
10:48This was corroborated by the Wall Street Journal through their unidentified sources.
10:52The intelligence comes ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to D.C. next week.
10:58Earlier, Donald Trump, on the sidelines of the recently concluded NATO meet in Ankara,
11:03acknowledged that he was the number one on the kill list,
11:06but he dismissed the threats by saying he was only doing his job.
11:11IRGC's top commander pledged vengeance against the U.S. and Israel
11:14for the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
11:17Brigadier General Ahmed Wahidi called for full realization of justice
11:22and a fitting response to the criminals, especially the child-killing American army.
11:27Iran had also vowed to take revenge for the January 2020 assassination of General Qasem Soleimani.
11:34The Iranian media reported that traffic capacity in the Strait of Hormuz
11:39has reached about 50% of the pre-war level,
11:42while U.S.-led Joint Maritime Information Center puts the maritime security threat level
11:47in the strategic waterway at Sevilla.
11:50Citing an Islamic Revolutionary Guard court, that's IRGC's statement,
11:54Iranian state broadcaster Irib said Iran has been gradually reopening the Strait
12:00over the past two weeks.
12:01No, I'm number one on the kill list for Iran.
12:06They're lovely people.
12:07I'm number one.
12:08So I don't know.
12:08I can't tell you that.
12:09But I don't really care because I'm doing my job and I'm doing it,
12:13I hope, better than anybody's ever done it
12:15because we have a country that's hot and really, really successful.
12:19But I mention it only because it's on the list.
12:22I mean, it came out.
12:23There was another list came out yesterday.
12:25And I'm number one on, I like being number one on TikTok better,
12:30but I'm number one on the list for killing.
12:34India may have fewer fighter jets than China,
12:37but when it comes to real combat capability,
12:40the numbers tell a very different story.
12:42A new global military ranking has placed the Indian Air Force
12:45among the world's elite,
12:47highlighting that modern air power is about far more than fleet size.
12:52Harsh Mishra with this report.
13:01The Indian Air Force has achieved a major global milestone.
13:05It has been ranked sixth in the WD MMA Global Air Power Rankings for 2026.
13:12But here's the interesting part.
13:14Technically, India is actually the third strongest independent air force in the world.
13:20Sounds surprising.
13:21Let's understand why.
13:22The rankings are prepared by the World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft, or WD MMA.
13:30Instead of simply counting aircraft,
13:33WD MMA uses something called the True Value Rating, or TVR.
13:38TVR measures the real combat value of an air force.
13:42It considers fleet balance,
13:45aircraft quality,
13:46modernization,
13:47and the strength of the domestic aerospace industry.
13:54So, bigger numbers alone do not guarantee a higher rank.
13:58Now, look at the top of the rankings.
14:00The US Air Force is first.
14:02The US Navy is second.
14:05Russia's Air Force is third.
14:07The US Army is fourth.
14:08And the US Marines are fifth.
14:12This is why India appears sixth overall.
14:15But four of the top five positions belong to different branches of the United States military.
14:19If only independent national air forces are compared,
14:24India effectively stands behind only the United States Air Force and Russia.
14:28That makes the Indian Air Force technically the world's third-ranked national air force.
14:33Now comes another significant achievement.
14:36China operates 3,733 aircraft.
14:40India operates 1,716 aircraft.
14:45China has more than double India's fleet size.
14:49Yet, India's TVR stands at 69.4.
14:53China's is 63.8.
14:56This means India scores higher because its force structure is considered more balanced and operationally effective.
15:03According to the rankings, India's ongoing modernization has played a crucial role.
15:08Platforms such as the Rafal and the indigenous Teja fighter have strengthened the fleet.
15:14Strong logistics, better force balance.
15:18And supporting infrastructure have also improved India's score.
15:22Pakistan presents another contrast.
15:25The Pakistani Air Force is ranked 18th with TVR of 46.3 and 879 aircraft.
15:32Its fleet relies heavily on the JF-17, J-10C and aging F-16s.
15:37The report also notes that Pakistan's Navy and Army Aviation branches do not feature in the rankings.
15:44India's Navy Aviation is ranked 27th.
15:47Its Army Aviation is 36th.
15:50Together, they reflect a broader aviation capability across multiple military services.
15:55The biggest takeaway is simple.
15:58Modern air power is no longer about who owns the most aircraft.
16:02It's about maintaining the right mix of platforms, ensuring operational readiness, building indigenous capability, and sustaining long-term combat effectiveness.
16:12The 2026 rankings show that quality, balance and modernization increasingly matter more than sheer numbers.
16:25The Pakistan-Afghanistan border is once again on edge after deadly cross-border strikes reignited tensions along the Turan Line.
16:33In a world exclusive, India Today Global's Hamid Mir becomes the only journalist to reach ground zero, bringing you rare
16:41access from the flashpoint where civilians were killed, military positions have been reinforced, and fears of another escalation continue to
16:49grow.
16:50Take a look at this report.
16:52It's a world exclusive, India Today team, the only news crew who has managed to come this close to the
16:59Turan Line, the flashpoint, the tension point, which has ensured escalation in hostilities between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
17:08But before I touch that, behind me, the devastation you're seeing, this is ground zero.
17:14On 29th of June, this place literally woke up to thunderous sounds.
17:22It was around 9.30 p.m. late night, and there was a massive blast.
17:29And as locals came in, it was an aerial strike, and 26 people, mostly children and women.
17:38This was basically also confirmed by the Taliban government.
17:42They were killed.
17:43But more importantly, this was a strike like none in the past.
17:50Because while this strike happened, as the locals came in to check what had happened, launch a rescue operation,
17:55the second aerial strike happens, and there are more casualties.
18:00Taliban government rallied it.
18:02Next day, there was a drone strike against targets inside Pakistan.
18:07So, clearly, this location they're seeing is still the damage for everyone to see.
18:15Locals we spoke to say that this was a house where there were women, children, and this had nothing to
18:22do with terror activity.
18:24Pakistan has a different version.
18:27Day after the Karachi attack, where a ranger position was targeted, they again blamed Afghanistan.
18:33The Taliban government were harboring TTP elements, the splinter group.
18:38And according to them, it was here that the plot was hatched.
18:42But ground reality is obviously different.
18:44Local version is different.
18:46They say there were locals, there were children, and there were civilians.
18:50And this was not a non-combatant target.
18:54But as we came to this location, one can clearly feel the tension.
19:00A lot of tension around, a lot of Taliban troop movement.
19:04The positions around have been fortified, and the guns are locked and loaded.
19:10Clearly, while since there has been no further incident, but it's only a matter of time, one can feel that
19:18the garment here is also on the edge.
19:22And they have made it clear that if there is more aggression from Pakistan, they will retaliate in equal measure.
19:29Once more, I'll just give you a glimpse of what really happened here and the kind of damage you can
19:37clearly see.
19:39We really went inside.
19:41There were household items that were absolutely destroyed.
19:44There were mattresses.
19:46There were clothes that were really scattered all around.
19:49And that obviously really backs the version of the locals that this was not a terror target.
19:57But as I said, tension is still on the edge.
20:00And it seems here, it's only a matter of time before there is escalation again on the Durand Line.
20:06And while no one knows what really would lead to that, but definitely a lot of tension here.
20:13Things on the edge here on the Durand Line between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
20:19Meer Fareed, Shamkhani Durand Line for India today.
20:24P.O.K. is burning and the Pakistan Army Chief Asa Munir is in trouble.
20:2948 hours, that was the ultimatum.
20:31Islamabad ignored it.
20:33A 38-point charter from the streets of what they call Azad Kashmir or what is actually Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
20:40A place Pakistan claims has its own government, its own system, its own voice.
20:46But every sales pitch hits a wall.
20:48And right now, reality has kicked Pakistan's front door down.
20:52This isn't an armed rebellion.
20:54This is ordinary people demanding a life.
20:57So they warned Islamabad, or Raal Pindi to be specific.
21:01Not requested, not appealed.
21:03Warned.
21:04Listen to our demands or watch the streets erupt.
21:08That's not a diplomatic protest.
21:10That is a final stand.
21:12On Statecraft Today, we explore what pushed Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to this boiling point
21:18and why Islamabad, or Raal Pindi, could try to make India pay the political price.
21:24The spark came after Islamabad missed a 48-hour deadline set by the Joint Awami Action Committee, or JAAC.
21:30The group handed over a 38-point charter covering governance, accountability, electricity prices, jobs, development, judicial reforms, resource rights, and
21:42the release of detained activists.
21:45The answer never came.
21:47For JAAC, that silence said everything.
21:50Its leaders declared the dialogue had reached the end of the road and announced a fresh round of mass protests.
21:56The language also became much sharper.
21:58JAAC leaders accused the authorities of wanting confrontation instead of compromise.
22:04Their message was blunt.
22:05They said they had exhausted negotiations and alleged that the state preferred bloodshed over dialogue.
22:12That accusation alone showed just how badly trust had collapsed.
22:17Then came the crackdown.
22:18Police raids hit several areas, especially Tattapani.
22:21Protest organizers alleged that activists were arrested before demonstrations even began.
22:26They also claimed women and children were detained during search operations.
22:31Authorities defended these actions as necessary for law and order.
22:34Protest leaders said the opposite.
22:36According to them, every arrest only brought more people into the streets.
22:42But who exactly is JAAC?
22:44It is not one political party chasing votes.
22:46It is an umbrella group made up of civil society organizations, traders, students, and socio-religious groups.
22:53It first emerged in the year 2023 after rising electricity bills and inflation pushed people over the edge.
23:00The movement then expanded into something much bigger.
23:03What started as anger over household expenses became frustration over governance itself.
23:09Its demands also go far beyond cheaper electricity.
23:13Protesters want fair electricity pricing linked to power generated from the local Mangala Dam.
23:19They want subsidized wheat flour.
23:21They want better accountability.
23:23They want development.
23:25They want detained activists released.
23:27And one demand sits right at the head of the political fight.
23:31The removal of 12 reserved refugee seats in the regional assembly.
23:36Here's why this matters.
23:37The assembly has 53 seats.
23:40But 12 of those are reserved for refugees who migrated during partition and now mostly live elsewhere in Pakistan.
23:48Protesters argue these seats give people outside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir enormous influence over politics inside the region.
23:56Even the regional Supreme Court said these seats cannot disappear through an executive order.
24:02Only a constitutional amendment approved with Pakistan's consent can change that.
24:07In other words, the key stays in Islamabad's pocket.
24:11That also exposes the biggest contradiction.
24:14Pakistan insists this is an independent region with self-rule.
24:18Yet major constitutional changes still depend on Islamabad.
24:21Candidates also take loyalty oaths supporting accession to Pakistan.
24:25That leaves critics asking a simple question.
24:28How independent really is Azad Kashmir if the biggest decisions never belong to it?
24:34The unrest no longer stays inside Pakistan either.
24:38UK MP Bob Blackman criticized Islamabad over reports of excessive force.
24:43Human rights concerns have also drawn wider international attention.
24:47That creates another headache for Pakistan because this crisis arrives while militant violence already stretches security forces elsewhere in Balochistan
24:56and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
24:57Now Islamabad faces two bad choices.
25:00Crack down harder and invite more criticism.
25:04Or make concessions and encourage even more demands.
25:08And this is where India enters the picture.
25:10Some protest leaders have openly spoken about Indian intervention.
25:14That raises the stakes immediately.
25:16If Pakistan cannot calm the unrest internally, it may find it convenient to shift attention elsewhere.
25:23After all, blaming India has often served as Islamabad's favorite political escape hatch.
25:28A domestic crisis suddenly becomes an external confrontation.
25:32That is exactly why India has to stay alert.
25:35Pakistan-occupied Kashmir now stands at another dangerous crossroads.
25:39Dialogue has broken down.
25:41Arrests continue.
25:42Protesters refuse to back down.
25:44Islamabad refuses to blink.
25:46And the biggest casualty may be the story Pakistan spent decades selling.
25:51That Azad Kashmir is truly free.
25:54When the people inside start challenging that narrative themselves, the slogan becomes much harder to defend.
26:00The only concern now is whether Pakistan tries to change the headline by dragging India into the next chapter.
26:07That's all in this edition of Statecraft.
26:09But before we go, a White House attempt to fact-check critics ended up creating a political forepower.
26:15While defending Vice President J.D. Vance over an on-stage presentation glitch,
26:20the administration's rapid response account inadvertently called the VP a demeaning name.
26:25Take a look.
26:27Goodbye and take care.
26:29But look at this woman in the front with the smug look and the Louis Vuitton bag.
26:42Goodbye and take care.
26:49Goodbye and make sure you have kendall
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