标签： Asia

Indian security forces have achieved a significant breakthrough in their ongoing counterinsurgency operations with the elimination of senior Maoist commander Ganesh Uike during a tactical raid in eastern Odisha state. The operation, conducted on Thursday in Kandhamal district, resulted in four rebel casualties including Uike who carried a substantial bounty of $120,000 on his head.

According to Odisha police authorities, the operation was launched following specific intelligence regarding Uike’s whereabouts. The 69-year-old rebel leader, who commanded Maoist operations in the coastal region, was killed alongside three associates—two female combatants and one male fighter—during an exchange of gunfire. State police official Yogesh Bahadur Khurania confirmed the identities were being verified while noting no security personnel casualties occurred.

This engagement represents the latest success in New Delhi’s comprehensive campaign to eradicate the decades-long Maoist insurgency by March 2026. Just one day prior to this operation, security forces had neutralized two additional rebels in the same region, demonstrating the intensified tempo of counterinsurgency activities.

The Naxalite movement, which originated nearly sixty years ago in the Himalayan foothills, once exerted control over approximately one-third of Indian territory with an estimated fighting force of 15,000-20,000 personnel during its mid-2000s peak. However, government statistics indicate over 500 Maoist combatants have been eliminated since 2024 alone, signaling the rebellion’s substantial degradation in recent years amid sustained security pressure.

In a significant diplomatic move, the President of the United Arab Emirates has commenced an official state visit to Pakistan, signaling strengthened bilateral relations between the two nations. The high-profile visit comes at a time when authorities in Dubai are implementing comprehensive security measures for upcoming New Year’s Eve celebrations. For the first time in its history, the iconic Dubai Frame will serve as a centerpiece for spectacular drone light displays, supplementing the traditional fireworks that typically dominate the city’s skyline. Concurrently, Dubai’s transportation authorities have announced major closures along Sheikh Zayed Road and at the pivotal Burj Khalifa metro station to accommodate the unprecedented security and logistical requirements for the massive public events. Official statements have detailed specific timing for these closures, urging residents and visitors to plan their travel arrangements accordingly to ensure public safety during what is anticipated to be one of the largest New Year gatherings globally.

For the second year running, Israel has anchored the bottom of the global Nation Brands Index (NBI), according to findings released by the private research organization BrandIL. This represents the country’s most dismal performance in the nearly twenty-year history of the index, conceived by policy adviser Simon Anholt.

The comprehensive NBI framework evaluates national reputations across six critical dimensions: tourism appeal, cultural perception, population image, immigration and investment climate, export and product reputation, and governance quality. The latest rankings placed Japan, Germany, Canada, Italy, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom at the pinnacle. Conversely, Israel found itself trailing behind nations including India, Kenya, Russia, Ukraine, and Namibia. The Palestinian Authority, while not a formally recognized state, also ranked lower.

Conducted between August and September 2025, the survey revealed a stark 6.1 percent decline in Israel’s overall score from the previous year. A particularly alarming finding was Israel’s last-place ranking in perceptions of its exports and products, signaling a pronounced consumer aversion to goods and services associated with the nation.

The report underscores a pivotal and troubling shift in international sentiment between 2024 and 2025. Criticism, once primarily directed at the Israeli government, has broadened to encompass attitudes toward Israeli citizens themselves. This evolution is directly correlated with the ongoing military operations in Gaza. Israeli media outlet Yedioth Ahronoth reported a growing perception of Israelis as ‘persona non grata’ in international circles.

The human cost of the conflict is immense, with Palestinian casualties in Gaza and the West Bank exceeding 72,000 since October 2023. This context has fueled a dramatic reassessment of Israel’s global standing. Beyond rising criticism, the data indicates a generational schism, with more Gen Z respondents characterizing Israel as ‘illegitimate’ and ‘colonial’.

The economic ramifications are tangible. The ‘Made in Israel’ label is now directly and negatively impacted as boycott movements persist worldwide. While the NBI does not directly track purchasing behavior, BrandIL issued a stark warning of broader economic risks, including a collapse in global trust, a downturn in foreign investment, severe damage to the tourism sector, and a profound erosion of Israel’s stature within the international community.

This decline is corroborated by other major polls. A recent YouGov survey highlighted that public support for Israel across Europe has hit a record low in 2025, with fewer than a fifth of respondents in Britain, France, Germany, Denmark, Spain, and Italy holding a favorable view. In the United States, an April Pew Research poll found that 53% of Americans now hold an unfavorable opinion of Israel, a significant jump from 42% in March 2022. This negative sentiment is rising across the political spectrum, though it remains more pronounced among Democrats (69%) than Republicans (37%).

A separate Pew poll confirmed that majority negative views of Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are now a global phenomenon, prevalent in 20 out of 24 countries surveyed in early 2025. Notably, this disapproval is no longer confined to Arab and Muslim nations but is expanding across Europe and East Asia, with positive perceptions dwindling particularly in Western Europe and among younger demographics globally.