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Explore global geopolitical shifts including US Congress impact on Pakistan, Israel’s politics, West Asia conflicts, and environmental contrasts between Delhi and Beijing.
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00:00What happens when a country bets its diplomatic future on one American president only to find
00:06the balance of power in Washington shifting? And what happens when one Asian capital manages
00:12to clean up its toxic skies while another continues to choke every winter? Today,
00:18two stories about the cost of short-term thinking. First, Pakistan's carefully cultivated relationship
00:24with Donald Trump faces a new test as Democrats take control of Congress. Could Islamabad's Trump
00:30connections become a political liability? And then, from Delhi's post-Diwali pollution nightmare to
00:36Beijing's remarkable turnaround, can India learn from China's clean air playbook? Two stories,
00:43one reality. Long-term problems demand long-term solutions. Hello and welcome. You're watching
00:49Statecraft with me, Geeta Mohan. Israel could be on the brink of a political earthquake.
00:55Benjamin Netanyahu's long grip on power is facing its biggest challenge yet. And the man tasked with
01:01ending it is none other than a former Israeli army chief. President Isaac Herzog has formally asked
01:07Yashar Party leader Gandhi Eisencott to form Israel's next government. He has 28 days with a possible 14-day
01:15extension. And while 67 lawmakers have backed his bid, turning that support into a working majority will
01:22be a completely different battle. Here's the problem. Israel's parliament, the Knesset, has 120 seats.
01:30A government needs 61. Eisencott's core anti-Netanyahu bloc has just 48. The Arab parties can push that
01:37number to 67. But there's a catch. Right-wing leader Avigdor Lieberman has long refused to govern
01:45with Arab parties. Then there's the ultra-orthodox option. The seventh-seat United Torah Judaism and
01:53sixth-seat Shas could theoretically give Eisencott the numbers. But that would mean confronting one of
01:59Israel's most explosive issues, military conscription. Eisencott wants mandatory service for all.
02:07Ultra-Orthodox parties want exemptions. And Netanyahu isn't throwing in the towel. He has proposed a
02:14national unity government, but Eisencott has ruled out serving under him. If Eisencott fails, Herzog can
02:20give another lawmaker a chance. Netanyahu could get another shot. And if all attempts collapse,
02:26Israel could face fresh elections in early 2027. The next 28 days will decide more than who becomes
02:33Prime Minister of Israel. It will determine whether Israel's anti-Netanyahu alliance can actually govern
02:40or whether it was united only by one common goal, removing Benjamin Netanyahu. Because bringing down
02:47Netanyahu may be easier than replacing him. Saudi Arabia's financial heart is now in the crosshairs,
02:54a major skyscraper in Riyadh's central business district, has been hit in an air attack claimed
03:01by Yemen's Houthi rebels. The target? The Aramco Tower. And the damage may be far more serious than
03:08Riyadh is letting on. Saudi Arabia's energy ministry says the building suffered only minor damage. No
03:15casualties have been reported. Reports, however, say at least one floor has been badly damaged,
03:21with windows shattered across multiple levels. The Houthis have also claimed strikes on Riyadh's
03:27airport and Aramco oil storage facilities. Saudi Arabia says its air defenses intercepted and destroyed
03:34several incoming missiles. But this escalation comes with a deadly backdrop. Just a day earlier,
03:41the Houthis accused a Saudi-led coalition of killing at least 33 people, including women and children,
03:47in an airstrike in Yemen. 39 others were reportedly injured. Riyadh has not commented on the allocation
03:55yet. The conflict, which has simmered for years, is now dangerously reigniting amid the wider Iran war.
04:02An informal ceasefire collapsed in July after the Houthis announced a maritime embargo and resumed
04:09attacks on Saudi airports, oil facilities and on shipping. Major fighting has since returned and the human
04:16cost is mounting. The United Nations says more than 1,600 people have been killed and over 300,000
04:23displaced since fighting resumed. Saudi Arabia's economic nerve center is now under attack and Yemen's
04:30war is threatening to spill far beyond its borders. Pakistan spent two years cultivating Donald Trump.
04:39Army Chief Asa Munir became his favorite field marshal. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif showered him with praises.
04:45Islamabad nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, joined his board of peace and opened doors for
04:52American business interests. The strategy was simple. Get close to Trump, get close to Washington. But now,
05:00Democrats have won control of the Congress. And suddenly, Pakistan's carefully cultivated
05:06relationship with Trump administration could face an uncomfortable new test. Because some of the deals
05:12Islamabad pursued involved Trump's family and his closest associates could start asking questions that
05:21Pakistan would rather avoid. Let's go back to June 2025. Asa Munir received an extraordinary
05:28invitation to the White House. Trump hosted Pakistan's Army Chief for lunch. No Pakistani civilian officials were
05:34present. The military was effectively at the center of this diplomatic rapprochement. Trump subsequently
05:41called Munir his favorite field marshal. Pakistan's military said their discussions covered security,
05:48mining, energy, and cryptocurrency. Islamabad was clearly investing in a personal relationship with
05:54the American president. And it did not stop there. Pakistan nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize,
06:02crediting him with helping end the May 2025 military confrontation between India and Pakistan. India has
06:09consistently rejected Trump's claims of mediation. Then came another gesture. In January of 2026,
06:17Shahbaz Sharif joined Trump's Board of Peace for Gaza. And when tensions between Washington and Tehran escalated,
06:24Pakistan positioned itself as a diplomatic intermediary. Islamabad hosted U.S.-Iran talks in April. The Islamabad
06:31agreement that followed, however, quickly faltered. But Pakistan had managed to put itself on Trump's diplomatic map.
06:39The question now is whether that access can survive a change in the balance of power in Washington D.C.
06:46or
06:47Capitol Hill. Because the problem for Islamabad is not simply the Democrats have won. It is what they could
06:53scrutinize. Start with cryptocurrency. Pakistan signed a memorandum to explore using USD1, a stable coin issued by
07:03World Liberty Financial, a company linked to the Trump family. Its chief executive is the son of U.S.
07:11envoy Steve Witkoff. But this is not an adoption of the currency by Pakistan. There is no money, no agreed
07:18timeline and no final payment arrangement. It is an exploratory memorandum. Yet, the political connection is
07:25precisely what could attract congressional attention. Then there is the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan.
07:32Pakistan signed another memorandum to explore redeveloping the property with a U.S. agency. The arrangement was
07:39negotiated by Steve Witkoff. But there is no final price and no redevelopment plan. And then comes the drone deal.
07:46In September 2026, Pakistan's defense ministry placed a limited order with Power Us, a company backed by
07:54investors including Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump. The wider arrangement still requires approvals. Its
08:01value has not been disclosed. These are not three completed investments, their memoranda and a limited
08:08order. But they all have one thing in common, connections to Trump's family or inner circle. And that is where
08:16a democratic controlled Congress could become a problem. Lawmakers could examine whether presidential
08:22connections influence business and diplomatic decisions. They could demand greater transparency
08:27and scrutinize potential conflicts of interest. The White House, however, has rejected allegations
08:33of wrongdoing. Responding to Reuters about Power Us, spokesperson Anna Kelly said there were no conflicts
08:40of interest. But the political exposure for Islamabad remains because Pakistan's relationship with Washington has
08:47increasingly revolved around access to one man. And despite all the photographs, praise and diplomatic
08:55gestures, what has Pakistan actually received economically? The numbers tell an interesting story. In December 2025, the U.S.
09:04Export Import Bank approved $1.25 billion for Pakistan's Ricoh, Deek, Copper and Gold mining project.
09:13That is a concrete financial commitment. But in July 2026, Pakistan also sought a $10 billion facility
09:21from the U.S. Treasury as a reserve backstop. More than 100 days later, the request remained unanswered,
09:28according to the Indian Express report. So while Islamabad has secured high-level access, its bigger economic
09:35expectations have not necessarily materialized. And this is where Munir and Sharif could face an
09:41uncomfortable reality. A relationship built around Trump's personal goodwill may not automatically
09:47translate into bipartisan support in Washington. Newly elected U.S. Senator Abd al-Sayed has even called for
09:54Washington to reconsider its financial and military assistance to countries that use American funds
10:01to violate international law, naming Pakistan. Islamabad may not necessarily face direct punishment,
10:08but the arrangements could be examined, delayed or politically challenged. And the very access Pakistan
10:15worked so hard to secure could become a source of scrutiny. But Pakistan is not entirely without
10:22leverage. Counter-terrorism cooperation remains an area where Republicans and Democrats have common
10:27ground. So does diplomacy involving Iran. Pakistan's geographical position and its ability to communicate
10:34with Tehran and Washington give Islamabad strategic relevance. These are relationships that go beyond
10:42U.S. President Donald Trump. Now, Pakistan has indeed put so many of its diplomatic eggs in the White House
10:49basket that it may have little left for the Democrats. In other words, Islamabad cultivated the
10:56president. It may have neglected the Congress. And there's another side to this election story. For ordinary
11:03Pakistanis, the democratic victory is not about trampling business deals or diplomatic access. It is about survival.
11:11The U.S.-Israel war on Iran has driven up oil prices. Pakistan, a country of more than 240 million people,
11:19that depends heavily on imported energy is particularly vulnerable. Pakistanis believe the midterm result
11:26would restrain Trump, reduce the bloodshed and bring down prices. They really want peace. They want
11:34economic relief. And they want a government in Washington that does not deepen the crisis. But here's the
11:40contradiction facing Pakistan's leadership. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asa Munir invested heavily in
11:48building a special relationship with President Donald Trump. They pursued business arrangements
11:54involving his family and associates. They offered diplomatic support and positioned Pakistan as a
11:59regional interlocutor. Yet the political landscape in Washington has changed. And Pakistan now has to
12:07deal with a Congress that may not share the same enthusiasm for Trump's personal network. The challenge is not
12:14simply maintaining access to the White House. It is building relationships beyond it. One White House lunch,
12:21one Nobel nomination, one Board of Peace membership, three Trump-linked business arrangements and a $10
12:28billion request still awaiting an answer. Pakistan's Trump strategy delivered visibility and diplomatic access.
12:35But the democratic victory has exposed the limits of relying on one political relationship.
12:42For Munir and Sharif, the next challenge is making sure that Pakistan's interests do not become tied to the
12:49fortunes of one American president. Because in Washington, presidents may change their political fortunes,
12:56but the scrutiny of Congress can last much longer. The manpowering world's artificial intelligence
13:04revolution is now facing an intelligence storm of his own. Nvidia CEO Jensen Wong has admitted to being
13:12unfaithful to his wife, apologized to his family and acknowledged his actions were wrong. But this is no
13:18ordinary corporate scandal. The woman allegedly involved is suspected of being a Chinese spy accused of
13:26gathering intelligence for Beijing. And now Nvidia's board has launched an independent investigation,
13:32a scandal that could have serious consequences for America's national security and one of its most
13:39powerful technology companies. A personal confession, a potential espionage scandal and billions of dollars
13:46at stake. In an email to employees, 63-year-old Jensen Wong admitted to cheating on his wife,
13:53Laurie, and apologized to her and their children. He also acknowledged failing his responsibilities
13:59towards Nvidia's employees, board and shareholders. At the center of the controversy is Alice Wong,
14:06also identified as Wong Lee, a Chinese businesswoman suspected by US intelligence of gathering
14:13information for Beijing. She is not related to Jensen Wong, but reports say she was associated with
14:20Singapore-based Megaspeed, which purchased over $4.8 billion worth of Nvidia chips in two years.
14:28Her proximity to Wong, including being photographed beside him at a Taipei party in 2024, has intensified
14:35scrutiny. Nvidia's board has now ordered an independent investigation, although it says there is
14:42currently no reason to believe national security or company secrets were indeed compromised.
14:48Three Republican lawmakers have also sought a congressional briefing from Wong on the 18th
14:53of November. US President Donald Trump, however, has backed the Nvidia chief, calling him an honorable
14:58man. China has dismissed the espionage allegations as groundless speculation. The stakes here are enormous,
15:05and the Chinese foreign ministry has said the spy allegation is groundless and a smear campaign against
15:12China. Nvidia sits at the heart of America's AI ambitions, with a market valuation estimated at $4.5
15:19trillion. And investors are now confronting an uncomfortable question. Could the man who built Nvidia
15:25become a liability for the company? An investigation that could determine far more than Jensen Wong's personal
15:32future or failures? A passport request has reopened the diplomatic battle over Sheikh Hasina. Bangladesh's
15:41deposed prime minister, who has been living in India since fleeing Dhaka in August 2024, has reportedly sought
15:48a fresh passport and national identification card. But Dhaka is having none of it. Bangladesh's foreign
15:55minister Humayun Kabir has called the application ridiculous, branded Hasina a terrorist,
16:01and declared that she will get no passport. Instead, Bangladesh wants India to hand her over under a prisoner
16:08exchange agreement. And Dhaka has made its warning crystal clear. If Hasina returns, a place awaits her in central
16:16jail. A fresh passport or a prison cell, that is the stark choice Bangladesh is holding out to Sheikh Hasina.
16:23Sources in Dhaka say the Bangladesh High Commission has received Hasina's request for a new passport. Her
16:29previous passport was cancelled shortly after she fled to India following the student-led uprising that toppled
16:36her government in August 2024. Dhaka's foreign ministry is now verifying the communication, but the political
16:43message is already quite clear. Foreign Minister Humayun Kabir says Hasina is a death row convict and cannot be issued
16:52a
16:52passport. He wants India to return her under a prisoner exchange arrangement. Hasina was sentenced to death
16:59by Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal in November of 2025 over the deadly crackdown on protesters.
17:06The verdict has faced criticism because she was tried in absentia without legal representation.
17:13Meanwhile, Hasina has indicated plans to return to Bangladesh in December.
17:17Our army league leaders based in India have repeatedly echoed that promise with reports suggesting she
17:24could enter through a land border. But Hasina has refused to apologize for the crackdown that left
17:30hundreds dead. The question now is not simply whether Hasina wants to return. It is whether India will agree
17:37to send her back and what that could mean for India-Bangladesh ties. What does China know about clean air
17:44that
17:45India still hasn't figured out? Delhi woke up to a nightmare. And no, this was not some horror movie.
17:51This was the national capital the morning after Diwali. Fixed smog, toxic air and an AQI that completely
17:59went off the charts. At 1.31 a.m. on the 9th of November, Delhi's AQI hit a staggering 1
18:06,331
18:08according to AQI. By 8 a.m. it had dropped to 663. Dropped. Yes. But that is hardly something to
18:18celebrate. The air was still dangerously polluted. And compared to last year's post-Diwali reading,
18:24things were nearly 69% worse. Every winter, Delhi gets the same toxic cocktail, the same restrictions,
18:32and the same promises. But here's the interesting part. 20 years ago, another Asian capital had
18:39almost the same reputation. Beijing. The world's smog capital. Today, its skies tell a very different
18:47story. So how did China pull that off? And more importantly, can Delhi steal a few pages from Beijing's
18:54playbook. Now look at these numbers. In 2013, Beijing's average PM2.5 concentration stood at 72
19:03micrograms per cubic meter. By 2019, it had fallen to 36. By 2024, it was down to 29.3. And
19:14in the first
19:14nine months of 2025, just 24.9. That is a massive turnaround. But did Beijing discover some magical
19:23pollution-eating machine? Of course not. It did something far less exciting, but far more effective.
19:30It made a plan. And actually stuck to it. The story began with the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
19:38China wanted cleaner skies for the Games. So it introduced temporary emission restrictions. But the
19:44real turning point came in the year 2013, when Beijing launched a five-year national action plan.
19:51Coal-fired boilers faced closures. Factories had to clean up. Public transport received a push.
19:57Cleaner vehicles became priority. And pollution control became a year-round mission, not a winter
20:04publicity exercise. Now compare that with Delhi. Every year, pollution shoots up. Grab restrictions
20:11kick in. Construction faces curbs. Vehicles face restrictions. And authorities issue advisories.
20:18This year, Stage 3 Grap restrictions came into force on the 6th of November. Three days later,
20:25Delhi's AQI.in reading still touched 663. So what went wrong? Emergency restrictions can reduce pollution,
20:34but they cannot replace permanent action. You cannot ignore a leaking roof all year and then run around with
20:41buckets when the monsoon arrives. Beijing understood that. Delhi needs to. But here comes the next problem.
20:50Who exactly is responsible for Delhi's pollution? Ask one person and they'll blame farmers. Ask another and
20:58they'll blame firecrackers. Someone else will point at vehicles and everyone will have a convenient villain.
21:04But look at the bigger picture. Delhi's air contains pollutions from vehicles, industries,
21:11construction sites, road dust, waste burning, coal, household fuels, and crop residue smoke.
21:19The Pavali fireworks add another layer. And stagnant winter weather traps much of it. So can
21:26Delhi solve this by targeting just one source? Absolutely not. Beijing did not simply ban a few firecrackers and
21:34declare victory. China tackled coal, factories, transport, construction dust, and household emissions
21:43all together. It retired old vehicles, encouraged electric transport, introduced cleaner industrial
21:51technology, and offered farmers incentives to discourage agricultural burning. Because when pollution comes
21:58from 10 directions, fixing one source will not magically clear the skies. And there is another twist.
22:05Look at Delhi on the map. Now look beyond it. Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, the entire NCR.
22:14What connects them? The same air. Smoke does not stop at a state border, show its identity card,
22:22and turn around. Pollution travels. And Delhi pays the price for emissions far beyond its own boundaries.
22:30China recognized this problem too. Its Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei region adopted a coordinated
22:35approach. Authorities shared pollution data, conducted joint assessments, coordinated enforcement,
22:42and even worked out ways to share costs. Between 2015 and 2023, average annual PM 2.5 levels across
22:50that region fell by 44.2% according to the Asian Development Bank. Now imagine something similar
22:58across Delhi NCR and neighboring states. Common targets, shared monitoring, coordinated inspections,
23:05clear responsibilities, and no convenient finger pointing every November. Sounds simple? On paper,
23:13yes. In practice, political differences, economic pressures, and competing interests make coordination
23:19difficult. But pollution does not care which party runs which state. So why should clean air action stop at
23:27political boundaries? And even the best plans means nothing without enforcement. Delhi already has
23:33pollution rules. It has action plans. It has restrictions. What it needs is consistent implementation.
23:40Because a rule that nobody follows is basically a polite suggestion. Beijing strengthened monitoring,
23:47disclosed industrial emissions, imposed penalties, and put pressure on local officials to deliver results.
23:54It combines satellite, airborne, and ground monitoring with clearer enforcement responsibilities.
24:01Industries had to install pollution control systems. The idea was simple. If you pollute,
24:06there must be consequences that you'd have to face. Could Delhi do the same? Absolutely. Put real-time
24:13emissions monitoring at factories, track dust at construction sites, make pollution data public,
24:19penalise repeat offenders, and hold authorities accountable when enforcement fails. Otherwise,
24:27every winter will produce another impressive list of rules and another unimpressive result.
24:32But wait. Cleaning up pollution comes with a bill. And someone has to pay it. Factories need expensive upgrades.
24:40Truck drivers face restrictions. Farmers need alternatives to crop burning. Construction workers risk losing
24:47income when projects stop. And poorer households cannot simply afford every cleaner technology available.
24:55So should the burden fall on them? No. That would be both unfair and ineffective. Governments must invest
25:03in cleaner public transport, support industrial upgrades, offer practical incentives to farmers, and help
25:10vulnerable workers through the transition. China combined restrictions with investment technology and incentives.
25:18Delhi needs the same balance. Because clean air cannot become a privilege reserved for people who can afford air purifiers.
25:27And that brings us to the biggest question. Does cleaning up the air means slowing down economic growth?
25:33Beijing's experience suggests otherwise. China achieved major reductions in pollution while its economy
25:40continued to expand. Cleaner transport, renewable energy, and new industrial technologies became part of its growth story.
25:49Of course, China's model is not perfect. Some Chinese regions still face serious pollution,
25:53and India cannot simply copy China's political system. But it can learn from what worked.
25:59So what is Delhi really missing? Another committee? Another emergency meeting? Another winter action plan?
26:06No. It needs sustained political will, proper funding, reliable data, tough enforcement and cooperation between governments.
26:17Beijing did not clean its skies in one winter. It took years of consistent action.
26:22Delhi cannot expect miracles after a few days of restrictions either. The lesson is clear.
26:27Stop treating pollution like an annual surprise. Stop searching for one convenient villain.
26:32Stop announcing rules without enforcing them. Because Beijing proved something important. A city once famous for its smog can fight
26:42back.
26:42And Delhi? It does not need another promise of cleaner air. It needs cleaner air.
26:52That's all in this edition of Statecraft. Before we go, here's a look at how Diwali was celebrated across the
26:57globe.
26:58From Indian diaspora communities in the US to Venezuela, Nigeria, and even Pakistan, the festive spirit crossed borders.
27:06World leaders, including US President Donald Trump, joined in the celebrations,
27:10making Diwali a truly global affair. Take a look. Goodbye and take care.
27:45World ofistasitas which are now considered as other national events and international events,
27:56We'll see you next time.