Sri Lanka, Oct. 13 -- On August 22, 2025, US President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he was appointing his close aide, Sergio Gor, as the next US Ambassador to India and Special Envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs. Seen against the historical background of India's sensitivity about being clubbed together (being "hyphenated" with Pakistan), this might have been unwelcome in New Delhi.

But realpolitik prevented a showdown with the US.

In July 2025, the World Bank removed Pakistan from the South Asia region and placed it in the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan (MENAAP) region. In the World Bank's new scheme, the South Asia region now comprises only India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and the...