All Eyes On Indian NSA’s China Visit Amid Dokalam Standoff
India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval is to visit China this week for a meeting with his counterparts from Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) emerging economies but all eyes are focussed on the trip because of the military standoff between India and China in Dokalam. Read Here – Mint
India & US, Spot The Difference
Donald Trump and Narendra Modi both rose to power as the result of popular rage against longstanding political elites. Corruption, insider politicking, and common people’s perceived lack of access to power were prominent themes in both campaigns. Both campaigns fed, as well, on the real distress of the have-nots in our respective societies. Read Here […]
Donald Trump’s Addled And Ominous Interview With The Times
It is often said, and with ample reason, that much of what Donald Trump says isn’t worth a jot. As Tony Schwartz, Trump’s ghostwriter, noted last year, “lying is second nature to him.” When he isn’t telling outright whoppers, he exaggerates things outrageously, and his utterances often bear little resemblance from one day to the next. […]
Progress In The South China Sea?
July 12 marked the one-year anniversary of a United Nations tribunal ruling in a case brought by the Philippines against China over the latter’s claims and activities in the South China Sea. The ruling was a major victory for the Philippines, particularly the tribunal’s decision on China’s “nine-dash line,” through which Beijing attempts to lay claim to […]
Global Police Spring a Trap On Thousands Of Dark Web Users
When Alphabay, the world’s largest dark web bazaar, went offline two weeks ago, it threw the darknet into chaos as its buyers and sellers scrambled to find new venues. What those dark web users didn’t—and couldn’t—know: That chaos was planned. Read Here – Wired
Advancing CPEC By Stealth
The corridor is only minimally about transit trade. The power plants, too, are little more than the “early harvest projects”, on commercial terms, designed to jump-start the economy before the real game begins. The real game of CPEC is about granting access to Chinese enterprises to Pakistan’s domestic markets, raw materials and the agrarian economy. […]
America’s Pakistan Policy Could Make Or Break Trump’s Legacy
The Trump administration is on the cusp of making three crucial decisions about the sixteen-year war in Afghanistan and the related matter of how to manage the tempestuous relationship with Pakistan, thought by many to hold the key to peace in Afghanistan. These decisions will go far in determining whether America can successfully conclude its […]
Tharman’s A Perfect Leader For Singapore – So What’s Stopping Him? His Ethnicity?
The Singaporean elite is faced with an unusual dilemma: a potential leader who surpasses all his peers in terms of modern administrative and political skills. In Singapore, where raw brain-power and book learning have long trumped emotional intelligence, Tharman has the intuition and rhetoric to win over and persuade his countrymen like no one else. […]
Trump’s Honeymoon With China Ends As Dialogue Turns Frosty
Three months ago, President Donald Trump had warm words for his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping after the two leaders bonded at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Within weeks, the Trump administration was touting early wins in talks with China, including more access for U.S. beef and financial services as well as help in trying to rein in North Korea. […]
looking beyond borders 