The web, as it appears at any one moment, is a phantasmagoria. It’s not a place in any reliable sense of the word. It is not a repository. It is not a library. It is a constantly changing patchwork of perpetual nowness. You can’t count on the web, okay? It’s unstable. You have to know this. […]
…On the rise of China, tensions in East Asia and the United States… Read Here – The Diplomat
The opening act in stand-up comedy or music concerts is arguably the hardest as it involves warming up a “cold” audience. To some degree, President Pranab Mukherjee faced this thankless task by becoming the first Indian president to visit Israel. Traditionally, presidential visits don’t attract much attention. But the six-day tour of Jordan, Palestine and […]
In terms of military strength, the Indian Navy has two aircraft carriers in service and is building a new indigenous one. It has 15 submarines, almost twice that of Pakistan. More importantly, India’s domestically developed nuclear-powered submarine, INS Arihant, has undergone several sea trials and will soon enter service. New Delhi is also planning at […]
An oft-overlooked aspect of Pakistan’s debt situation is the political economy. There is an inherent asymmetry between the ‘benefits’ derived from new debt undertaken, and the burden of its repayment. There are two facets worth considering. First, those segments who tend to ‘benefit’ from the debt contracted (the elite) are usually different from those who […]
With China set to announce its third-quarter gross domestic product report on Monday, skepticism over its economic data is arising anew. Recall that Bill Gross has described China as “the mystery meat of emerging-market countries.” Premier Li Keqiang, before taking that post, said he didn’t rely on official statistics. He preferred things like rail freight and […]
It was nearly dormant for months, but recent weeks have seen the return of Germany’s Islamophobic, anti-refugee Pegida movement. More confident and aggressive than ever, officials worry the hatred could spread to the mainstream. Read Here – Der Spiegel
From Russian “volunteers” in Syria to Chinese “islands” in the South China Sea, foreign affairs today is full of deception. Read Here – The Atlantic
President Xi Jinping is to pay his first state visit to the United Kingdom from Oct. 19 to 23. Observers believe this UK trip, the first by a Chinese president in a decade, will usher in a “golden era” in China-Britain relations and lay a more solid foundation for China-EU ties. Read Here – Xinhua
In July 1984, U.S. customs agents arrested a Pakistani national, Nazir Ahmed Vaid, at Houston International Airport for trying to purchase krytrons–useful for triggering nuclear weapons–and smuggle them out of the United States Some months later, Vaid was found guilty of violating export control laws, but a plea bargain produced a light penalty: deportation. Months […]
looking beyond borders 