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The people of Bangladesh are slowly becoming sceptical that they might soon be trapped into an era of unending street protests and violent political clashes. The root to this fear has been the long absence of the Opposition from Parliament and its efforts to settle political issues on the streets.
Who used chemical weapons against whom? Is Assad regime guilty? We may never know. What is certain is that one more country in the Middle East will be reduced to an ungovernable territory. Welcome home Al-Qaeda!
The killing of Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan, was a crippling blow to the global terrorist group and its violent agenda. The manner in which US special forces took him out in his protected lair will seriously undermine the morale of terrorist groups and their sympathisers across the world.
If Barack Obama can match his oratorical skills with decisive action and emulate Roosevelt's bold economic measures and the Star Wars programme of Ronald Reagan, America can well embark on the path to economic recovery at home and overcome the strategic challenges that threaten its once pre-eminent global position.
If hydro power potential of 150,000 MW is to be realised by the end of 2030 as assumed in the Integrated Energy Policy 2006, the government must ensure that policies address the crucial stumbling block of regulatory, social and environmental instability.
Whatever be the truth about Tipu Sultan, the one fact on which there can be little debate is that he fought against British occupation till the very end. If we are to look at our history through the lens of religious bigotry, the first war of independence in 1857, for example, would be of little significance.
USA solar industry got a setback with almost three solar companies, including Solyandra Inc., declaring suspension of their operations and plans. Criticising China's role in the failure of the U.S solar companies may come as a natural defence mechanism, but then China can't be completely held responsible.
Trump’s “toned down” stance on the South China Sea issue, his emphasis on “America first” policy and his soft attitude towards China have made many Japanese leaders suspect that the US is retreating from Asia.
Recent developments have raised questions about the future of bipartisan support for U.S.-India relations.
The problem for the US in assuring an orderly withdrawal and to decide on how much force to leave behind is the utter lack of trust between Afghanistan, Pakistan and itself. It is difficult to accurately anticipate how the situation will evolve in 2015 after the Americans go home, but whatever it is, it will not be a simple uncomplicated situation and may not be all that warm and friendly for Pakistan.
Pakistan, with its innumerable terrorist organisations, some of them now working on their own, would provide enough fertile ground for organisations like ISIS to thrive within and spread outwards from here. It must be remembered that Al Qaeda leadership is still based in the FATA of Pakistan from where it continues to give directions.
Shakespeare wondered what was in a name, but then again, it was a time before Top Level Domains, global brands with billions of dollars riding on them, and internet governance bodies like ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) existed.
The Algerian protesters appear to have learnt the lessons of the Arab Spring
Even George Bush, who had much less qualms about bombing any country, thought it fit to show some proof of Saddam Hussain's WMD to the UNSC, however fake it was. May be, Obama, precisely due to that qualm, is reluctant to show the proof to the world.
While the world is hopeful of a firm foreign policy in the Modi era, the Chinese dilemma lurks in a big way. Modi should devise ways of taking China in its stride on a workable, if not friendly, basis to make the best of the Look East Policy and to put itself on a sound footing for the Asian century.
The terror-cadres who have returned home pose a serious threat to India, as they might serve as potential recruiters for the Syrian rebels and start sending young fighters to Syria, says media-veteran-turned-academic, Dr. Sridhar Krishnaswami.
Although Nouri al-Maliki's government might be able retake the towns overrun by the IS and the tribes with the help of Iran, United States and Russia, it might not be able to bring peace and stability to the country until an exclusive and effective policy is introduced.
The IS, despite its defeats on the battle field and losses suffered from air attacks, is far from neutralised and is probably gaining volunteers internationally. The problem with the international community's approach is that it has projected the group as a purely terrorist organisation.
The Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka have brought the island nation to the forefront of the global terrorism discourse. The attacks further demonstrate the change in the Islamic State from a territorial group to a sponsor of terrorism worldwide.
Will Samuel P Huntington be proved wrong on The Clash of Civilizations if and when Islamic Turkey joins European Union (E U)? And will that enable the E U to put an end to the decades old ethno- territorial feud in Cyprus?
The explosion in the midst of a Shia congregation at a shrine in Islamabad on May 27,2005, which resulted in the death of 25 Shias and injuries to about 80 others has been attributed by the local police to an unidentified suicide bomber. No organisation has so far claimed responsibility for the blast,
Islam had reached Punjab along with the invasion of Muhammad Bin Qasim in the 8th Century. It spread in the province through the efforts of an array of Sufi saints who arrived in the province in the centuries that followed. Naturally, that meant that Islam in Punjab was deeply influenced by Sufi traditions. Today, both sides of the divided province are dotted with Sufi shrines or dargahs. The Sufi saints of Punjab have been venerated through the
The Islamists have condemned all statues and sculptural exhibits as “un-Islamic,” though their stand has been challenged by many.
After three years of being at a standstill, peace talks are to resume between Israel and Palestine, according to US Secretary of State John Kerry. He said in a statement, "I am pleased to announce that we've reached an agreement that establishes a basis for resuming final status negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis."
Israel's Defence Minister, Mr. Moshe Ya'alon, on Thursday ( February 19) delivered the 6th R.K. Mishra Memorial Lecture, organised by Observer Research Foundation in memory of its Founder-Chairman.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu created history, defying pre-poll predictions, by leading his right-wing Likud Party to victory in the recently concluded national elections in Israel. The stunning result gave Netanyahu's Likud party 30 seats in the 120 seat Israeli Parliament, the Knesset.
The presentation on Israel, US and Terrorism, by Mr.B.Raman, Convener, ORF Chennai at the weekly ORF Chennai interaction on November 29, 2003 had a first to its credit ¿ it was the first video conference carried out by the Chennai Chapter of the ORF. On this particular occasion
The recent shift by the Middle East prioritising geoeconomics over the Palestinian issue could suffer a setback. The crisis ignited by Hamas highlights that the gap between top-heavy policy decisions and groundswell public opinions, movements, and crisis points need to be addressed by regional powers to ensure long-term sustainability of economic cooperation programmes
During the recent INSS-ORF dialogue, there was a consensus that, while perhaps the origin of the terror threat is different, this is an area where cooperation can and should be enhanced.
A paradigm shift in India-Israel ties came in July 2017 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi went on a state visit to Israel, becoming the first Indian prime minister to do so. The two countries have since elevated their ties to a strategic partnership; a pillar of this relationship is defence. Such is a function of their respective national interests: India’s long-sought goals of military modernisation, and Israel’s comparative advantage in com
Now that Pakistan has admitted that its scientists were involved in the transfer of nuclear technology,1 three major issues/questions need to be studied and analyzed. Is the problem over for General Musharraf or is it a new beginning of another round of problems? How will the Opposition react? What would be the US response?
The Observer Research Foundation (ORF) organised a brainstorming session on 'Issues in Captive Coal Block Development in India' on March 5, 2009 in partnership with CRISIL Infrastructure Advisory Services
Settling territorial disputes and balancing multilateral relationships are the twin challenges before India and China, opined speakers at the ORF seminar on 'Issues in Sino-Indian Relations and Leadership Change in China' held in Kolkata on July 27, 2013.
Drones are no longer esoteric and confined to military precision strikes. The impending, almost inevitable, arrival of drones into our daily lives raises three issues that we need to start thinking about -- reconceptualisation of connectivity and infrastructure, the need to re-imagine airSpace and the third, privacy.
Until 2009, India was regarded as one of the most stringent opponents of the ‘Responsibility to Protect’ (R2P) norm; it was, historically, a staunch advocate of a state-centred Westphalian system. But India's position has always been more complex and nuanced in all respects. Since 2009, the fundamental change that has taken place is also quite remarkable. This change can partly be accounted for by India’s noteworthy, but still ongoing trans
For the first time in India's history, a common technological platform is available to provide governance services to all Indians through one single smart card.
There is little doubt that the Lalit Modi controversy has hurt the image of the Narendra Modi Government. Mr Lalit Modi is an infamous and notorious character, who ran his businesses, including the Indian Premier League cricket, like a bucket shop.
With the first-ever local council elections concluding without incidents, Maldives has completed the first phase of multi-party democracy introduced with the presidential polls of October-November 2011.
The victory confirms earlier predictions that the fulcrum of national politics has moved away from the urban centres and their elite
Agriculture will be a weakest area this year because there is to be a shortfall in rice production by over 13 million tonnes due to deficient rainfall to the extent of 22 per cent