20844 results found
The question of Palestine has been on the global agenda since 1947. It predates the current phenomenon of global terrorism and is not synonymous with it. It is nevertheless the principal cause of instability in West Asia.
Pakistan's President General Pervez Musharraf is under pressure.For the first time since he seized power on October 12,1999, there are indications that he and some of his Lts.General, who constitute the real source of his power and not the people, are not on the same wavelength.
Security Guards belonging to the Indian Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) foiled a daring attempt by a group of six terrorists to penetrate a Hindu place of worship at Ayodhya, a holy town of the Hindus in the state of Uttar Pradesh in North India, on July 5, 2005. The site at which the place of worship is located has been a bone of contention between sections of the Hindus and the Muslims for many years.
Investigations into the recent terrorist attacks and the subsequent chain of arrests and seizures in different parts of India, particularly rural Maharashtra, have revealed a growing alliance between jihadi groups operating from Pakistan and Bangladesh with ideologically extreme groups in India.
That is the latest position of the Government of Begum Khaleda Zia, the Bangladesh Prime Minister, in the face of growing international pressure spearheaded by the member-countries of the European Union (EU) to act against terrorist groups operating from Bangladeshi territory.
Through initiatives like Project Meridian, central banks could move towards more efficient, secure, and accessible financial systems that benefit indi
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe should take care when detailing the reasons why constitutional reforms are needed. While talking about the external threats, he should be very careful not to unnecessarily cause provocations to either China or North Korea.
There is hope among the politicians of various political groups in Kashmir as well as the people of Kashmir that Narendra Modi as Prime Minister would take some decisive action in keeping with their expectations. Modi himself has moderated his stand to that there should be a discussion on Article 370.
The old objectives of 'denuclearisation' and 'reunification' have to be set aside. North Korea's nuclear capability will have to be accepted, at least for the foreseeable future.
Inaugurating a workshop on 'Role of Universities in Public Policy-Making', hosted by Observer Research Foundation (ORF), New Delhi, University Grants Commission Vice-Chairman Prof V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, on April 19, 2005, urged Vice-Chancellors and educationists to recreate linkages between universities and Government, research organizations, administrators and society, in order to render universities more relevant and help in enacting effecti
The Mullahs have found a fresh issue on which to trap General Pervez Musharraf. It has both religious connotations and a real possibility of a confrontation in which the General is bound to capitulate. The issue deals with school textbooks in Pakistan. A section of the society in Pakistan feels that textbooks cleared by the Federal Education Ministry's Curriculum Wing are regressive in nature and run counter to the objective of a progressive nati
While a new reformative government is set to take power in Thailand, the complexities of international relations and domestic aspirations will shape T
The high influx of refugees into Thailand due to the Myanmar crisis continues with a fundamental division in the ASEAN regarding the issue.
Interventions by the military-royalists continue to impede Pita Limjaroenrat’s bid to become the next PM, thus posing serious challenges to Thailand
We need to make the gig economy a dignified one, as it will certainly embrace the future of work, if not be the basis of it.
The recent testimony by Frances Haugen placed Facebook under scrutiny after flagging its harmful algorithms, thus raising the question should governme
The future course as far as the "quad" format is concerned is somewhat unclear.
It is believed that the Kashmir Plan was a tent pole in convincing Jawaharlal Nehru about the prevailing confusion in Sheikh Abdullah's mind.
India’s rich have benefited from crony capitalism, and through their connections in power centres, they have accumulated wealth. The Economic Survey
A near-bankrupt Pakistan has only two choices. It can go to the IMF and suffer reforms. Or it can carry on with its lies, vagaries and economic wet dreams
The recently-held CII-EXIM Bank Conclave in India indicates the keenness to enhance the Indo-Africa ties via trade and entrepreneurial initiatives.
There is increasing recognition that, given India shares land borders with nuclear-armed countries like Pakistan and China, it was imperative for Indi
The relationship between Australia and India is poised at an historic moment. Consciously overcoming a challenging period, leaders of the two countries have realised new levels of mutual trust and confidence that are in turn generating policy momentum.
The dramatic change in just three months illustrates the unpredictable nature of US politics at an unpredictable time for the world — including Indi
Many states have decided to boycott the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing. Is this platform being used to draw the battle lines?
Much has been retained when it comes to the roadmap for China’s diplomacy, while the additions reflect a growing concern for the current internation
The 20th Party Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in October 2022 and the subsequent leadership reshuffle gave a new mandate to a ruling elite that will sit at the helm till 2027. It happened at a time when the CPC is facing strong headwinds, among them a tech war with the United States (US) and a downturn in the domestic economy as a result of President Xi Jinping’s ‘zero-COVID-19’ policy. The CPC saw the protests that ensued a
9 April 1989 had significant political consequences not only for Georgia but for the entire Soviet Union.
India can proposition an Aadhaar-based alternative — one that is seen to be a ‘privacy first’ solution that lets governments retain jurisdiction over their data, while allowing indigenous enterprises to flourish.
The signing of the Accords has helped remove strategic obstacles for New Delhi and aided defence cooperation
Despite the narrative of ‘peace’ around the Abraham Accords, it is not to be forgotten that the harbinger of this accord is ‘deterrence’ — b
Berlin might not yet be ready to provide the kind of leadership that some expect, but the real "German question" seems to be whether Europe can really stomach German leadership. Given the uneasy reactions to Merkel's handling of the Eurozone crisis, the answer is clearly no.
It would be a mistake to assume that the US has changed its policy towards the region. It may have changed its style or the way it wishes to handle India and Pakistan but not its overall interests. The US wants to have a stronger presence in India without losing the hold it has on the military rulers in Pakistan.
Realities are changing in Afghanistan, and New Delhi must be nimble.
Should the EU build up its own EU-based security apparatus in light of the US withdrawing from Afghanistan without truly consulting its EU allies?
This issue brief examines how Afghanistan facilitates India's objectives vis-a-vis Central Asia and explores how engagement with Central Asia, in turn, could play a major role in furthering India's interests in Afghanistan.
Pakistan is an important player as far as determining the outcome of a post-2014 Afghanistan is concerned and should be engaged with. But to expect it to play a productive role or to expect Afghanistan and Pakistan to reconcile their differences and jointly work towards stability is a tall order.
Although Africa’s greenhouse gas emissions are low, its contribution to climate change mitigation is critical to global climate action. This report evaluates Africa’s climate policy through the lens of ‘common but differentiated responsibilities,’ an asymmetrical allocation of responsibility for climate action, determined by differences in countries’ contributions to historical emissions and their current capabilities to fight climate c
Regional African blocs should try to find solutions through diplomacy before the coup in Niger causes regional instability and leads to a full-fledged
While India’s missile thought is certainly evolving, it is yet to be seen if its flagship nuclear-oriented ballistic missiles are meant to further i
The Agnipath Scheme might appear to be feasible on paper but won’t pan out well in practice.
Election Commission of Pakistan’s disqualification of highly popular former Prime Minister Imran Khan will have far-reaching consequences for the co
ACT 1: March 2002. Abu Zubaidah, a Palestinian member of Al Qaeda, was arrested in Faislabad in Pakistani Punjab by the Pakistani authorities and handed over to the USA's Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He was the operational chief of Al Qaeda; his arrest was a major breakthrough, we were told. This is hardly supported by the report of the 9/11 Commission.
How big a catch is Abu Faraj al-Libbi, a 40-year-old Libyan married to a Pakistani, fluent in Urdu and Arabic and suffering from lucoderma, whose arrest was announced by the Pakistani authorities at Islamabad on May 4,2005?
