South Asia and Beyond

Tags : series

The Russia-NATO Crisis Explained

NEW DELHI: Speculation over whether Russia would launch a military offensive against Ukraine and when ended last week when Vladimir Putin sent his troops in. Ukraine has vowed to fight back. The United States says Russia was never serious about finding a diplomatic solution to the crisis over Ukraine. At the heart of the dispute […]Read More

A Guide To Contemporary China

China Wants To Lead In Robotics China has been the world’s largest consumer of industrial robots for eight consecutive years, says the Ministry of Industry & Information Technology. Revenue in 2020 was reported at over $15 billion. The focus is now 2035 with the goal to achieve breakthroughs in core robotic technologies and high-end products. […]Read More

A Guide To Contemporary China

Police To Serve As School Vice-Principals Every primary and secondary school in China should have at least one part-time vice-principal from law enforcement who can take charge of law-related affairs and better protect children. The guideline, issued by the Ministry of Education and approved by key agencies and ministries, will take effect from May 1. […]Read More

A Guide To Contemporary China

Govt Will Now ‘Intervene’ In Abortions The government’s family planning association has said it would “intervene” in abortions among unmarried women and teenagers in a bid to “improve reproductive health” starting this year. Domestic media reported citing the state-backed organization’s 2022 work plan. The announcement came nearly five months after China’s cabinet, the State Council, […]Read More

A Guide To Contemporary China

Xinjiang Gets Its First ‘Plateau Airport’ Xinjiang is especially in focus during the Games and Beijing seems to be going out of its way to showcase the economic strides made in the region. The 170-hectare Zhaosu Tianma “plateau airport”, built at a cost over $100 million, is claimed to “improve the transportation conditions of more […]Read More

A Guide To Contemporary China

Techie Becomes Overnight Hero A Chinese tech programmer has become an overnight “hero” for speaking out against the tech industry’s long working hours. The 25-year-old employee at tech giant Tencent, slammed the bosses for applauding overtime culture in their department’s annual review, saying extended hours spent at work shouldn’t be seen as an honourable deed. […]Read More

COP26: Towards A Climate Of Hope

NEW DELHI: The 26th UN climate conference (COP26) opens in the Scottish city of Glasgow tomorrow. The idea is to speed up action to meet the goals of the Paris climate agreement, even better that as the globe is heating up faster than expected. With heads of state/government of various countries attending, here’s a lowdown […]Read More

COP26: Towards A Climate Of Hope

NEW DELHI: The 26th UN climate conference (COP26) opens in the Scottish city of Glasgow tomorrow. The idea is to speed up action to meet the goals of the Paris climate agreement, even better that as the globe is heating up faster than expected. With heads of state/government of various countries attending, here’s a lowdown […]Read More

Panjshir, The Last Bastion Standing

NEW DELHI: Amid the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban regaining control over territory happened in quick time. Many provinces fell like a pack of cards. But Panjshir Valley is still holding out. Former vice-president Amrullah Saleh has joined forces with the National Resistance Front spearheaded by Ahmad Massoud, the son of Afghanistan’s […]Read More

Why No One Is Safe From Pegasus Spyware

NEW DELHI: Edward Snowden alerted us to the threats to privacy back in 2013. But recent revelations that software made by an Israeli firm NSO Group called Pegasus spyware, which is potentially hacking billions of phones across the world, has ensured that threats to democracy have become all too real. An investigation called the Pegasus […]Read More

‘World War II Told From An Indian Perspective’

NEW DELHI: Saving The World From Hitler is a handy little book of 119 pages, fast paced and easy to read with the focus on India’s role in World War II. The author R.Prasannan is Senior Coordinating Editor of The Week, a publication of the Malayala Manorama Group. In this chat on Books Corner, Prasannan […]Read More

Who Is Iran’s New President Ebrahim Raisi?

NEW DELHI: Iran’s newly elected president Ebrahim Raisi is considered an uncompromising hardliner by the West. He also has a controversial past. Raisi has been personally sanctioned by the US in 2019 for human rights violations as he sat on the infamous ‘death tribunals which authorised the killings of thousands of political prisoners. Considered to […]Read More

Andamans: Poised To Be India’s Springboard To Indo-Pacific

NEW DELHI: As geopolitics over the Indo-Pacific hots up, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands—India’s easternmost seaboard—find themselves in the midst of renewed focus and infrastructure development activities. Their location, close to the Malacca Straits, is a strategic asset as is their proximity to Indonesia and Thailand. In this episode of ‘The Gist’, StratNews Global Editor-in-Chief […]Read More

A Guide To Contemporary China

China launches digital yuan, challenges US$ China has introduced the “digital yuan”, making it the first currency to go virtual. It means the central bank will issue digital money to banks and thus onward to the common man. Users will have to download a digital wallet which generates a QR code which can then be […]Read More

‘Parrikar Knew The Stakes And The Risks But Was Never Deterred’

NEW DELHI: Simple though not a simpleton! There could be many ways to describe the late Manohar Parrikar, former defence minister and chief minister of Goa, but author and journalist Nitin A. Gokhale has a particular preference for those words, given his close relationship with the man widely credited with transforming an inefficient, hidebound and […]Read More

Dhaka Diary

Packed Day 1 For PM Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a tight schedule on Friday, the day he arrived in Bangladesh on a two-day visit. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received him at the airport. His first stop was at the National War Memorial in Savar on the outskirts of Dhaka. After placing a wreath […]Read More