By Avinash Godbole The 18th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to select the next generation of leaders began on 8 November 2012 in Beijing. At the end of this Congress, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) will unveil its new national leadership from 14 November. But policy change will be minimal and much [...]
Change Of Guard In China: The Context And The Actors – Analysis
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The Current Talibani Assault An The Pakistani Nation – Analysis
By P. K. Upadhyay Pakistan’s seemingly uncontrollable slide into a sectarian nightmare appears to have gained further momentum. The militant Deobandi Islamists have now launched a clear campaign to cow down sections of the media that have so far been standing up to them, and such other sources of potent social and political resistance as [...]
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Complexities Of Dealing With China – OpEd
Just as one used to talk of comprehensive national strength and comprehensive national security, one now talks of comprehensive diplomacy. From a uni-dimensional concept, diplomacy has become a multi-dimensional concept dealing with various dimensions such as political, economic, commercial, military, technological etc. Shri Dubey is one of the distinguished practitioners of comprehensive diplomacy that we [...]
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Obama’s Opening Bid On A Grand Bargain: Aim High – OpEd
I hope the President starts negotiations over a “grand bargain” for deficit reduction by aiming high. After all, he won the election. And if the past four years has proven anything it’s that the White House should not begin with a compromise. Assuming the goal is $4 trillion of deficit reduction over the next decade [...]
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Kazakhstan: Religion Law Restricting Faith In The Name Of Tackling Extremism?
By Joanna Lillis Religious life in Kazakhstan features a glaring dichotomy these days. Officials in Astana tout the country as a bastion of toleration, yet they are making it harder for those practicing what are deemed non-traditional faiths to worship openly. In late October, Kayrat Lama Sharif, chairman of the government’s Religious Affairs Agency, announced [...]
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It’s Benghazi, Stupid! – OpEd
There is no paucity of reporting in today’s Main Stream Media on l’affaire Petraeus. The Director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has admitted to having an extramarital affair with a married woman. And, one should not be surprised to learn of further revelations of transgressions on his part. However, while the avalanche of [...]
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Tibet: Self-Immolations Continue Amid Heightened Chinese Security
A Tibetan man in his mid-20s set fire to himself Monday during a prayer ceremony held in Dowa Township for a young mother who self-immolated last Wednesday (November 7). At least 70 Tibetans have set fire to themselves since March 2011, when the protests began against the Chinese occupation of their country. According to the [...]
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Google, Starbucks, Amazon Grilled Over UK Tax Avoidance
Top US corporations faced tough questioning by British MPs who accused Google, Starbucks and Amazon of leaking tax revenues from the UK to tax havens abroad, labeling their actions as “immoral.” On Monday, lawmakers questioned the three business goliaths’ key executives on how exactly they managed to pay so little tax while making billions on [...]
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US Senate Investigates Petraeus Affair Fallout
Senate to open inquiry into FBI’s investigation of affair with Paula Broadwell amid questions of why Congress wasn’t told. Former CIA chief David Petraeus was said Monday to be “devastated” by the scandal-tainted collapse of his career, as those around his former lover warned of more to “come out” regarding the affair. “He sees this [...]
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Spanish Finance Minister Quizzed By EP Economics Committee
Spain is meeting and exceeding its economic reform targets, Spain’s finance minister, Luis De Guindos, told MEPs on Monday during a two-hour hearing in the economic and monetary affairs committee. MEPs pressed the minister on the danger of excessive austerity, stressed the need for investment and said that the country’s sacrifices must be rewarded by [...]
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Saudi Arabia Denounces Bahrain Blasts
Saudi Arabia’s Council of Ministers yesterday denounced last week’s terrorist attack in Manama killing a number of innocent people, and reiterated the Kingdom’s solidarity with Bahrain. “Saudi Arabia reaffirms its total solidarity with Bahrain and its people in confronting violence and terrorism that go against the teachings of Islam,” the Cabinet said. The apparently coordinated [...]
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EU Paying Lip Service To Middle East Peace – OpEd
Europe is different, as we are often reminded. The general wisdom is unlike the United States’ unconditional support for Israel, European countries tend to be more balanced in their approach to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Their politicians are less likely to being bought and sold by pro-Israeli lobbies. Their media is far more inclusive in their [...]
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Iran: ‘Blogger Was Tortured To Death,’ Testify Evin Prison Inmates
Forty-one political prisoners held at Evin Prison’s Ward 350 have issued a joint statement testifying that dissident blogger Sattar Beheshti was tortured to death while in custody. The 35 year-old was arrested by Iran’s cyber police on national security charges on 30 October. After raiding his home in the city of Robat Karim and violently [...]
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Morocco Reacts To Terror Arrests
By Siham Ali Moroccan authorities have dismantled dozens of terrorist cells since the 2003 Casablanca bombings, but the past month has seen a significant spike in reported apprehensions. During the last fortnight, eight members of a new Ansar al-Sharia offshoot group were arrested for allegedly plotting attacks against government and tourist sites. Police also dismantled [...]
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Tunisia: Jews Demand Protection From Extremists
By Monia Ghanmi Tunisia’s Jewish residents say they are determined to stay in their country, even as security concerns mount. Four Libyans and one Tunisian were arrested November 1st in Zarzis for allegedly plotting to kidnap “one or two Jews from well-off families to obtain a ransom”, Interior Ministry spokesman Khaled Tarrouche said. The news [...]
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Beyond The ANC: A New UDF Or A Mass Workers’ Party? – OpEd
By Jane Duncan For decades, the ANC has represented the concretisation of significant transformation gains for many South Africans and because of this, mass support for the party has had a rational and objective basis. But this basis is being eroded. It is clear that the ANC does not have a way out of the [...]
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China: Xi To Be ‘Weak’ President – Analysis
China’s presumed leader-in-waiting Xi Jinping will be the weakest political leader of recent decades, taking over following a divisive political scandal that has prompted major power struggles within the ruling Chinese Communist Party, analysts said on Monday. More than 2,000 hand-picked delegates to the 18th Party Congress have been deliberating on who will take over [...]
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Teenager Who Took Down CIA.gov Gets 6 Years’ Probation
He crippled CIA.gov and had his way with 4Chan, AOL and even Apple. There likely won’t be any high-profile hacks in the works for ‘Cosmo the God’ any time soon, though. The 15-year-old computer criminal has pled guilty to a slew of felony charges. In exchange for admitting guilt in a string of computer crimes [...]
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France: IAEA Leads Operational Safety Mission To Gravelines Nuclear Power Plant
An IAEA-led international team of experts Monday began an in-depth operational safety review of the Gravelines Nuclear Power Plant in France. The review, conducted at the invitation of the French government, focuses on programmes and activities essential to the safe operation of the nuclear power plant. The three-week review will cover the areas of Management, [...]
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Israel Calls UN Committee Debate ‘Theatre Of The Absurd’
On a day in which the United Nation’s Fourth Committee heard many speakers denounce Israel’s policies and activities as “shrinking the window” of opportunity for a two-State solution and describe the Occupied Palestinian Territory as the “largest prison in the world”, the Israeli delegation discredited the discussion, calling it one-sided, inflammatory rhetoric constantly disrupting the [...]
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