By Sachu Jacob The current famine in Somalia was a disaster waiting to happen. Human suffering has been part of the history of Somalia; years of fighting between various war lords, violence and lack of governance have let this small country in the Horn of Africa sink to anarchy. Peace has been in steady decline […]
Can Cameron Bring London Riots Under Control?
British Prime Minister David Cameron is facing his first political test. Since Saturday, London has been witnessing the worst kind of riots and looting. The rioting initially started off in Tottenham on Saturday. The trigger was the fatal shooting of a 29-year-old man, Mark Duggan, by armed police officers. Troubled started brewing in Tottenham, which […]
America’s Debt Woes
Close on the heels of the US debt ceiling deal, credit agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P) downgraded the US government’s credit rating from AAA to AA-plus. This is the first time in history that US gets a credit lower than the coveted AAA. Now the US is in the same league as countries such as […]
Ranjan Mathai Is India’s New Foreign Secretary
Ranjan Mathai is India’s new foreign secretary. The appointment is for two years, which can be renewed if the government so wishes. He succeeds Nirupama Rao, who has been posted as India’s ambassador to the United States. Fifty-nine-year-old Mathai hails from Kerala, a tiny state in the southern part of India, which has produced many […]
Hina’s Maiden India Visit
The new Pakistani foreign minister’s maiden visit to India began with a lot of hope. “I bring the good wishes of the people of Pakistan and the government of Pakistan,” said Hina Rubani Khar immediately upon landing in New Delhi on Tuesday, Interestingly, Khar chose to meet separatist leaders of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, […]
Moroccan Plane Crashes, Kills 78
Agence Maghreb Arabe Press, the state news agency of Morocco, has reported that a military airplane belonging to Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces has crashed, killing at least 78 people — 60 soldiers and nine crew members; the rest are civilians. The plane was reportedly about to land at western Sahara, a disputed territory. A statement […]
Pakistan Gets A Face-lift
Pakistan’s new foreign minister is only 34 years old. But that’s the least surprising factor of the new minister, Hina Rabbani Khar, who has been promoted from junior minister to the cabinet. In a deeply-conservative Pakistan, it’s the first time a woman has been appointed as a foreign minister. The appointment of the youthful, good-looking […]
Angry Mumbai
By Sachu Jacob Mumbai is India’s commercial and entertainment hub. It is also one of the most densely populated cities in the world. So any terrorist attack on it could have maximum collateral damage. Terrorists knew it all along, and perhaps that’s why they have struck the city as often as they could. Mumbai has […]
Hillary Reaches India
Hillary Rodham Clinton, US Secretary of State, arrived in New Delhi on 18 July to attend the second round of Indo-US strategic dialogue. Clinton is accompanied by a large delegation including top US counter-terrorism officials such as Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper and Deputy Secretary, Homeland Security Jane Holl Lute. Clinton will have […]
Aishwarya postpones award ceremony
For the second time, Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan requested the French government to postpone the ceremony of the second-highest French civilian award. On 13 July, Rai was to receive the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres) from Jerome Bonnafont, the Ambassador of France to […]