The killing of the Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour in a US drone strike is a major setback for the insurgent movement. His death comes barely a year after the disclosure of the death of the Taliban’s founding leader Mullah Omar. Mansour was reportedly targeted by US drones in Ahmedwal town, 20 kilometres from…
Protecting the coastal and marine environment is not a job simply to be left to governments though they have the prime responsibility. This is the responsibility of all. Local action is critical but so is the social responsibility of corporations and other large institutions and organisations. While environment and wildlife organisations are frequently in the…
The United Arab Emirates recently announced its national strategy of tolerance; this is a giant leap towards further societal cohesion, co-existence, peace and harmony as it will shun any kind of racial, class, sectoral prejudice in the country. While providing equal rights to its citizens it will further strengthen the UAE’s golden traditions of brotherhood,…
China’s interest in maritime trade dates back to early 15th century when, between 1433 and 1495 during the Ming era, Admiral Zheng undertook seven ocean voyages to coastal territories of the Indian Ocean and beyond. Historians credit him as being well accustomed to battle and having sound knowledge about warfare. Over the course of these…
One can perhaps say that history loses its significance in the absence of human diligence and that it is more the reflection of a human mind than the corporeal existence of life. The stages of history were actually the evolution of the human mind on this ever contracting earth with increase in its populations and…
ContextThe results of Iran’s February 26, 2016, parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections could prove to be an important turning point in the history of the Islamic Republic. Coming on the heels of the implementation of the nuclear deal, the election served as a referendum in favor of President Hassan Rouhani’s moderating approach to international…
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar unveiled the government’s budget for 2016-17 terming it pro-business, pro-investment and pro-people. All the opposition parties however labeled it anti-development and most of the business chambers and entities also considered it anti-growth. The government set an ambitious growth target at 5.7 percent in the next fiscal year and according to the…
