Petulant malevolence
Thirty years ago New Zealand had a prime minister called David Lange who was witty and sometimes caustic. Speaking at the dinner he hosted for retiring US ambassador H Monroe…
Flawed energy policy
It is an accepted fact now that the National Energy Policy 2013-2018 is merely a policy statement. Or, at best, it is the policy strategy, as declared in the document…
China’s pioneers to drive recovery in solar equipment demand
As China's solar panel makers venture into uncharted markets, the handful of companies that supply equipment for their plants are dusting off their orderbooks to meet a revival in demand.…
China deploys ‘charm diplomacy’ at ASEAN summit
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has been on a charm offensive at the annual leaders' summit at the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Brunei, seizing on the absence of…
India’s self-seeking missiles
Yet again, India has been struggling to become a mere non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC). The country aspires to join the Big 5 as a nuclear equal,…
Reprofiling teachers
I was sitting in the office of a headteacher of a trust school and suddenly saw 20 four-year-olds crawl into the office all bright-eyed and faces painted as mice –…
The medium is the message
Syedna Ali, the last of the great Muslim Caliphs, is noted for both his courage and timeless wisdom. In fact, there’s a whole collection of his thoughts titled Nahj al-Balagha…
This is all right
The pendulum of political ideology has not just moved from one end to the other in Pakistan. It has completely shifted its coordinates. It was not left-centre-right in the classical…
In pursuit of happiness
“There is now a rising worldwide demand that policy be more closely aligned with what really matters to people, as they themselves characterise their well-being”, said Professor Jeffrey D Sachs…
On the slide
The competitiveness of Pakistan’s economy is on the slide. In 2007-08, the country`s position on the global competitiveness index (GCI) drawn up by the World Economic Forum was 92nd, which…
