Numbers narrative
THIS is essentially an age of narratives. Narratives not only shape people’s attitudes and behaviour they also form the contours of politics, identity and ideology. Each society has its own…
Drone dilemma
KILLER drones pose a moral and policy dilemma for the US and Pakistan. The US has found drones an easy and low-cost option to kill targeted ‘terrorists’. Over 500 drone…
Romans, Ali and Charlie Brown
Two people get into a quarrel. One is a family man, partly educated, married with a wife and two children, a job, a decently stocked fridge, and a small car.…
Canada LNG export plans to get boost but doubts linger
British Columbia is finalising tax rules for companies seeking to export Canadian natural gas to Asia. But energy experts question how many of the dozen export terminals planned for the…
No real end in sight to Thailand’s political conflict
Thailand has experienced yet another month of mass street protests. The latest round of demonstrations may fizzle out or escalate, but they are unlikely to resolve Thailand's deep divide between…
Taxing times for France despite job growth
French President Francois Hollande's government has been besieged by anti-tax protests for more than a month, but a surprise decline in the number of unemployed could help break the logjam.…
Still-pricey ethanol credits show risk of EPA rule challenge
In theory, the US Environmental Protection Agency's move last week to slash the amount of ethanol to be blended into gasoline next year should have reduced the value of volatile…
US air pollution authority faces Supreme Court tests
The US government's authority to regulate air pollution nation-wide, often against the wishes of Republican-leaning states, could face new curbs when the US Supreme Court takes on two high-stakes cases…
A war in the offing
A major development it certainly is. Hakeemullah Mehsud, chief of the Pakistani Taliban, has died in a US drone attack. Reports said that four missiles were fired into the compound…
The day of the jackals
The politicians of Pakistan are not in the habit of saying anything in a measured and reflective manner. They do not believe in masterly understatements. Their preference is to howl…
