ViewsWeek Views from around the world
Every day, Valdirene Ferreira dos Santos wakes up early to start the day with her four children and, a bit later, walks a long stretch of road to work at the Antônio da Costa Santos Recycling Cooperative in the neighborhood of Jardín Satélite Iris on the outskirts of the city of Campinas in São Paulo. Like the other 30 cooperative …
November, 2013
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4 November
Why Asians Are Deserting the Republican Party
Asian-Americans have been moving steadily toward the Democrats and away from the GOP. In 2012, Asians supported Obama by a staggering 73-26, compared to 62-35 in 2008. This is a remarkable trajectory for a group that, back in 1992, supported George H.W. Bush over Bill Clinton by a strong 54-30 margin. In every election since then, Asians have increased their support for …
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4 November
Sri Lanka Besieged By Religious Conflict
Notwithstanding all the glib assurances by Sri Lankan politicians, including President Mahinda Rajapaksa, on the cohesiveness of its people in this island nation, ground realities tell another story. The Tamil nation, whose struggle for a separate homeland began in 1983, were long targeted by government forces until the massive military maneuvres by the Sri Lankan armed forces came to a …
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3 November
Bhutan’s Stateless Population Waiting for the King
There had been a minor celebration that afternoon at Raj’s house in central Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan. A few relatives had gathered to eat cake together – the remains on small plates were still visible in the kitchen when I joined them for dinner in the evening. The reason for their shared joy was a small, off-white card, resembling …
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3 November
India’s Other Border Problem
Just a week after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s trip to Beijing, where he signed a Border Defense Cooperation Agreement, China has reminded India of its other border conflict: Arunachal Pradesh. The Hindu reports that China opened a new highway that links Medog, Tibet’s so-called “last isolated county,” with the rest of China. The Global Times called Medog “the last roadless county in China” – it did …
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3 November
Asia Pacific Islands May Disappear
The World Bank has recognized climate change as a key issue in its agenda. Millions of dollars have been pushed into climate change impact mitigation in the region. President Kim has acknowledged that the development of countries could go backwards if the issue is not addressed. And earlier this year, when talking about climate change to an audience in the Marshall …
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3 November
What Next After Pakistan’s Most Wanted Man is Dead?
The death of Hakimullah Mehsud, Pakistan’s most wanted man, in a US drone strike on Friday, November 1, in the country’s restive North Waziristan region in semi-autonomous Federally Administered Tribal Areas, has changed the security environment in the South Asian nation. The United States had set a 5 million dollar head money on the slain leader while Pakistan …
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2 November
The US-Iran Thaw
We are living in interesting times indeed. Many of the international relations global norms and systems that have come to be accepted as the bedrock of stability are in a state of flux. Consider this for example. The Security Council (UNSC) in particular is being blamed for its inability to deal with the existing and emerging conflicts. President Obama himself …
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1 November
Afghanistan: A Great Game That All Sides Can Win
Two questions have increasingly taken centre-stage in discussions about what might happen in Afghanistan after United States withdrawal in 2014. One, if it will become a proxy battlefield for India and Pakistan, the two big South Asian rivals, and two, if anything can be done to prevent this. William Dalrymple, for instance, wrote in an essay for Brookings Institution this …
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1 November
Tensions Mount as Nepal Contentious Election Nears
Protests and logistical challenges are heightening tensions before a scheduled 19 November national poll in Nepal that is seen as critical to the country’s stability and development, say analysts. Voters are to choose a new Constituent Assembly (CA), which serves as the country’s parliament. The last assembly dissolved in May 2012 after failing to produce a much-anticipated post-war constitution. Citizens have …
