Date: December 25, 2011
As 2011 winds down and the world takes a pause, we have a chance now to look over our shoulder. The year has been phenomenal in many ways. It has seen some of the best of times in recent history. It has also seen the worst of times. The United Nations declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests and the International Year of Chemistry. To the Chinese it was the Year of the Rabbit.
Date: December 18, 2011
Last week, US President Barack Obama announced that the last US soldier will leave Iraq this December. He has, therefore, kept his electoral promise to be out of Iraq. He said: "After nearly nine years, our war in Iraq ends this month."
Date: December 11, 2011
LAST Friday in Durban, South Africa, the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP) of the UN Framework Convention of Climate Change (UNFCC) ended in an anti-climax. In spite of the 7 billion people of the world waiting patiently to hear the good news of a successful outcome from the climate change talks, there was so little to report. There were no breakthroughs, nothing much to write home about.
Date: December 4, 2011
Our prime minister will be travelling to Myanmar tomorrow. Last week, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was there. She went to assess whether it is in the throes of fundamental change after 49 years of harsh military rule. Our prime minister, however, will be there primarily to deepen bilateral relations between the two neighbours.
Date: November 27, 2011
The Indian decision, taken unilaterally, to construct the Tippaimukh Dam has caused indignation in Bangladesh. Critical statements have come out from the environmental groups as well as the civil society condemning the Indian decision. The opposition has of course come out as strongly as expected and has called a hartal in Sylhet, the district that is at the forefront of the expected environmental and other hazards that people in Bangladesh, across the political divide believe would accrue if the dam is constructed.
Date: November 27, 2011
Trust is a critical factor in all relationships. This is more so in relationship between two countries, especially if they border each other.
There is of course no perfect relationship anywhere. So if you are seeking a perfect match, this can only be found between a blind wife and a deaf husband. The blind wife cannot see the faults of the husband and the deaf husband cannot hear the nagging of the wife.
Date: November 25, 2011
An aide of our Foreign Minister seeking anonymity had leaked to the media that the Minister would present a Jamdani sari to the Chief Minister of Paschim Bangla when she met her in Kolkata on way back from attending an international conference in Bangalore last week. I was wondering what Didi would do with a Jamdani sari knowing that she does not wear one. The leaking of the gift to the media reflects poor judgment. Our Foreign Minister still does not seem to realize what she and Bangladesh are up to while negotiating with India. Weeks before she met Didi, the Indian Government announced it would build the Tippaimukh!
Date: November 24, 2011
Foreign Minister Dipu Moni is certain that the agreement on the Teesta will be signed while the present Government is in office. When pressed for a specific date at the press conference where she expressed her view, she said she is not an astrologer. It appeared like she was feeling sorry for herself that she was not one because if she was one, she would have predicted the timing correctly. In the evening before the Indian Prime Minister arrived in Dhaka, she was more confident about the Teesta agreement and had predicted confidently like an astrologer that it would be signed during the visit.
Date: November 20, 2011
One major item that has dominated newspapers round the world from the international scene recently was the report of the IAEA on the extent of Iran’s nuclear programme. In the days leading to the publication of the report, there was strong hint coming out of Israel that an attack on Iran was imminent to take out its nuclear capabilities. Israel was also strongly urging the US for a pre-emptive attack.
Date: November 20, 2011
When Vladimir Putin was nominated this September to contest the next presidential elections and for the third time be the president of Russia, many voices condemned the move. They said that Russia seemed to be following the authoritarian way that the Communist Party of the now defunct Soviet Union selected its leaders. A mockery of democracy, others lamented.
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