Preposterous to think whites killed whites for blacks (ii)- South getting vindicated after justified partial defeat in 1865 (iii)- Christianity got-away cheaply from the blame of civil war (iv)- USA (both North and South) should now work for winning remaining civil war

There were 34 Sat

Earlier in December 2018, several local leaders from Asia Pacific nations unanimously adopted a strong Declaration to combat tobacco use and the epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Governor, Mayors, Vice Mayors and Vice-Governor, in the presence of several Members of Parliaments, nation

The recent talks in Rimbo on the outskirts of Swedish capital Stockholm were the first in two years in a conflict which has pushed impoverished Yemen to the brink of mass starvation. At the start of the talks Yemen's government and rebels, locked in a devastating war for years traded mutual a

 Christmas is only a few days away and Christians around the world are busy with last-minute preparations, shopping for gifts, and enjoying all the fun of carol services and nativity plays.  But there is one person for whom this is all a million miles away: Asia Bibi.

 De

Our Universal Human Rights of Dignity for our "human family" are not based on arrogant pride, but on the compassionate respect for dignity of the individual as a fellow human being. Such human rights must also include mercy, not just for those like us and those we like, but also an outs

The Goa Liberation Day is celebrated every year on the 19th of December. On December 19, 1961 Goa was freed from the Portuguese rule. It was a Seminar on Portuguese Colonialism held in New Delhi in October 1961 that triggered the decision of the Government of India to liberate Goa. The Seminar wa

Before her party and herself, Mehbooba Mufti should think about the people of J&K (especially of Kashmir).

If commentators in media etc are busy writing the political epitaph of former Chief Minister and J&K-PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti and her party then they can’t be blamed.

Humanity may believe that its greatest need is for air, water, food for its survival. But meaningful human survival is not truly built on any of these, which most would agree are "essentials." Rather, our human lives are truly built on the true essential of HOPE. This is more than a sim

This enchanted time comes at the end of the year, when the magic of Christmas takes over Christians celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, referred and revered as Jesus Son of Mary, the Messiah in Islamic tradition.

Yet this time things are bit strange inside Pakistan for its several mi

The untimely passing away of Bishop Thomas Thennatt (Gwaliar Diocese) in a road accident has left many of us in tears and many untold stories of his kind gestures of God's grace showered through him. He was remarkably a good human being filled with the spirit of holiness. I remember him as a Rector

When Prime Minister Imran Khan laid the foundation stone for the Kartarpur Corridor recently, it was lauded as a bold move by Sikhs across the world, and many others besides.
The corridor will ultimately connect the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in the Narowal district --- the final resting place of Guru N

Alongside boosting research and development of new tools to prevent, diagnose and treat TB, there is an acute need to optimally deploy and maximally utilize existing tools for preventing, diagnosing and treating TB, says Dr Nguyen Viet Nhung, head of national TB programme in Vietnam and Director of

A question that comes to our mind is that why should there be a Christian prayer alone during the oath taking ceremony of the Mizo National Front (MNF) Government in Mizoram. The act gains significance because the whole minority community in the Country is arguing to establish secular values in the

Loss of 5 Assembly elections 2018 have rendered PM Modi / BJP vulnerable (ii)- Instead of going for beaten-track solutions BJP should go for five effective solutions (a)-Recovery of Rs ~ 1,000 lakh crore income tax from ~ 1 million so-called farmer tax-evaders (b)- Deploying this huge sovereign capi

"The global health system is only as strong as its weakest parts" had said UNDP's Mandeep Dhaliwal in her article around last year's World AIDS Day. The context has only deepened over the year, not only for ending AIDS but also for health security in general. With Universal Health Coverage Day (UHC

The needs and demands of powerful or the many cannot outweigh the rights and dignity of the individual. This respect for each human being is the soul of our universal values on human rights.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was created 70 years ago on December 10, 1948, so that in no part

Christianity has no meaning if does not spread message of compassion of Lord Jesus Christ all across the world (ii)- US Christianity should remove its mind from other matters and from this Christmas should devote itself on spreading this message of Lord Jesus Christ, globally (iii)- From this Christ

For a non-Punjabi Pakistani, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is merely a mirage, an alluring deception created by successive governments that the project will be a miracle which will give them jobs, better living conditions and economic freedom. In reality, a majority of Pakistanis are now b

Though, it is more than 800 years St Clare of Assisi was born to an elite family of her times. She lived the most comfortable, luxuries and extravagance life ever one could imagine in those times. What amazed me to discover, rediscover and explore her life again being a Franciscan friar is her extr

To mark the International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women (IDEVAW) and 16 Days of Activism (25 November to 10 December), public sector unions launched a campaign to demand paid leave for all survivors of domestic violence. This is a part of efforts to strengthen labour laws and policies that

In his contribution to Irish Studies in International Affairs, Vol. 1, No. 3 (1982) A. E. Alcock says : Two points need to be made about the De-Gasperi-Gruber Agreement. First, if it restored to the individual South Tyrolese the right to their German cultural identity by providing German-language sc

Farooq is not serious against communalism (ii)- If not for the people of J&K and rest of India, Farooq should promote secularism in India for the sake of his father Late Mr Sheikh Abdullah & his colleagues
National Conference (NC) President Dr. Farooq Abdullah from J&K addressing various public mee

Peace without annexations or requisitions" was echoed around the world, reflecting a statement made by President Wilson to the U.S. Senate on January 22, 1917, when he said: "We must reach a peace without victory. Peace must be based on the right of each nation to decide its own destiny without the

Egyptian "democracy" is an endless comedy if you're not suffering at the hands of it. Last month, Amr Hamroush, a graduate of Al-Ahzar Institute and a member of the Egyptian Parliament as well as secretary of the Committee of Religious Affairs and Endowments introduced a resolution to criminalize th

The Christians all over India observed November 11 as "Dalit Liberation Sunday" (DLS) with an avowed aim of bringing the Dalit Christians at par with the 'Dalit Hindus' in matters of economic and social equality. The theme of the DLS was "As for Me and My Household, We will serve the Lord" (Joshua 2

Dear Mr. David Kinnaman: I have just read your book "unChristian" in which your main assertion is that the US Christianity has image problem among Christians & non-Christians.
The US Christianity is not the only religion which has an image problem. The people criticize and blame maximum only those

Indian farmers hit by drought and debt displayed the skulls of fellow farmers, believed to have committed suicide, and placed live rats in their mouths at a protest in Delhi calling on Prime Minister NarendraModi to save them from starvation.
"It has come to the stage where hundreds of farmers are

Current bloodshed in Israel-Palestine is not the last in this chronic & gory problem (ii)- Jews not entitled to carve out Jewish State out of original Palestine (iii)- Not absurd two-State-solution but right-to-return with one State, the only solution for Palestine problem (iv)- After accepting Jer

That seemed to be the resonating refrain of women at the HIV Research for Prevention Conference (HIVR4P2018) held recently in Madrid, Spain. And no, they were not talking about the engagement ring. Their focus of interest was the intra-vaginal dapivirine vaginal ring - a long acting female-initiated

Governments have promised to end AIDS by 2030 but are we on track? Experts reviewed progress we are making towards some HIV related goals with a deadline earlier, such as the 90-90-90 targets set for 2020.
Dr Ishwar Gilada, President of AIDS Society of India (ASI) and Governing Council Member of I

US Christianity more interested in wealth than bringing succor to suffering world (ii)- US Christianity should work for launching IPPs with mini-UN to tackle Caravan / immigration problems (iii)- US Christianity should spread Christianity in Asia & Africa (mainly Hindu & Muslim world) (iv)- China ca

In a fast globalizing world the USA cannot remain as island of prosperity amidst poverty and suffering all around (ii)- It is time USA concretize its claim of 'The leader of free-world'
If illegal immigrants enter USA stealthily as they have done for decades which has resulted in more than million

We are at an incredible moment in the history of the HIV/AIDS response, which reflected in the vibrancy of the HIV Research for Prevention (HIVR4P 2018) - the only global scientific conference focused on the fast-growing field of biomedical HIV prevention research. Today, the latest research in diff

Syria has long been an important centre for pan-Arab ideas in modern times and has been considered as the heart of Arabism. Since the beginning of the Arab nationalist movement in the late 19th and early 20th century, Syria has hoisted the banner of Arab nationalism. But after the beginning of civil

The cruel autocratic rule of the Czars was heritage of Mangol Khans and Byzantine empire. For centuries people of Russia mostly peasants were oppressed under tyrannical landlords, brutal conscription and monstrous bureaucracy. As early as 1873 during the reign of Catherine the Great, first anti Czar

How much it is the responsibility of political parties to protect the interest of the people of USA is explained in my 2012 article (about the issue of illegal immigrants which is making headlines of the media nowadays too) as mentioned at http://www.sonorannews.com/archives/2012/120627/myview.html

The disease burden, death toll and economic loss caused by tobacco is mountainous enough to warrant urgent action globally. Over 7 million deaths every year and more than US$ 1.4 trillion economic cost cripples the global economy - can this be ignored? Also more evidence piles up on how tobacco thre

The disappearance since October, 2 from Consulate of Saudi Arabia (SaAr) in a NATO member Turkey (rather murder by Saudi Arabian authorities as alleged by Turkish authorities) of Washington Post Columnist Jamal Khashoggi, has exposed the weakness and absurdity of foreign policy which USA has been fo

Although you wouldn't know it from the rhetoric and actions of the Trump Administration, the U.S. is part of the global society. And while most of the U.S. was focused on a Supreme Court nomination that shook our democratic institutions, a watershed moment for democracy quietly took place half a wor

India should be prepared for Jew-Sunni v/s Shia Iran war to be facilitated by USA (ii)- Response of Europe after November,4 will decide only intensity of war (iii)- India will have to do fine-balancing act.
--Former US Secretary of State John Kerry already warned of increased risk of war with Iran

Dr. Nilanshu Kumar Agarwal in his book Discovering Stephen Gill, published by Authorspress, states that "His emotional cries to curb religious fanaticism and racial prejudices are sufficient to assure him a lasting place in the history of India-Canadian literature." (back cover). Professor Dr. KV D

Sheik Hassan Nasrallah Secretary General of Lebanon's Iran backed Hezbollah, a key Damascus ally as well said in his recent speech that his group will keep its military presence in Syria until further notice. Nasrallah quoted that Hezbollah's presence is linked to "The needs and approval" of the Syr

As per WHO's Global TB Report 2018 financing for TB prevention, diagnosis and treatment continues to fall short of the amount needed and commitments from both domestic and international donor sources need to be stepped up.
Recognising this lack of sufficient and sustainable financing, the politica

While reaffirming their commitment to end TB by 2030, the draft Political Declaration in the fight against tuberculosis by governments at the first UN High-Level Meeting on TB (#UNHLM to #endTB) acknowledges that "TB, including its drug-resistant forms, is a critical challenge and the leading infect

President Trump through his September 25, 2018 speech at UN General Assembly (UNGA) tried to send a message to the world that it is not only USA which is in his safe Presidential hands but the entire world can also draw comfort from the fact that he is the President of USA, the self-styled leader of

The world's eyes and ears are expectantly focussed on the forthcoming first-ever UN High Level Meeting (UNHLM) to #endTB: "United to End TB: An Urgent Global Response to a Global Epidemic." The global TB community is hailing this as a landmark opportunity to marshal political will and resources to e

Religiously misguided Muslims globally don't mind sufferings of their families (ii)- Governments of USA & India should be concerned about human rights in Kashmir (iii)- If not for human rights of Kashmiris, USA & India should work at-least for retrieve of PoK out of concern about presence of Chinese

Mian is a distinguished economist and professor but he is also a member of the Ahmadiyya sect of Islam, and therein lies the problem. Pakistani laws view Ahmadis with hostility, and they have been subjected to violence and hate speech as a result
The departure of Atif Mian from Imran Khan's Economi

Prime Minister Imran Khan, a Pathan himself, will face one of the biggest challenges in dealing with the rising anger of his community, most of which is targeted at Khan's patrons, Pakistan Army.
The Pashtun community in Pakistan, especially those living in the frontier areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

All those Muslim countries, Pakistan foremost among them, which have been bending double to woo the Chinese to invest in their economies must look at how they treat the Muslims in their country. Perhaps there are fewer countries in the world where Muslims are targeted systematically and with ruthles

Success in life is determined by how we integrate our thoughts and actions in a way that creates a common bond between our values and the institutions, nations, religions and cultures that govern our lives. Harmony of our thoughts and values with those of the political and cultural societies in whi

Taliban is on constant march as last month made one of its boldest attempts in taking over a provincial capital since its brief occupation of the city of Kunduz in 2016. This time it's Ghazni, a strategic city less than 100 miles from Afghanistan's capital, Kabul. An estimated 1,000 Taliban fighters

After boycott of polls by local parties NC & PDP on the pretext of Article 35-A, India's position on Kashmir has become untenable (ii)- Not allowing self-determination in J&K (including PoK) can be justified only on the ground of not-promoting 'Islamist Jihadi terrorism' (iii)- By taking excuse of c

This is unfortunate and sad that media has been pushing through interpretations coining its own definition some of which are totally contrary to the facts, history and Constitutional Law. The Article 35-A is machinism of the Congress Govt., the then Prime Minister of J&K Bakshi Gulam Mohd. only to p

Currency related crimes are only second to genocides (ii)- Present mechanism (for avoiding currency related other crimes against human rights) only needs improvement (iii)- If financial crimes by member States not addressed, UN has no meaning
Though human beings have made many inventions beneficia

Taking the encouraging results of its N-005 study one step forward, TB Alliance has initiated SimpliciTB a pivotal clinical study to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of a novel and potentially shorter 4 drug regimen for patients with drug-sensitive (DS) as well as multi drug-resistant

As Imran Khan assumes office of the Prime Minister, amidst high hopes from those who elected him, the biggest challenge looming before him is not in finding a way to negotiate with India but how to stop the burning down of girls' schools in Gilgit Baltistan by terrorist groups. This cycle of violenc

The 24th National Conference on Environmental Sciences and Pulmonary Diseases (NESCON 2018) will be held in Mumbai, India during 24-26 August 2018. "Environment and lung health are inalienable, if we are to deliver on promises made in National Health Policy 2017 (NHP 2017) as well as UN Sustainable

For handsome electoral dividends, the political parties in USA should contest 2018 Congress and other elections on the issue of IPPs (ii)- If USA does not work for launching IPPs registered at UN, it will be too late (iii)-'International Party of USA' (IPUSA) should first target India for SEAARC (iv

Syria Kurds are trying to negotiate a settlement with Damascus as they seek to protect gains made in seven years of war, wary of its unpredictable partner now they are eager to negotiate with President Bashar al-Assad. Initial round of talks has already taken place when Syrian Democratic Council (SD

India is celebrating 72nd Independence Day to commemorate its independence from colonial British Raj. We extend our warm greetings to the people of India on their Independence Day celebration. India certainly has the right to celebrate this historic day within its legal boundary. But the world's lar

Kashmir is one of the most idyllic setting in the world. A picturesque valley located between Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, China and with a small strip of 27 miles with Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Kashmir is a natural paradise.
The history of the freedom of Kashmir dates back 1931 when the people

On August 15, we celebrate the Independence Day. On that day, in 1947, India became a free and democratic country. The British ruled India for around two hundred years. Though they came to India for trading purposes they became the rulers due to our own internal discords which offered them an opport

The increasing repression of civil society was a major theme that emerged during the recently concluded 22nd International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2018) in Amsterdam. A range of presentations and discussions confirmed that, in many countries, like Hungary, Russia, Venezuela, and the Philippines, the c

The dust is settling from Pakistan's parliamentary elections and the victory of Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) and now Pakistanis - and indeed the world - are watching to see if he can deliver on the promises of reform that secured his victory.
He rode high on a tide of popular opinio

Threats of Kashmiris to not recognize accession of J&K to India if Article 35-A tinkered, extremely serious matter (ii)- Modi Government, till PoK retrieved, should do justice to J&K by retaining Article 370 & 35-A with gender equality (iii)- Without bringing entire J&K under secular forces, India c

Panini, Patanjali, Sharangdev etc who gave soft power to Hindus were all from Kashmir (ii)- Lakhs of descendants of these illustrious Kashmiris are refuges in Hindi majority India (iii)- Baba Ramdev should arrange 'Langars' for 7 L volunteers & KPs to rehabilitate 5L KPs
-Hindus are never tired o

Tremendous progress against AIDS over the past 15 years has inspired a global commitment to end the epidemic by 2030. Out of the total 36.9 million people living with HIV (PLHIV) globally, 21.7 million of them were on antiretroviral therapy (ART) by 2017. But we should also note that 1.8 million peo

Pakistan is a democratic country and the democracy assures the human rights for all the citizens regardless of their colour, caste or creed. The democracy also guarantees equal opportunities for all the inhabitants of a democratic country in all the spheres of life. But, unfortunately, despite all

The recent three days of protests which broke out in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, with hundreds of angry shopkeepers taking to the street against the sharp fall in the value of the Iranian currency have surely been supressed by the regime. But the sentiments which drove these protests in one of most loyal

Regarding communal prejudices India has not moved an inch further than what it was during partition (ii)- Partition happened as Congress believed managing Hindu India would be easier than managing Hindu-Muslim India (iii)- ‘Instrument of Accession’ of Muslim majority J&K to India rendered meaningles

Islam is easily the most modern and humane religion but Muslims all across the world (instead of practicing the basic of Islam) are indulging in rituals of Islam with the result tens of millions of Muslims are weeping and bleeding profusely from AF-PAK-Kashmir region to NAME region (including Syria,

Indian Muslims second to none about patriotism regarding rehabilitation of KPs and retrieve of PoK (ii)- Rather champions of Hinduism / Hindus (VHP, AHP etc) should prove their integrity.
-Mostly Muslims are blamed (for their acts of commission) for the problem of Kashmiri Pandits (KPs) but champi

This will be my first visit to Pakistan, but I feel as if I am going to visit the home of my own brother”. With these words the Chinese President, Xi Jinping, described his first state visit to Islamabad on the eve of formalizing the historic agreement of the multibillion-dollar project, designated

I was enjoying tea-time when Sagar, one of my younger brothers, rushed towards me and announced happily, “Sister we got another holiday on May 1st on account of Labour Day! Then my other brother and Mother laughed happily because they are going to enjoy three holidays in a week: Saturday, Sunday and

The fundamental right to education of all children up to the age of 14 years is enshrined in our Constitution. The State Government must provide the required facilities to the students so that they can exercise this Fundamental Right. Free Education means not merely free from tuition fees but also a

Canada national holiday is celebrated on July 1 to mark the anniversary of confederation. The Constitution Act of 1867 united three colonies into a single nation of Canada. July 1 is the day when Canadians celebrate the birthday of Canada to honor the anniversary of the Constitution Act of 1867 whe

Dr Marie Lisa Dacanay, President of the Institute for Social Entrepreneurship in Asia, defines social entrepreneurship as ‘a game changing strategy to mainstream social enterprises to help the poor/ marginalized and women at the grassroots become key partners in multi-stakeholder innovation platform

The Group of Seven summit last week in Charlevoix, Canada, reiterated their commitment to “shared values of freedom, democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights and our commitment to promote a rules-based international order” but was silent about subjugated Kashmir. The G7 deplored nucle

As stated numerous times on social media in recent days, Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) stands with other non-partisan human rights and charity organizations, such as the National Center on Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and the Salvation Army, in calling for an end to the s

Indian Muslims are second to none about patriotism regarding rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits and retrieve of ‘Pak occupied Kashmir’ (ii)- Rather champions of Hinduism / Hindus (VHP, AHP etc) should prove their integrity.
In the matter of rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits in addition to others

The United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights (UNHCHR) has issued its “Report on the Situation of Human Rights in Kashmir.” The report contains graphic documentation of human rights violations being committed by the Indian military and paramilitary forces in Indian Occupied Kashmir. This is a

RaGa was right when said – “had someone from Nehru-Gandhi family been there as PM, the Babri-Masjid wouldn’t have been demolished in 1992”(ii)- RaGa will succeed only when in addition to secularism shows commitment to political integrity too by demanding enquiry into role of politicians in Gandhi-m

Violations of the environmental rights of communities and individuals are on the rise in Asia Pacific and worldwide. Statistics released by Global Witness reveals that in 2017, 197 people were killed (on an average 4 per week) for defending their land and/or natural resources, underscoring the escal

The Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) [Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Mohammad Yasin Malik] in Kashmir has shown willingness to talk provided the Government of India clarifies the parameters of talks.
In an interview with The Indian Express, (June 5, 2018) Dineshwar Sharma, Indian Governmen

Indian Christianity should know that without constructing Ram-mandir, BJP will lose power which Hindutva-forces wouldn’t allow AT ANY COST
It is not a secret that from 2 MP in 1984 BJP (of Hindutva-forces) has come to rule at Center and in many States of India because it has been allowed (so far w

There is some promising news on the long in the works, TAPI pipeline. Tie-up for funds to construct the $8 billion natural gas line to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India from Turkmenistan will be completed in the next quarter, the project´s chief executive told an industry conference held in the Turkme

Climate justice is integral to development justice, as it is essential for building a brave feminist future sans power and wealth inequalities. This is the dream of feminists in the Asia Pacific region, including Misun Woo, who recently took over charge as the Regional Coordinator for APWLD (Asia Pa

Since a Sunni political party Tahrik Labbak-ya-Rasool-Allah (TLYRA) has started to gain popularity in Pakistan during the last few years, it seems that the Sialkot is becoming the worst hit area of extremist activities of radical Sunnis. This fundamentalist party of Sunnis has gained so much power t

During Balasaheb Thackeray , BJP was playing second fiddle to Shiv-Sena (SS) in Maharashtra but during Uddhav Thackeray , the SS is playing second fiddle to BJP (ii)- Inevitable has happened. Now SS is severing its ties with BJP (iii)- Uddhav trying to call meeting of NDA minus BJP, is ridiculous (i

Four years’ rule of BJP Govt. at the Centre is celebrating its rule through the state controlled electronic media and the press, may be trying to prepare BJP’s manifesto for the next parliamentary election. BJP is in full control over the state run media and enjoys support of private media to a grea

On May 30 we celebrate the Goa Statehood Day: Goa was liberated from the colonial rule in December 1961. After Liberation a major controversy arose as to whether it should remain a separate territory or should merge into a neighbouring State, Maharashtra or Mysore. In 1967, an Opinion Poll was held,

LGBT are the group of individuals whose sexual orientation, gender identity or sexual characteristics is different from the accepted majority of the population, which are male or female heterosexuals. They were otherwise called transgender, third gender or intersex people. The term is basically used

Forooq Ganderbali (Farooq Gb) has potential & competence to help in realizing ‘Federal Secular Democratic Unified India-Pakistan’ (FSDU-Indo-Pak) which is the only solution to the problems being faced by Baloch-Sindh-Pashtun-Kashmir (ii)- Farooq Gb should immediately launch national political party

The Pashtun community is angry and determined to take on the state of Pakistan for attacking them, destroying their homes and villages and cities, and heaping violence and repression on them for the past several years. The proud Pashtuns, a community which has stood firmly as patriots all these deca

Ignorance of most celebrated & respected Cop Ribeiro about criminal law, fundamental rights and rule-of law, is baffling (ii)- It gives clue why India increasingly becoming failed-State (iii)- Without restoring fundamental right of religious-conversion, no hope for Hindu majority India
Indian print

Iranian Quds force recently came into limelight once again because of escalation of its conflict with Israel. Quds force fired around 20 rockets from Syrian Golan heights at Israeli military outposts but most of these rockets were either intercepted or fell with Syrian territory itself. Israel respo

Dalit leaders Athawale, Paswan, Mayawati etc mainly to be blamed for doing drama of protecting ‘Dalit’ interest. As per the age-old practice in Hindu India, another ‘Dalit’, the oppressed from Schedule Caste (SC) & Schedule Tribe (ST) is beaten to death and his wife seriously injured this time in t

The real failure of the Pakistani state is not in its failure to counter terrorists, provide basic necessities for its citizens, become an inclusive society as its founding fathers had envisioned but in the colossal failure to save women, almost half of its population (48 per cent), from untold amou

We celebrate this year seven decades of diplomatic relations with Brazil. Diplomatic relations between India and Brazil were established in 1948. Both the countries share many similarities. They are committed to democratic values and to foster economic growth with social inclusion. Their foreign pol

Of course, Iran should not be allowed to make nuclear weapons of mass destruction but then why UN permanent members, Israel, India, Pakistan etc should be allowed to do so. As far past record is concerned USA is the only country which has bad record of nuking Nagasaki and Hiroshima of Japan in 1945.

There are many religions, many creeds and many sects in the world. The object of them all is, ostensibly, to awaken in the heart of man a consciousness of a spiritual kinship – a knowledge of the Brotherhood of man and the Fatherhood or Motherhood of God. But what is the actual situation? Instead of

There is a strange irony that while Pakistan continues to go down the path of political suicide, as the judiciary targets members of the ruling PML (N) including former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, China seems to be quite content with its colonization of Pakistan.
To begin with was the proposal to

The most serious scandal has stained the most esteemed image of the Nobel Academy since 1901 when it awarded its first prize. The scandal has badly paralyzed the committee on literature when a large number of its members resigned, voluntarily and involuntarily. Swedish Academy is now a sad portrait

It does not behoove Army Chief challenging Indian civilians than Pak Army for PoK (ii)- If India retrieves PoK all the problems narrated by General Rawat will go-away
No-doubt Army Chief General Bipin Rawat is a human-rights-loving person and is not happy when security forces kill Indian civilians

Three of us friends—M, N, and I—come from different religious backgrounds. One of the things that keeps us together is our common interest in promoting better relations between people who follow (or claim to follow) different religions. We are part of an active interfaith group. In addition, we some

USA and UK should stop being selfish and start thinking seriously about the concerns of their Pacific allies (ii)- USA should persuade UK to realize ‘Federation of Commonwealth’ (FCW) with added Pacific countries (iii)- Then USA & FCW should ask China to file review against UN tribunal award against

People are busy finding out ways and means to bring about peace in the world. So many conferences are being held and pacts are entered into; still the situation remains more or less the same. Then, where is the way out of the difficulty that confronts us? Everybody seeks to solve the problem, but th

Khalifa Haftar, a veteran general and strongman in Libya has returned to his stronghold and headquarter in the eastern city of Benghazi following an extended absence, including reported treatment in Paris hospital for a stroke. General Haftar has been part of the Libyan political scene for more than

Fatal attraction of reservation, the main reason of problems for Dalits & OBC: Hardly any week passes when there is no report in print and electronic media of India about atrocities on ‘Dalits’, the Oppressed Castes [Schedule Caste (19.59 %) and Schedule Tribes (8.63 %) who constitute total 28.22 %

A 55 year old male, suffering from Type 2 diabetes for the last 12 years, presented with pain, swelling and dark necrotic patches over his right leg. He gave a history of minor trauma to the leg about two weeks before admission to this hospital (Aster Medcity, Kochi), for which he was being treated

India will be the key to realize Federation of Commonwealth (FCW) (ii)- Unified J&K may be made 54 th member of FCW (iii)- Pacific countries may also be asked to become members of FCW.
On April 19, 2018 the Queen Elizabeth II of UK officially opened the meeting of leaders of Commonwealth (CW) of 53

The prosecutor at the International Criminal Court called last week for an end to violence by Israeli forces against Palestinians. At least forty Palestinian protestors have been killed and more than a thousand have been wounded by Israeli forces during the last one month.
Palestine has had a long

As per media ‘Bombay Lawyers Association’ (BLA) is planning to file a review petition in Supreme Court of India (SCI) over April 19, 2018 verdict in Justice Loya case as given also at - https://www.news18.com/news/india/bombay-lawyers-association-to-file-review-petition-in-sc-over-justice-loya-verdi

Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province has been witnessing fresh wave of crime against the tiny Christian community, having registered its second attack on church this month and third since December last year.
The attackers have come from extremist Sunni Muslim outfits and the outlawed Tehrik-e-Ta

Indian Muslims should stop ditching Prophet Muhammad any more (ii)- Instead of appeal or review by ‘National Investigation Agency’ (NIA) against acquittal, the Mecca-Masjid management (MMM) should file writ under Article 226 & 227 of the Constitution in Hyderabad High Court (HHC) (iii)- MMM should q

The Pakistani rupee plunged to about 115.5 per dollar in early trading from 110.5, marking an unacknowledged but a sudden, quiet and sharp devaluation of the Rupee on March 20.
Last year, it suffered the greatest devaluation witnessed in the last 10 years. On July 5 2017, the rupee fell 3.1 per cen

Madhav trying to put cart before horse (ii)- Mainly martial and not merely civilian approach will bring USA & India nearer (iii)- ‘Americanism’ believes in hierarchy in the order of martial (in the service of human rights), criminal and civil matters (iv)- Without offering solution to martial proble

Allama Inayatullah Khan Al-Mashriqi and Allama Sir Mohammad Iqbal are regarded as legendary personalities of Asia. The two men have much in common; both graduated from the University of Cambridge and were illustrious thinkers, philosophers, writers, intellectuals, and politicians. They reached the h

Houthis officially “Ansar Allah” are a Yemeni rebel group adherent to Zaidism a branch of Shia Islam. Zaidi Imams ruled Yemen for 1,000 years until the 1962 revolution. Houthi movement in early 1990 began as a cultural movement intended to counter Wahhabist and Salafist influence and end the politic

First Farooq should find-out through vote (arranged by his party) whether Kashmiris want to be with India or with Pakistan (ii)- Farooq should know without unification of J&K there is no Kashmir solution (iii)- Farooq should now try to bring succor to profusely weeping and bleeding Kashmiris and ult

A senior editor in Thailand is being victimized for putting spotlight on an issue that the World Health Organization (WHO) refers to as "invisible killer" of over 6.5 million people globally every year. Air pollution warrants much more urgency to save lives and help people breathe life, and not inha

Discarding of resjudicata by Lower Court, legally wrong (ii)- As per High Court, gun allegedly used can’t kill deer (iii)- As per High Court gun allegedly used is same in all three cases (iv)- During SLP in Supreme Court Lower Court can’t give judgment discarding resjudicata (v)- Hindutva party BJP

The most hard-hitting message around World Tuberculosis Day 2018 for us was on twitter by Shirin Aliabadi, who tweeted that Dr Richard Horton (Editor in chief of The Lancet) said, politics is, in many ways, the ultimate determinant of our health. Decisions made by politicians determine our well-bein

The stories of Yazidi woman as sex slaves by ISIS in Iraq and Syria a few years back must have shocked the world, but we Pashtun Afghans have experienced this way before that, in the early 90s. After the fall of Dr. Najibullah government in Kabul, Pakistan armed officers abducted thousands of Pashtu

Pakistan represents one of the worst situations in the world for religious freedoms. It is a big jail for Baloch as a national minority and for Hindus, Christians and Ahmadis as religious minorities.
Enforced disappearance of Baloch women and kids is taking place in France-sized Balochistan as I s

In view of muscle flexing by China in South East Asia region my articles / letters http://aapress.com/ethnicity/chinese/india-can-help-with-tibet/ ; and https://www.alwihdainfo.com/TLHRC-through-Prez-Trump-US-Congress-should-encourage-Indian-Organizations-for-Tibet-solution_a62448.html ; and http

This pretty well sums up the pathetic situation in which many migrants find themselves today. And while immigration refers to people who legally relocate to another country, the word migration can also be used in the context of birds and animals. In the case of human beings, migration is not a choic

Tibet problem can be solved if India plays pro-active role in it (ii)- TLHRC (also through President Trump / US Congress) should encourage Indian Organizations to work for Tibet solution (iii)- Registered organizations in India (political or otherwise), preferably through NHRC of India, can work for

Yemeni war as entered into its fourth year with more than 10,000 people killed and pushed the country to the brink of famine. Yemen has long been the poorest country in the Arab world, with limited arable land and water resources. Although it has some oil but this resource never made the country ric

As the time-honored adage advises, to every complex problem there is a simple solution, but it is wrong. I do not bear simple panaceas or simpleminded slogans. What I do hope to offer is an unstarry - eyed view of the fate of self-determination in Kashmir; and, the indispensability of convincing In

The youngest of 3 sisters, Ingrid Schoeman grew up in Pretoria and later started working as a dietician in a government hospital in Port Elizabeth in Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. She especially enjoys working in children’s wards in hospitals as part of her dietician’s job. But the year 201

Gaza, The recent explosion which targeted the convoy of Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah on his visit to Gaza has severely damaged any possibility of reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused the Islamist resistance group Hamas of being responsible

The name of Mahatma Gandhi (the father of the nation) still appeals to Indians regarding clean (corruption-free) public life. The incumbent BJP came to power in 2014 at Centre mainly due to national anti-corruption movement for Lokpal (ombudsman) led by Anna Hazare (a Gandhian) in 2011-12. This Anna

Dressed in a colourful attire, Timpiyian Leseni from the Maasai tribe of Africa, turned many heads at the first-ever "WHO Global Ministerial Conference on Ending TB in the Sustainable Development Era: A Multisectoral Response" which was held in Moscow in November 2017. Looking at her, it was impossi

As the time-honored adage advises, to every complex problem there is a simple solution, but it is wrong. I do not bear simple panaceas or simpleminded slogans. What I do hope to offer is an unstarry - eyed view of the fate of self-determination in Kashmir; and, the indispensability of convincing In

The March, 14 election result of bypolls in U.P. and Bihar though seems to be insignificant in numbers of Loksabha seats but the stunning defeat of BJP in these elections (at the hands of SP-BSP alliance and RJD) has sent a message across India that anti-BJP and anti-Congress alliance of parties wit

Today, we see one of the gravest attacks on our universal human rights on a massive population in modern history. But as 1,413,342,905 officially now have any last vesitiges or possibility of democratic leadership removed from them, much of the world is silent. Too many of the human rights activist

Dark predictions about a possible military coup are being made in Pakistan as it braces to meet another round of economic difficulties in June on being placed on the ‘grey list’ for failing to curb money laundering and funding of terrorism.
The ‘villain’, yet again, is the United States at whose be

This is the story of Razia, a girl from village Bahpur in Moradabad district of Uttar Pradesh. It has all the ingredients of a fairy tale, but with a difference. Razia might not be a run-of the-mill princess depicted in fairy tales, rather she represents a brave and mighty character in her own right

Sri Sri working only to save PM Modi from losing power due to Ayodhya judgment fall-out (ii)- Earlier Subramanyan Swamy and now Sri Sri right about civil war in case SCI gives disputed site to Muslims (iii)- Both arguments of Hindus (Lord Ram’s birth place and existing idols) legally untenable (iv)-

The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) now a day has become the biggest international network which Government of India (GOI) is misusing for illegally harassing the Indians engaged in business-industry. Though INTERPOL talks big when says that –“[At INTERPOL action is taken in th

The economic benefits as well as the social costs of tourism need to be evaluated. As per the annual report of the Union Ministry of Tourism, Goa accounts for less than 10 percent of the foreign tourist traffic into the country. On the other hand, some of the most powerful drug cartels from the ent

The photograph accompanying this article, was clicked on Chinese New Year (16th February 2018) in Chiang Mai, Thailand. It is a signpost/ notice written in Thai, English and Chinese (in that order) in a temple, having a statue of Ganesha, situated in the heart of the city in front of Maya Mall. I re

The shadow war between two Middle East heavy weights Israel and Iran is going on for decades now. But recent incident of Israeli air raids on Iranian bases in Syria and downing of Israeli F-16 fighter jet by Syrian antiaircraft missile batteries which has happened for first time in 36 years has boug

There is always lot of talk about Kashmir in the media as well as in the political circles across the world but rarely does any of the writings or discussions venture to look into the life and times of people who live in that part of Kashmir which is under the illegal occupation of Pakistan.
The

The school shooting on February, 14 in USA at Florida, in which 17 were killed and 14 were injured, has triggered widespread anger in USA. Hence US President Trump is obviously deeply concerned about it due to sympathetic reasons but also due to electoral considerations. Trump has suggested a solut

Once again, Kashmir is living proof that it is not going to compromise, far less abandon, its demand for Aazaadi (freedom) which is its birthright and for which it has paid a price in blood and suffering which has not been exacted from any other people of the South Asian subcontinent. Compared to th

Asma Jahangir, one of the staunchest human rights voices in Pakistan, died on February 11th 2018, at the age of 66 due to a heart attack. The activist's sudden death is a huge loss for not only the debate on Human Rights but mainly for her own country, Pakistan and its people.
"Tireless Protestant"

Naïve and gullible Indians should not repeat 1962 with China (ii)- Bangladeshi illegal immigrants no more internal problem but external threat due to Doklam crisis (iii)- Dereliction of civilian leadership regarding external security threat, main cause of Army Chief going public.
Lot of noise is b

It is a common practice to interview celebrities and share their success stories. But the real grass roots heroines and heroes rarely get heard. So, for a change, let us listen to what our 13-year-old Raveena has to say on girls’ education. It is high time our policy makers paid heed to the experien

Government of India (GOI) not booking major offenders hence Supreme Court should monitor Rs 114 billion PNB fraud case.
On February 14, 2018, Government-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB) reportedly filed criminal complaint (FIR, the first Information Report) at Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)

A mere day have passed to the death of the imminent lawyer and fearless lawyer Asma Jahangir whose departure has come at a time when Pakistan needed her the most.
The fragile human rights situation in our homeland needs as many advocates as it can get. And who better than Ms. Jahangir, whose stood

Terrorism is a syndicate-based activity; its business is to induce fear and, in order to generate that fear, terrorism, like any other business, requires money. Terrorists need financial support to carry out their operations - to acquire weapons, to fund travel, to run training camps, to recruit new

Glaring failure of global political order (through UN) in Maldives (ii)- Total breakdown of law & order in Maldives shouldn’t be ignored by India (ii)- India was requested for intervention but GOI clueless what to do in Maldives (iii)- GOI paralyzed due to lack of clarity about global political orde

As soon as I set foot inside Suansawan Care Resort for the elderly in northern Thailand, I was immediately struck by its spacious, sylvan and tranquil surroundings. Set in Maerim valley, 20 km away from the Lanna province of Chiang Mai, this retirement facility is owned and managed by 66 years old B

The recent Paigham-e-Pakistan fatwa is being considered a historic step and some are even calling it the second most important document after the constitution of Pakistan.
The Fatwa was signed by 1829 leaders and has been prepared with the support of major state institutions, leading madaris and re

Jingoist Hindus not realizing India may be further dismembered and Hinduism may not survive (ii)- Indian Muslims are suspect and may assist in realizing unfinished agenda of Islam to rule & convert Hindus of India (iii)- India should not overly depend on support of other countries (iv)- Indian Milit

The recent protests in Iran rang a warning bell for the ruling theocracy in Tehran. What started in Iran's second largest and holy city of Mashhad, over rising prices, transfigured into widespread, unprecedented protests against the theocratic regime in towns and cities across the country. The earli

Encirclement through Quad & ASEAN bound to constrain China to bring India under communist umbrella (ii)- India has gone too far in its anti –China (and anti-Pakistan) policies on the meaningless support & goading of USA (iii)- Anti-rule-of-law & poverty-loving India seems to be poised to repeat hist

15 years after India and Pakistan signed another truce for cease-fire, the Line of Control (LoC), the military controlled de-facto border between the two adversarial forces, has seen more hostilities and skirmishes than actual peace. As a result, a total of 881 ceasefire violations were witnessed al

Poor people also have right to celebrate their festivals but only when they endeavor to come-out of their poverty and demoralizing condition, otherwise such so-called celebrations are nothing but cruel vulgarity (as it is cruel to suffering members of the family). Same apply to poor & sinking nation

This Christmas Eve, January 6, Coptic Christians celebrated mass during the grand opening of the brand-new state-built Nativity of Christ Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in the state’s new administration district of Cairo. Those in attendance rejoiced the occasion while many rural villagers had no local c

The recent rape and murder of 7-year-old Zainab Ansari in Kasur, has resulted in anger and grief throughout Pakistan. The girl reportedly went missing on January 4 when she left home but never returned.
Her body was found on a rubbish pile five day after her disappearance. The initial post-mortem e

Truth is one, Sages call it by various names, the Rig Veda, one of Vedanta’s most ancient texts, declared thousands of years ago.
We are all seeking the truth, Vedanta asserts, and that truth comes in numerous names and forms. Truth—spiritual reality—remains the truth though it appears in different

Instead of complaining to their appointing authority the President, the 4 Supreme Court Judges (SCJs) went to media (ii)- By acts of commission 4 SCJs committed criminal contempt by scandalizing Supreme Court of India (SCI) (iii)- Chief Justice of India (CJI), not initiating contempt proceedings aga

The association of many educated young people with violent extremist outfits in recent years, has deflated the myth that only impoverished illiterate individuals fall prey to radicalization. Such cases have been reported not only from Asia, Africa and the Middle East, where most of these terrorist o

Pakistan being placed on the US’s watch list for “severe violations of religious freedom” but this has been rejected by Pakistan as “politically motivated and not based on the objective criteria”.
Unfortunately, the move is right but the timing is wrong as it has come after US president Donald Trum

Thailand is a nation known for business and tourism yet from most recent couple of years it's turned into a transient country for displaced individuals who originate from over more than 20 different nations. While the dominant part originating from Sri Lanka, Iran, Burma and Pakistan.
Story of Suff

It is not the people but ideas rule (ii)- Indian Muslims unnecessarily identifying themselves with ‘Dalits’ (SC), ST, BC, OBC of Hinduism (iii)- Demoralized (due to reservation with demoralizing tag) Dalits (SC), ST, BC and OBC part of hierarchal & discriminatory caste system of Hinduism (iv)- Where

There is uproar in Pakistan after placing its name on Special Watch List by the United States on the issue of religious freedom and Pakistan rejected US decision and considered it as “Politically motivated”. Pakistan said on Friday that it “rejects the US designation” and that the report is “not bas

If parties (India & Pakistan) come here and both of them call upon the Security Council to make recommendations for the solution of their (Kashmir) dispute, ought they not in advance agree to abide by it? They are not bound to ask the Security Council to make such recommendations, but if they do, I

Last year in June Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt imposed a land, sea, and air blockade on Qatar for its alleged support to terror outfits and being too close to Iran. The Arab neighbours thought that by imposing this blockade they can pressurise Qatar to set aside its own ambitious foreign

Notwithstanding misguiding claims of Government of India (GOI), economically India is such a backward country that here not only about two third of people are dependent on agriculture but farmers (small and marginal) in hundreds of millions are starving and ~ 40 of them commit suicide daily. As a re

“If parties (India & Pakistan) come here and both of them call upon the Security Council to make recommendations for the solution of their (Kashmir) dispute, ought they not in advance agree to abide by it? They are not bound to ask the Security Council to make such recommendations, but if they do, I

As the year 2017 comes to a close, let us reflect back on the progress made in the fight against TB. One cannot ignore the epic meeting this year- the Global Ministerial Conference: Ending TB in sustainable development era - which brought together Russian President Vladimir Putin, WHO Director Gener