Pop sensation Madonna is one of the first celebrities who have openly slammed Russian President Vladimir Putin on Ukraine invasion. Taking to Instagram, she shared a heavily edited 30-second clip, which is an interlude to her 2009 hit single Sorry and takes a dig on Putin.  She is singing ‘Lies and I can’t take it’ as shots…Continue Reading

Turf war: Siachen is a treacherous terrain that affects everyone equally. PTI Col Bimal Bhatia (Retd) Why does the Siachen belt continue to remain a vexed issue eluding a clear strategic and operational perspective? Evaluating the entire spectrum from the adversary’s viewpoint throws up clear options for both sides. This has seldom been attempted.  A…Continue Reading

Canada still needs to engage with China despite its human rights record, experts say

Canadians with experience working in China say Ottawa must continue to engage with Beijing despite its ongoing concerns about the country’s human rights record at home — and new evidence of its efforts to coerce dissidents living abroad to return.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Chinese President Xi Jinping listen to opening remarks at a plenary…Continue Reading

Why India needs to pay attention Russian military build-up in Ukraine

It’s not surprising that with several other issues facing India, the Russian military build-up near Ukraine — one of its largest recent mobilisations — is not getting much attention. But it should. What happens in Europe will not stay in Europe. In 2014, the Russian annexation of Crimea created problems for India. And if Moscow…Continue Reading

India needs thoughtful legislation on digital currency

Written by Menaka Guruswamy | Updated: December 25, 2021 7:43:11 am The research firm Triple A tells us that Singapore, where roughly 10 per cent of the population is crypto-owners, has the Payments Services Act, 2020 that has streamlined both traditional and cryptocurrencies under one law. (C R Sasikumar) As 2021 comes to an end,…Continue Reading

Cryptocurrency Needs Calibrated Policy

The government has done well to adopt cautious evolution of regulation as its approach to cryptocurrencies, rather than try to outlaw them with bans, as in China, or welcome them into the payments system, as in El Salvador. The distributed ledger, a functionality of the blockchain, the technology underpinning cryptocurrencies, has many potential uses that…Continue Reading

G20 needs to aid in increasing available funds to WHO: Mansukh Mandaviya

Union health and family welfare minister Mansukh MandaviyaNEW DELHI: Union health and family welfare minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday said that G20 needs to aid in increasing available funds to World Health Organization (WHO) with a specific focus on equitable and affordable access. As per an official statement, the Union minister while addressing G20 Joint…Continue Reading