Nepal has emerged as world’s youngest democratic republic after the Constitutional Assembly voted to abolish the 240-year-old monarchy. On Thursday morning, the flag of the Shah dynasty was taken down from the main palace in the capital city of Kathmandu. The palace will now be turned into a national museum, reports AFP. The vote in the 601-member assembly saw just four lawmakers oppose the declaration transforming Nepal into a secular republic. Nepal, sandwiched between India and China,...

A good question. Hilary Rosen’s interesting explanation appeared in HuffPost recently. She wrote: “Lately I am asked by lots of friends, including my new colleagues at the HuffPost — who I am so privileged to work with — just what it is about Hillary (Clinton) that makes me stick with her now, knowing that her chances to gain the nomination are slim to nonexistent… “There are all of the political reasons that keep her campaign going like the popular vote, the...

The 1997 movie Titanic, the highest-grossing film of all time, became popular worldwide for its powerful depiction of romance and pathos. Now The Times of London reports that “the man who located the wreck of the Titanic has revealed that the discovery was a cover story to camouflage the real mission of inspecting the wrecks of two Cold War nuclear submarines.” More here… Titanic: The Final Secret will be shown on the National Geographic Channel at 9pm on June 8.

We bloggers/journalists love to chase political stories, while our response to the critical economic issues is generally similar to those related to climate change. I wonder when our fraternity would realise that environmental and economic issues are as much “political” and important as the ones perceived as the “real political” ones. I was again reminded of this when I read a report in a recent issue of The Economist that “double-digit price rises are about to afflict...

In the present historic US Democratic presidential nomination marathon, the media and the blogs have now begun to write the obituary of Hillary Clinton’s ambition to become the President of America. (Did someone say that the media ‘obits’ had begun to appear right at the start of her campaign?!!!) But the recent ‘obits’ also reveal a grudging admiration for the spirited fight she put up despite several odds, including (what her team has been alleging) media hostility. Two...

Prophets of (Hillary Clinton’s) doom have again been proven wrong. The prophets’ strident claim that this Pa. primary elections would sound the death knell of Clinton’s ambition to get the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, has yet again fallen flat on its face. To those living abroad, the American media/blogs might have contributed in a substantial manner in accentuating a virtual “civil war” within the Democratic Party. There is a visible air of “aggression”...

Kevin Rudd’s tenure as Australian prime minister would be ‘historic’ in more ways than one. Recently he invited 1000 “brightest” among his countrymen for an “ideas summit” to develop key goals for Australia. And now comes the sensational news that suddenly Australia gains more territory equivalent to 20 times the size of the United Kingdom!!! “Australia, already the world’s largest island, has just become substantially larger. A United Nations...

It is said that American youth voters would play a crucial role in this US presidential election. But have we ever wondered that most of the wisdom pouring out in the media/blogs on Iraq and Afghanistan “wars”, and other issues, is the monopoly of people who have possibly left their youth far behind? And these “wise” people may have basically lost what is called a zest for life. I remember in the 1960s when I was in school how emotional/angry we felt at issues/events/developments...

History will provide many interpretations of George W. Bush, his life & times. Here comes the cinematic version. Oliver Stone, a three-time Academy Award winning film director and screenwriter, is making a film on President George W. Bush (simply called W) and would be shot in Louisiana. Bush experts have already begun to dissect the screenplay. W would come as a farewell gift to Mr Bush who could view it from the comfort of the White House before he leaves office next January. This is Stone’s...

One can understand when a staunch Republican declares that he/she “hates” a presidential candidate from another party. But it stumps me when even the so-called Democrat-supporters are quoted in the media saying they “hate” Hillary Clinton. I can understand Democrats “opposing”, “disagreeing”, “dis-approving”, “disliking”, etc., etc., their own party candidate, but why “hate”… It has been pointed out that many...

While Pope Benedict’s visit to the US, and the UN, was highlighted in the media with special emphasis on the US priests’ misdemeanours in the US, and the veiled criticism of the military adventures in Iraq and concern about human rights (see here), what I really enjoyed reading was 50 religious insights from George Bush…please click here…

Why is the media, and the blogs, overlooking the “real” issues? The recent Clinton/Obama debate once again brought under spotlight a serious lack of professionalism among journalists and their growing penchant to trivialize serious issues. To give another example, few seem interested at the looming food crisis that is likely to have worldwide political and economic ramifications. Would the media wake up only when the wolf reaches their doors or the dinner table (when it is too late)?...

Why was a wellknown photographer jailed in Iraq? Was he punished for doing professional work in an independent fashion? “The U.S. military released Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein on Wednesday after holding him for more than two years without filing formal charges,” reports AP. In New York, the executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, Joel Simon, said Hussein “now joins a growing list of journalists detained in conflict zones by the U.S. military...

India lives at two levels. Urban India is enthusiastically chasing a mirage that Western style consumerism holds the key to happiness. But nearly 70 per cent Indians still live in villages or small towns where contentment, and living within one’s means, is still the prevalent traditional mantra. What is best option for an average person with limited means? The debate goes on… Many people in big “rich” Western consumeristic societies have now begun to tear their hair as the...

With its perpetually (and historically) rocky relationship, the Arab and European worlds have seldom met in a peaceful manner (or without suspicion) during the past half a millenium ever since the downfall of the Moorish civilization in Spain. In this context the on-going London Book Fair, with the “Arab World” as guest of honour and Arab writers present in force, provides yet another opportunity to build a bridge between the two worlds. The Independent writes: “Imperial bureaucrats,...

Nepal, home to Mt. Everest and situated between India and China (Tibet), is witnessing a different kind of “surge”. The armed rebels who fought a decade-long bloody war to end monarchy are now poised to come into power — not through the barrel of a gun but through the ballot box. The seal over the conduct of free and fair election has been put by none other than former US president Jimmy Carter, co-founder of Carter Center who heads a 60-member international election observer...

In this TMV blog I keep writing occasionally on subjects that have an important role to play in increasing positivity in discussion and debate on matters related to politics. After all what is politics?…Surely, not just the circus where politicians are the key players. Politics percolates down to, and influences, health, education, art and culture…In fact all spheres of life. As India dreams of (and works towards) joining the big league of powerful/”developed” nations, there...

After Pakistan and Bhutan, it is now the turn of Nepal (sandwiched between India and China) to savour the sweet flavour of democracy. It is a powerful rebuff to a certain section of the politicians and “experts” in the world who believe that the “war on terror”, etc., can be fought by merely propping up (and bribing) dictators. Sudeshna Sarkar of IANS reports: “A deep yearning for change, anger at corrupt politicians and the presence of a large number of youngsters...

China seems to be coming under heavy pressure with the world leaders threatening to keep away from the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics this summer. The latest on the list is Ban Ki-moon, the secretary general of the United Nations. The Independent newspaper describes this “as capping an extraordinary week of public relations disasters for the Chinese government as it struggles to contain international anger over its policies towards Tibet and Sudan.” “Yesterday, the Foreign...

His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, is no ordinary Tibetan monk. His upcoming visit to the USA, the first outside his home in exile in India, can be considered as ‘historic’. There are speculations that the Karmapa, 22-year-old Buddhist monk, may emerge as the successor to the Dalai Lama in case the latter decides to step down, especially in view of the growing hostility shown towards him by Beijing in recent times. More importantly, the Karmapa is the only major...

In an earlier post Shaun Mullen suggests that what General David Petraeus says ultimately reflects the policy of the C-in-C, President George W. Bush. While agreeing with Shaun, I would like to add a few points. First let’s jog our memory. I had written in an earlier post: “The Iraq mess is not of his making nor can he achieve a miracle on his own. But Petraeus is now familiar with the ground realities. The US troops can withdraw only when there is an international intervention strategy...

The Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual leader in exile, said in India that protests in Tibet contradicted the Chinese “propaganda” about people there enjoying a prosperous and contented life and made it clear that the issue “can no longer be neglected”. While in London the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games torch relay was reduced to “farce and ignominy” yesterday as ugly scenes of protest disrupted this leg of the tour that was billed as a journey of harmony and peace....

A birthday celebration of a nation should also be an occasion for sober introspection. Israel and Palestine have become such emotive issues that few are ready to discuss the plight of these two (and their people) without taking sides. I have great love, admiration and sympathy for both Israelis (Jews and others) and Palestinians who have been caught up in a vicious circle of geo-political ambitions of other nations, as also historical developments, several decades before the birth of Israel. This...

Obituary… More here…

I have been a co-blogger at The Moderate Voice for nearly three years now. After alcohol and cigarettes, I found blogging to be highly addictive. I gave up smoking two years ago (one addicition at a time please!!!) and have heavily reduced my intake of alcohol. My wife/mother ensure that I have meals at the right time, and begin to howl in protest when I am at the computer for more than three hours at a stretch. Thus, I remain a “healthy” blogger because I am under watch at home (and...