World Bank's Report on South Asia's prospects From the World Bank report at: www.worldbank.org/sar: In 2006, GDP in South Asia is estimated to have expanded at a very rapid pace of 8.2%. Factors contributing to this trend: * Progress in promoting private sector–led growth * Improved macro-management * Greater integration wit
Interview: Kamal Nath (Forbes Asia, November 27, 2006) By Pranay Gupte Kamal Nath, India's Minister of Commerce and Industry, is widely credited with raising his country's profile in the global arena – and with persuading ever increasing numbers of foreign sources to invest in the booming Indian economy. A longtime member of the Congress Party, Nat
After years of trying to crack the $300 billion Indian retail market, Wal-Mart has received permission from the government of Prime Minister Singh to form an alliance with one of the country's largest telecommunications consortiums and launch stores to serve India's 1.1 billion people. The deal between Wal-Mart and the consortium, the Bharti Group, has been c
(By UNAIDS) Geneva, 21 November 2006 – The global AIDS epidemic continues to grow and there is concerning evidence that some countries are seeing a resurgence in new HIV infection rates which were previously stable or declining. However, declines in infection rates are also being observed in some countries, as well as positive trends in young people's sexua
Gerald Boyd, the first African-American to serve as managing editor of The New York Times, died of lung cancer yesterday. He was a terrific journalist, and a good man at heart. My prayers and sympathies for his wife Robin Stone, and 10-year-old son Zachary.
There is no "Third World" model of political or economic development any more -- if ever there was a credible one. Indeed, the very term "Third World" is no longer en vogue -- it's as though there was a race and "we" of the "Third World" (meaning, of course, denizens and citizens of the world's 135 developing countries) came in third.
The assassination in Beirut yesterday of a prominent leader of Lebanon's anti-Syrian Christian community, Pierre Gemayel, deepened the country's sectarian crisis, and created a new opportunity for Hezbollah to transform the secular state into an Islamic theocratic one irrevocably opposed to the existence of Israel. The murder also triggered new concern on the
The assassination in Beirut today of a prominent leader of Lebanon's anti-Syrian Christian community, Pierre Gemayel, deepened the country's sectarian crisis, and created a new opportunity for Hezbollah to transform the secular state into an Islamic theocratic one irrevocably opposed to the existence of Israel. The murder also triggered new concern on the par
The talks between high-level diplomats of India and Pakistan in New Delhi this week on security issues have been mainly make-nice, a well-intentioned effort aimed not so much at domestic constituents but at a faraway player whose beneficence both countries covet. That player, of course, is President Bush. More than any American president, he has engaged Washi
I belong to a formidable list called "Gulf 2000" (G2K), whose members include well-known academicians, diplomats, policy-makers, journalists, lawyers, and others. The membership -- which is by invitation -- focuses on Middle East issues, but primarily those relating to the Persian Gulf region, and on American foreign policy concerning that region. Recently, t
It would be interesting to elicit views on the Bush Administration's two-track approach to nuclear proliferation -- its sturdy promotion of selling nuclear technology to India -- notwithstanding critics in Congress and elsewhere -- and its escalating bellicosity toward Iran over Tehran's nuclear ambitions. There are striking similarities in the positions that
This is a beautifully produced book. Annie Leibovitz's humanity and humaneness comes through powerfully. The introductory text is heart wrenching, especially when she describes aspects of her relationship with the late Susan Sontag. "A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005" is a magnificent documentary of a life of rich accomplishment. <!
I have been a longtime fan of the writings of James Traub, so my view of his books is obviously somewhat biased. Nevertheless, I was astonished by the depth of his reporting about the United Nations and Kofi Annan. In view of the immense access that the U.N.'s outgoing secretary general gave him, Traub would have been surely tempted to write a hagiography. But he show
To those of us who’ve followed Frank Rich’s political essays and postings, the election results offered further evidence of his acuity. Frank has been spot on. It would be a disservice to term him the “Karl Rove” of the Left (or the media). But if the moniker could be considered benign, then I would certainly apply it to Frank — that is to say, Frank’s reading of the
The following came today (November 2, 2006) from the Institute of International Education in New York: The Council of Graduate Schools has just released the findings of its Fall 2006 enrollment survey, and we wanted to put it into context with the upcoming (November 13) release of Institute of International Education's Open Doors report on 2005/06 enrollments
Kavita Khanna is a sparkling new voice in fiction. This book is almost lyrical. It captures your attention from the get-go, and sustains it. The writing is well paced, and the characters seem very real indeed. I was delighted to come across this book, and I look forward to other works by Ms. Khanna.
Martin Tolchin capped a 40-year career at The New York Times, where he reported on Congress and politics, by becoming founder, publisher, and editor-in-chief of The Hill newspaper. He's now launching a new newspaper in Washington, "The Capitol Leader." His wife Susan is professor of public policy at George Mason University, and a well-known lecturer and media commenta
Response to questions from Arabies Trends (Dubai) By Pranay Gupte Arabies Trends: When you landed in Dubai, did you ever imagine it would be over in all of 13 days? What was going through your mind? Pranay Gupte: I had long been intrigued by Dubai and its development under the leadership of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. As a journal
Singapore: The Charade Of Meritocracy October 2006 By Michael D. Barr The legitimacy of the Singaporean government is predicated on the idea of a meritocratic technocracy. A tiny number of career civil servants play a leading role in setting policy within their ministries and other government-linked bureaucracies, leading both an elite corp
I've been reading the manuscript of Anwer Sher's forthcoming "The Jagged Crescent of Islam" -- and I've found it so fascinating that I thought I should alert readers. The book contains heretofore unpublished details of meetings between then Crown Prince Abdullah and Osama bin Laden, and other accounts that shed light on how Gulf and other Arab societie
I returned to New York yesterday afternoon (Thursday, October 12, 2006) from Dubai, where I spent 13 days that could be best described as rather bizarre. I'd gone there to be executive editor/business of Khaleej Times, one of the best-known English-language newspapers in the Middle East. Founded 28 years ago in Dubai (one of the seven of the oil-rich United A
R. W. Apple, Jr.: An Appreciation By Pranay Gupte He was always Johnny, Johnny Apple. The byline read "R. W. Apple, Jr." -- for Raymond Walter Apple, Jr. -- but no one called him that. He was always Johnny Apple -- larger than life, a giant of the game of international journalism, the last of that generation of correspondents who were equal
Dubai Govt Takes 30% Stake In Galadari Bros - Sources By Simeon Kerr and Sarmad Khan OF DOW JONES NEWSWIRES · DUBAI (Zawya Dow Jones)--The Dubai government has taken a 30% stake in one of Dubai's oldest family-owned conglomerates, Galadari Brothers Co., according to a document seen by Zawya Dow Jones. A memo dated Oct. 5 says
I write this informally as a longstanding member of the Council on Foreign Relations. The Council's "selected members only" event this week featuring President Ahmadinejad has clearly generated a controversy that, at the very least, will last for a while. I wasn't invited to the event, although I would have loved to have been there in view of my familiarity and writin
Having just returned to New York after more than two weeks in Australia and the Gulf, I felt I should relay to two things. One, the obvious: the widespread and growing antagonism toward the American adventure in the Middle East. But it's my second observation that disturbs me most: The widespread and growing dislike of all things American on account of Washin
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