Articles

When one loses the arguments, he becomes incoherent. He talks about things which are out of this world or age, and of things which had no relevance or connections to the arguments in hand. This seems to be the case with some of our leaders stuck in an Islamic time capsule.

The thinly veiled reference by the Malaysian Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohammed, to the alleged role of George Soros in the precipitate fall of currencies in the ASEAN region belies a desperation which is beginning to grip the erstwhile over confident leaders of the emerging economies of the Far East.

The Manila regime is fond of talking from both sides of its mouth. It wants to talk peace with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) but the Filipino army continues its offensive against the mujahideen.

Indonesia’s presidential elections are not due until next March but general Suharto is taking no chances. Not that his own position is threatened. He wants to make sure that even his running mate is chosen through consensus.

That the drug problem is a global menace is beyond dispute. What is less well known is that there are many big timers in this murky business.

Washington’s push to limit the first wave of NATO expansion to only three countries, Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, provides a tell-tale sign of the inner contradictions that bedevil the enlargement project.

Elaborate plans are underway for golden jubilee celebrations in both Pakistan and India. Pakistan had kicked off its celebrations last March with a summit of the Organisation of Islamic Conference and an impressive military parade on the main thoroughfare in Islamabad.

After four years of civil war which has left more than 100,000 dead, and the economy in shambles, the people of Tajikistan have had enough.

Mesut Yilmaz’s vote of confidence (281 to 256) in the Turkish parliament on July 12 was marred by brawls and fist-fights. He described his elevation to the premier’s post as a return to ‘traditional Turkish politics.’ Indeed!

In 1922, an American farmer and electronics tinkerer by the name of Philo T Farnsworth invented a scanning device that would lead to the development of television. Farnsworth's 'image dissector' solved many of the problems faced by European and American technicians who sought a way to electronically transmit images. Control of Farnsworth's invention would determine the success or failure of all television development.