Elections

Business

Roving Periscope: Why do most Chinese Americans view China negatively?

July 25, 2023 Vinayak Barot

Virendra Pandit    New Delhi: During the Indian Prime Minister’s visits overseas, a large number of Indian migrants line up to greet them. The trend multiplied during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign tours since 2014 and his mega shows have become very popular among Indian immigrants across the world. But when undemocratic leaders from China […]

Read more

Business

Pakistan: FM Dar, as interim PM, may keep the seat hot for his mentor-relative—Nawaz

July 24, 2023 Vinayak Barot

Virendra Pandit    New Delhi: In outdated feudal societies of South Asia, including parts of India and Pakistan, The Family remains the fulcrum of happenings at all levels–even in diverse areas like politics, films, business, and other professions. No wonder that Pakistan’s Finance Minister Ishaq Dar is being viewed as the next caretaker Prime Minister […]

Read more

Business

INR: Sri Lanka may allow the usage of Indian currency for local transactions

July 22, 2023 Vinayak Barot

Virendra Pandit    New Delhi: A week after Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe hinted at it, his Finance Minister Ali Sabry reiterated on Saturday that the island nation is considering the possibility of allowing the usage of the Indian currency for local transactions, just like the dollar, euro, and yen to facilitate Indian tourists and […]

Read more

Defence

Pakistan: Nawaz returning, PM Shehbaz Sharif promises to ‘hand over’ power next month

July 14, 2023 Vinayak Barot

Virendra Pandit   New Delhi: Stating that his coalition government ‘sacrificed politics to protect the state,’ Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan, has promised to hand over power to the “caretaker set-up” once the current term of the National Assembly ends in August, the media reported on Friday. His statement came […]

Read more

Business

Roving Periscope: With a fresh IMF breather, cash-strapped Pakistan is relieved for now

July 13, 2023 Vinayak Barot

Virendra Pandit    New Delhi: After months of severe cash crunch, supply crisis, and political uncertainties, Pakistan, where general elections to the National Assembly are due in October 2023, got a breather from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which transferred a USD 1.2 billion bailout, the media reported on Thursday. A day after the global […]

Read more

Defence

Politics: Dutch PM resigns on migration issue, seeks re-election

July 8, 2023 virendra pandit

Virendra Pandit New Delhi: Days after the killing of an Algerian-origin migrant teenager triggered widespread arson and violence across France, and the Qur’an burning incident in Sweden, which angered Muslims across the world, the Netherlands’ Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s coalition government collapsed on Friday over  “insurmountable” differences on how to tackle migration of aliens into […]

Read more

Business

Economy: India’s growth sustainable, FinMin says, and cautions against headwinds

July 6, 2023 virendra pandit

Virendra Pandit   New Delhi:  Noting that the Indian economy grew by 7.2 percent in 2022-23, especially in its last quarter (January-March 2023), the Finance Ministry on Thursday said the country will continue to register sustained growth in a more durable way than before—but also cautioned about the possible headwinds that could pose major challenges, […]

Read more

Business

Roving Periscope: Canada’s domestic politics spoiling its relations with India

July 4, 2023 virendra pandit

Virendra Pandit    New Delhi: Domestic political compulsions may have forced Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to go ‘soft’ on pro-Khalistani separatists in his North American country which has seen a recent spurt in violence by anti-Indian activists. The revitalized Khalistani separatists have resurfaced and attacked Indian interests in Canada, the US, and Australia, among […]

Read more

Business

Dubious distinction: Pakistan is IMF’s fourth biggest debtor!

July 3, 2023 virendra pandit

Virendra Pandit   New Delhi: When Muhammed Ali Jinnah founded it in 1947, he argued that only by breaking away from a “poor” India could Pakistan become a prosperous nation. Seventy-five years later, his dream project has come crashing down on the planet. Bankrupt and poly-crises-ridden, Pakistan is now set to become the fourth biggest […]

Read more

Business

Cliffhanger: IMF approves Pak’s $3bn loan program; may be considered in two weeks

June 30, 2023 virendra pandit

Virendra Pandit   New Delhi: Almost bankrupt Pakistan, facing a default on July 1, has clinched initial approval from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a USD 3 billion loan program, lowering the risk of a sovereign default, the media reported on Friday. The staff-level agreement is subject to approval by the IMF Executive Board, […]

Read more