Last week as the Intra-Afghan peace talks were being held in Doha, Taliban leaders, led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, suddenly decided to board a flight to Tehran
Whither Commitment to Truth? How AI, Media, and Visuals Shape Our Sense of Threat
The social media takes advantage of the reward systems in the brain, especially the dopamine circuits within the basal ganglia and the prefrontal cortex. Using signals of micro-engagement, including the duration of time a user hovers over a video or the number of times a user rewatches a clip, algorithms develop a feedback loop that over time redirects the feed of a user to more intense or provocative content.
Mental Health in Schools and Colleges: An Ignored Chapter in Bangladesh's Education System
The loss of 403 young lives is a stark wake-up call for Bangladesh. Schools and colleges are meant to nurture dreams, not silently witness the suffering of students. A collaborative effort involving the government, educational institutions, and families is urgently needed. With empathy, awareness, and institutional support, many of these young lives can still be saved.
The Hormuz Lifeline: Why India’s Energy Security Still Runs Through A 33-Km Strait
India’s diversification strategy, often cited as a mitigating factor, provides only partial relief. The country now sources crude from over 40 countries, and in recent years has increased imports from Russia, the United States, and West Africa. In fact, about 70% of crude imports are now routed outside Hormuz, reflecting a conscious shift in sourcing strategy.
South Asia’s Cities Are Growing - But May Not Remain Livable
What is unfolding across South Asia’s cities is not just an urban crisis, it is a reflection of deeper tensions within development itself. Growth is happening, but it is not translating into stability. Opportunities exist, but they are unevenly distributed. Systems are expanding, but not fast enough to keep up with demand. Cities, which have long been seen as places where people come to improve their lives, are increasingly becoming spaces where people struggle to sustain them.
More on Open Forum
O Destiny, Unveil Thyself
Destiny, O Destiny, unveil thyself
China, Turkey fortifying Pakistan's military arsenal
China and Turkey are going all out to consolidate Pakistan's defence arsenal even as the country's external debt continues to accumulate and the Imran Khan government finds itself on a sticky wicket yet again ahead of this month's plenary meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog
There is no other way
Live life fully, live it well
Life’s A Pantomime
Weather the storms for sunshine awaits you
Can India’s grand old party revive itself?
India's main opposition Congress Party is currently in a sorry state and utterly confused over the issue of selecting a suitable leader who could match Prime Minister Narendra Modi and rejuvenate the party to bolster its electoral prospects in the upcoming assembly elections in five states later this year
Should violence by so-called farmers go unpunished?
The so-called farmers, by indulging in unprecedented violent acts in Delhi, have made India’s 'enemies' happy
Your Conscience is Your Best Friend
No evil outside of that
Why former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe deserves India's second-highest civilian award
Indias decision to bestow the Padma Vibhushan, the country's second-highest civilian award on Shinzo Abe, is a befitting acknowledgement by the Narendra Modi administration of the former Japanese Prime Ministers unique role in elevating Japan-India ties to an unprecedented strategic level
Pakistan may find its US and China ties a difficult balancing act
With US President Joe Biden reversing several measures put in place by the former Donald Trump administration within hours of taking charge of the White House, Pakistan is hoping to reset its equation with Washington
Netaji Subhas Bose: A nationalist, a pragmatist, a military icon
India’s struggle for independence from British imperialism was one of the few conflicts in our history that can be termed as a ‘national struggle’
The Sun, A Bride (Perhaps)
Is the scorching sun a bride somewhere
Pakistan knocks at Turkey's door to run anti-India campaign
Left with just a couple of friends in the global community and faced with the grim reality of finding no takers for its propaganda at international fora, Pakistan is now eyeing Turkey as a launchpad for its anti-India campaign
Time, the Bystander
Footprints on the sands of time
Sunshine’s Just A Night away
How strange that it never dawned on me
