The peace deal was signed after 18 months of talks in Doha Sorin Furcoi Al Jazeera] Peace deal signed in Qatari capital, Doha, will pave the way for the complete withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan within 14 months   Doha, Qatar: The US and the Taliban have signed a landmark peace agreement after nearly 20 years of war that could …

The world is facing a growing disillusionment with current economic and political order that was historically erected through great games and neoliberal economic agenda and development concepts by the colonial empires. These issues were deliberated upon by scholars, academics, development practitioners at a workshop held recently in Ottawa University, Canada. They debunked the neoliberal development concept and advocated pluralistic, universal …

Swiss activist Loukina Tille, Swedish climate change activists Greta Thunberg and Isabelle Axelsson attend the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Photograph: Denis Balibouse/Reuters The individuals leading change, and making the largest sacrifices, are all too often the people most threatened by inequality   by Darren Walker   As we enter 2020 and survey the state of the …

We must determine whether the outbreak will turn into a global epidemic by Dan Werb Five cases of the mysterious Wuhan coronavirus have been confirmed in the United States, giving rise to concerns about a potential global pandemic. We’ve seen this story before, as health authorities working with threadbare data try to walk the line between epidemic readiness and needless panic. …

In this last installment of the three-part article based on correspondence between Hassan Mirza and Professor Noam Chomsky, the internationally-acclaimed linguist and social scientist speaks about the British colonial genocidal role in South Asia and Africa, the future of South Asia, religion, the catastrophic impact of climate change, and the US-Europe imperialist-induced migration crisis.   Religion and spirituality Hassan Mirza …

The criticism of Western policy by the so-called free press within narrow bounds has subtle effect of imposing the hegemonic doctrine of imperialism, serves the western dominant intellectual culture and its institutions, says Prof Noam Chomsky

Experts say Pakistan needs to shift its foreign policy from geostrategic to financial diplomacy   Special correspondent Islamabad: Diplomatic and development experts have termed the Pakistan recent diplomatic overtures ill-conceived and ill-prepared. They suggested that Pakistan needs a paradigm shift in its foreign policy and focus on economic diplomacy rather than on the traditional geostrategic partnership. They were speaking at …

Scholars debunk neoliberal development concept; offer pluriversality and inclusive development concept   by Fayyaz Baqir   We are at a critical juncture at this moment in time facing a growing disillusionment with current economic and political order that has dominated the world for quite some time. Growing concerns about climate change, rising income inequality, polarization, populist nationalism, and unending military …

News Desk The Iraqi parliament on Sunday said it loudly and clearly: “The Iraqi government must work to end the presence of any foreign troops on Iraqi soil and prohibit them from using its land, airspace or water for any reason.” Yes, all foreign forces, including the US and Iran, reports Truthout online blog. As we’ve all seen by now, …

The four brothers at the heart of the Abdukadyr family business. Photo OCCRP. Tycoon at the centre of the Kyrgyz corruption scandal poured millions into EU, US real estate, reveals a report by a consortium of investigative journalists. Herald Report A Central Asian cargo tycoon at the centre of controversy in Kyrgyzstan over massive sums spirited out of the country …

Two local farmers walk past a residential house painted with a Chinese flag in Makit county, Kashgar, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Sept 23, 2019. Herald Report China has criticized the passage of a Xinjiang-related bill by the United States House of Representatives, urging Washington to stop pushing the bill to become law. China will respond further if necessary, reports ChinaDaily.com …

Abominable tells the story of a young girl living in Shanghai and a yeti Herald Report A newly released animated children’s film triggered a territorial controversy in South East Asia. A half-second blip in the film aggravated a decades-old geopolitical controversy in Southeast Asia in October, writes Grennan Milliken in the GlacierHub, an online news portal. The film about a lovable yeti and …

Why Modi’s move on Kashmir is likely to achieve the opposite of what he intends, questions the Economist When the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir joined the fledgling Indian union in October 1947, it had little choice in the matter. Pakistan-backed tribesmen had invaded; only Indian troops could repel them. The consolation was that Kashmir was promised a lot …

Little is known of the lives of Sogdians in China, even though the Chinese connections of Sogdian elites played an important political, economic, and cultural role in the lives of people in the region at the time, writes Jin Xu. by Jin Xu Before the Arab invasion, Sogdians were known traders who benefitted from bringing Chinese luxury goods to Iran, …

Islamabad needs to rethink its foreign relations in the context of a new ‘Great Game’ in the Eurasian region and beyond war and peace in Afghanistan, say experts   HAH Report   Islamabad: Diplomats and experts on Wednesday stressed the need for a thorough revamping of Pakistan’s foreign policy and it’s relations with its neighbours and the United States in …