City-Centric
How 'laid back' Sri Lanka became a soft target for Islamist strike
A Sri Lankan tourist guide Ricky Costa was preparing for a typically easy Sunday ferrying backpackers between Colombo’s tea shops and beach bars in his canary-yellow rickshaw. Then the blasts began. The coordinated suicide bombings by Islamist militants at hotels and churches killed more than 250 people and sent shockwaves through an Indian Ocean island […]
Contrasting Poll Narratives: The Possible Good Outcomes
The ensuing long-drawn Indian General Elections are just around the corner. Manifestos or not, the narratives in public meets and through the media are for all to see. Lets first take the party and alliance in power. There are four pillars to the BJP/NDA narrative. First, there is the pitch for a visibly strong nation […]
Mohamed bin Zayed Honours Winners of Zayed Sustainability Prize 2019
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, alongside leaders and representatives from the winners’ countries, presented awards to the 10 winners of the […]
Easier Said Than Typed: Niki's Hindi Language Capability Helps Indians Transact Online
All of us want a friend we can count on. A buddy who we can make impromptu movie plans with. A friend who shares the best online deals with us and helps us recharge our mobile just when we need it. What if we told you that an app can be that friend? All you […]
George H.W. Bush
He was president for only four years, but George H.W. Bush shaped U.S. history for decades, taking on tough jobs from Beijing to the CIA, ousting Iraqi forces from Kuwait, sealing a breakthrough budget deal that cost him an election and fathering a future president. He died on Friday at the age of 94, his […]
Stan Lee, Marvel Comics' Real-Life Superhero
Stan Lee, the legendary writer, editor and publisher of Marvel Comics whose fantabulous but flawed creations made him a real-life superhero to comic book lovers everywhere, has died. He was 95. Lee, who began his career in 1939 and created or co-created Black Panther, Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Mighty Thor, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, […]
Cryptocurrency
When cryptocurrency issuers want positive coverage for their virtual coins, they buy it. Self-proclaimed social media personalities charge thousands of dollars for video reviews. Research houses accept payments in the cryptocurrencies they are analyzing. Rating “experts” will grade anything positively, for a price. All this is common, according to more than two dozen people in […]
Brexit worries push UK house price gauge to six-year low
A measure of British house prices hit a six-year low in November as the approach of Brexit put off buyers and sellers, according to a survey conducted by property valuers. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) said its house price balance sank to -11 in November from -10 in October, its lowest since September […]
Kerala Floods 2018 - A state under water
August 15. Just like a normal day under the sun when India celebrated Independence Day. This year in 2018, India celebrated its 72nd Independence Day to pay tribute and remember all the freedom fighters who had contributed a lot and fought for the Independence of India. But little did the nation know that it was […]
Bank NPAs: A 5Ws-2Hs Analysis
What is an NPA? Conceptually speaking a credit facility becomes an NPA when it ceases to generate income for bank. NPAs can be sub-standard if pending for 12 months, doubtful if above 12 months, and lost NPA if it is long-drawn with little hope of recovery. A loss of asset is one where loss has […]
