Cultural Diplomacy
For starters, we could have never used this headline for an Ashes series. The reason, if I may add, is pretty simple — there are no political overtones to the Ashes whereas an India-Pakistan series is seldom without a political “tarkaa.” Perhaps, that is what raises the excitement quotient of India-Pakistan cricket.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was supposed to be back at work in Washington this week, after coming down with a stomach virus early last month, then falling and suffering a concussion. Instead, she was hospitalized Sunday with what doctors say is a blood clot related to her concussion.
In a New Year coming on the heels of waning economic growth and all-round policy paralysis, India will be hard-pressed to meet the expectations of its own people and those of the comity of nations. The facts that we have a democratic polity, a relatively peaceful multi-ethnic and multi-religious society, and a promising emerging economy are all subject to constant testing rather than being set in stone. Status in world affairs is earned, not given, on a continuous basis.
Australia will boost diplomatic engagement with India in early 2013 with a new Australian High Commissioner to take office next month, and direct Ministerial talks on economic, regional and security issues in New Delhi and Mumbai from January 20-23. Foreign Minister Bob Carr today announced Mr Patrick Suckling as High Commissioner to India from January 2013, replacing Mr Peter Varghese.
As 2012 draws to a close and turmoil brews across the Middle East and elsewhere, there's no doubt that we are a long way from the golden age of cultural diplomacy. Gone are the days when the U.S. State Department sent the likes of Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington jetting around the world to expose hundreds of thousands to America's great homegrown art forms.
Forecasting the major international stories for the year ahead is a time-honored pastime, but the world has a habit of springing surprises. In late 1988, no one was predicting Tiananmen Square or the fall of the Berlin Wall. On the eve of 2001, the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent invasion of Afghanistan were unimaginable. So with that substantial disclaimer, let's peer into the misty looking glass for 2013.
While the relations between the Philippines and Oman are very strong, Joselito A. Jimeno, the Philippines Ambassador to the Sultanate, wants to take the ties to a higher pedestal during his term. "It's time for Oman to look into the investment opportunities in the Philippines and joint ventures with Filipino companies. Among the Asian countries, Manila is the best bet investment-wise," said the ambassador, while pointing towards the strong growth cited in 'The Wealth Report 2012' (Knight Frank and Citi Private Bank).
The men’s titleholder, Viswanathan Anand of India, successfully defended the championship in May in a grueling match against Boris Gelfand, an Israeli grandmaster. Still, there are signs that Anand’s time at the top is coming to an end. Magnus Carlsen, 22, is now the world’s top-ranked player, and he will have a record high rating when the next rankings are released on Tuesday.