Author: Nakula Barvadekar

Paris/Jakarta (24/7 – 28.57). “Coffee is the common man’s gold, and like gold, it brings to every person the feeling of luxury and nobility.” – Sheik-Abd-al-Kadir A friend recently opened a coffee shop is called after its owner, Muteeya. Though modest, it embodies the burgeoning coffee culture found in Paris, London, the US, and now Jakarta. The coffee is steaming hot, and soft tunes fill the air. Outside, rain pounds against the window, streaking down and forming small puddles on the street. As I gaze through the glass blurred by water, I take a sip of my warm coffee,…

Europe’s new “Iron Lady”, Estonia’s Kaja Kallas, is one of the strongest voices for an uncompromising stand against belligerent Russia. Brussels (30 June – 28). Having grown up under the Soviet occupation of Estonia, Kaja Kallas was urging EU leaders to take the Russian threat seriously long before the invasion of Ukraine On Saturday, the Reform Party chose climate minister Kristen Michal to replace outgoing Kaja Kallas, who is the EU’s new High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The unanimous decision to nominate Michal was made following a closed-door meeting by the party’s governing board only two days after…

Can your religion affect how you feel about climate change? Many would agree that everyone has a responsibility to help limit future damage to the environment, but some people see it as more than that. Faith and how you practise it are deeply personal, but some people say saving the planet is part of their religious duty. As world leaders gather in Dubai at COP28 to discuss ways to limit future environmental harm, BBC Asian Network spoke to Muslim, Hindu and Sikh campaigners to find out how their faith drives them. ‘God made humans stewards over Earth’ Every time Muslims…

The Ladies European Tour season started with an Indian success, and it may well end with one too. Diksha Dagar is one of six players who can win the LET’s overall Race to Costa del Sol. Lying in third place, behind Thailand’s Trichat Cheenglab and France’s Solheim Cup star Celine Boutier, Dagar knows that victory at season-ending Andalucia Costa del Sol Open would see her become the first Indian to clinch the prestigious title, as long as Cheenglab doesn’t finish in outright second. “This sort of opportunity doesn’t come around easily, I have had to earn the chance,” says the…

India has filed an appeal with Qatar over death sentences handed to eight former Indian naval officers on unspecified charges. Reports say the men, who worked with a private company in Qatar, were arrested last year on suspicion of spying. Neither Qatar nor India have revealed the specific charges against them. India’s external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India has “already filed an appeal” against the verdict. The ministry added that it had consular access to the detainees on Tuesday. The Indian government said last month it was “deeply shocked” and would take up the verdict with Qatari authorities. The foreign…

The global political machine grapples with instability. The raging protest-riots in Sri Lanka, the government collapse in Pakistan, the resignation of UK’s Boris Johnson, the resignation of Italy’s Mario Draghi, the assassination of Japan’s Shinzo Abe and the plummeting public approval for America’s Joe Biden are just some of the bad cards on the international table of politics. At present, a new rise of political instability unfolds in Iraq, where protesters backed by ex-militant leaders have stormed the nation’s parliament twice within the last seven days — perhaps repugnant precedence from the Sri Lankan neo-insurrection. Iraq’s politics and national security…

India will resume visa services for Canadians after they ceased in a major diplomatic row in September, India’s High Commission in Ottawa says. At the time, India said the move was due to “security threats” disrupting work at its Canadian missions. But the suspension came amid a serious dispute over the killing of a Sikh separatist on Canadian soil. Ottawa accused India of being behind the killing – an allegation New Delhi has called “absurd.” On Wednesday, officials said they will resume issuing some visas after reviewing the security situation at their missions, and in light of recent Canadian measures…

London, Dublin (1/11 – 66) Hamas is sheltered in a sea of civilians. Ostensibly a Palestinian political and military organization established in 1987, Hamas “governs” on the basis of having won a majority in the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections – defeating Fatah, another Islamist terror combine – before forming a government in the Gaza Strip, described as “…the world’s largest open-air prison” for its Palestinian inhabitants. So why don’t the Palestinians, having been robbed of their ancient lands, simply up and move somewhere else? It is telling that none of the Islamic nations surrounding Israel care to admit any more…

Police in the Indian capital, Delhi, have raided the homes of prominent journalists and authors in connection with an investigation into the funding of news website NewsClick. NewsClick’s founder Prabir Purkayastha and a colleague were arrested. Police also seized laptops and mobile phones. Officials are reportedly investigating allegations that NewsClick got illegal funds from China – a charge it denies. Critics say the move is an intentional attack on press freedom. Started in 2009, NewsClick is an independent news and current affairs website known to be critical of the government. In 2021, it was raided by tax authorities on allegations…

Memories of the decade-long armed Sikh insurgency – which peaked in the 1980s and in which thousands of people died – remain strong in India. So when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Delhi of involvement in the death of a Canadian Sikh leader, many Indians reacted angrily. Mr Trudeau said Canadian intelligence was looking at “credible allegations potentially linking” the Indian state to the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent campaigner for a separate Sikh homeland who was shot dead on 18 June in British Columbia (BC). India has rejected the claim as “absurd”. As Delhi and Ottawa…