Who would believe that India is now one of Pakistan's "most favoured nations"? The two countries have far more in common than either tends to admit, but warm brotherly affections have never been high on that list.
Diplomacy has often been conducted in whispers against a backdrop of bombings by Pakistan-based terror groups and voluble threats over territory. That tone, however, may be beginning to change. Pakistan's decision yesterday to grant India preferential trade status, or "most favoured" as the jargon goes, is a sign of goodwill that speaks volumes about the mood in Islamabad towards improving relations.
India offered the same status to Pakistan 15 years ago, and it could be argued that as the larger trading partner, it stands more to gain. The consequences for trade, and how Pakistan's limping economy can benefit, depend on technical negotiations in coming months. For now, it's all about the symbolism.
We had seen nudges in the right direction recently. At a New Delhi summit in July, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar made the right statements about combating terrorism. But, as usual, results were limited to promises to talk about more talks. The best commitments that we had seen from either side for years had been about cricket matches and cross-border bus routes. Most favoured trade status is a significant offer with very real consequences.
The July summit was also notable because it was held immediately after a synchronised bombing attack in Mumbai. India's decision to proceed showed a courageous political commitment to diplomacy (and the attack, in any event, was blamed on homegrown terrorism).
The two countries have so many intractable security issues, from decades-old sparring over Kashmir to today's competition for influence in Afghanistan, that diplomacy always has depended on events of the day. A bombing in Mumbai, or a troop manoeuvre on the border, and talks could be scuttled for months.
That Pakistan's government - and its military, which exerts considerable control over foreign policy - has so clearly reached out to India shows a new commitment to diplomacy. New Delhi under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has consistently pushed for peace talks in recent years. If Islamabad is ready to respond, both sides will find many more areas of shared interest, perhaps most obviously in a deal to scale down military tensions.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
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Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Company%20Profile
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How England have scored their set-piece goals in Russia
Three Penalties
v Panama, Group Stage (Harry Kane)
v Panama, Group Stage (Kane)
v Colombia, Last 16 (Kane)
Four Corners
v Tunisia, Group Stage (Kane, via John Stones header, from Ashley Young corner)
v Tunisia, Group Stage (Kane, via Harry Maguire header, from Kieran Trippier corner)
v Panama, Group Stage (Stones, header, from Trippier corner)
v Sweden, Quarter-Final (Maguire, header, from Young corner)
One Free-Kick
v Panama, Group Stage (Stones, via Jordan Henderson, Kane header, and Raheem Sterling, from Tripper free-kick)
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