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Read of the Week (Aug 3 to Aug 9)

Read of the Week (Aug 3 to Aug 9)

Deccan Heralda day ago
At the turn of the century, the Central Intelligence Agency was in crisis. The end of the Cold War had robbed the agency of its mission. Then came September 11, 2001. After the attacks, the CIA transformed itself into a lethal paramilitary force, running secret prisons and brutal interrogations, mounting deadly drone attacks, and all but abandoning its core missions of espionage and counterespionage. The consequences were grave: the deaths of scores of its recruited foreign agents, the theft of its personnel files by Chinese spies, the penetration of its computer networks by Russian intelligence and American hackers, and the tragedies of Afghanistan and Iraq..A new generation of spies now must fight the hardest targets while confronting a president who has attacked the CIA as a subversive force. From Pulitzer Prize winner Tim Weiner comes The Mission, which tells the gripping, high-stakes story of the CIA through the first quarter of the 21st century, revealing how the agency fought to rebuild the espionage powers it lost during the War on Terror and finally succeeded in penetrating the Kremlin. .Tim Weiner has won the Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on American national security and the National Book Award for Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA.
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Tibet's language, culture under serious threat: Tibetan political leader
Tibet's language, culture under serious threat: Tibetan political leader

Hindustan Times

timea minute ago

  • Hindustan Times

Tibet's language, culture under serious threat: Tibetan political leader

The political leader of the Dharamshala-based Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), Sikyong Penpa Tsering, expressing concern over the Chinese Communist Party's intensified efforts to erode Tibet's identity, has said that Tibet's language, culture, religion, environment, and way of life are under serious threat. The political leader of the Dharamshala-based Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), Sikyong Penpa Tsering, expressing concern over the Chinese Communist Party's intensified efforts to erode Tibet's identity, has said that Tibet's language, culture, religion, environment, and way of life are under serious threat. (Getty Images/iStockphoto/ Representational image) Sikyong while recently addressing the residents of Norgyeling Tibetan Settlement in Maharashtra said that safeguarding this identity is a collective responsibility of all Tibetans in exile. While stressing the importance of preserving the Tibetan language and culture, Sikyong Penpa Tsering said that Tibetan is among the world's oldest languages, with a script dating back over a thousand years, and warned that without active use and preservation, it risks extinction like many ancient languages. Notably, a recent report by CTA said that Chinese authorities have demolished over 300 Buddhist stupas and a revered Guru statue in the Drakgo County, in the traditional Tibet's province of Kham. Citing sources from Tibet, the report stated that the destruction took place in late May or June 2025 at Lungrab Zang-ri near Janggang Monastery, where Chinese forces razed hundreds of medium-sized stupas of Tibetan Buddhism and three larger Buddhist stupas. 'This latest assault represents, what Tibetan sources inside Tibet call 'second phase of Cultural Revolution', a deliberate campaign to 'Sinicise' Tibetan Buddhism and systematically eradicate Tibetan cultural identity. The destruction aligns with China's broader strategy of cultural genocide in Tibet, designed to erase Tibetan culture by forcibly aligning religious practices with the Chinese Communist Party's political agenda,' the report mentioned. Meanwhile, Sikyong during his address at Norgyeling Tibetan Settlement reiterated that the 16th Kashag (cabinet) continues to seek international support for the Middle Way Approach as a viable solution to the Tibet-China conflict. He encouraged the community to deepen their understanding of Tibetan history and the current situation inside Tibet, and to engage in advocacy through international lobbying efforts.

Trump Says He Deployed Nuclear Submarines Near Russia; Putin Still Hasn't Blinked – Why?
Trump Says He Deployed Nuclear Submarines Near Russia; Putin Still Hasn't Blinked – Why?

India.com

timea minute ago

  • India.com

Trump Says He Deployed Nuclear Submarines Near Russia; Putin Still Hasn't Blinked – Why?

New Delhi: Upset over a social media post by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, U.S. President Donald Trump told a right-wing news outlet that he had ordered two nuclear submarines near Russia. The announcement spread across platforms and set off alarms and questions. Would a tweet trigger a nuclear faceoff? Was this a bluster or something far more dangerous? Russia has not reacted so far. There is statement from the Kremlin, nothing from the foreign ministry and no mention from the military. The silence from Moscow is not without meaning. Either Moscow sees no point in reacting, or it is still figuring out how. Russian Media Downplays It There was no breaking banner and no war-room urgency. Moscow's largest circulating newspapers did not give it prime-time panic. A military analyst, quoted in Moskovsky Komsomolets, brushed it off. Trump, he said, was putting on a show only theatrics. Kommersant, a nationally distributed newspaper, cited a retired lieutenant general calling Trump's remarks 'nonsense'. 'That is how he enjoys himself,' he told the daily. Speaking to the same publication, a national security expert did not even believe Trump gave any real submarine order. 'I am convinced there was no such instruction,' he said. The newspaper reminded readers of another Trump moment. Back in 2017, he claimed he had sent nuclear submarines to the Korean Peninsula. It never led to conflict. In fact, he later posed for photos with Kim Jong-un. Could this be the same playbook? Raise the stakes, then offer a handshake? It is still not clear. Moscow Watches, But Stays Quiet Russia has not announced any naval buildup. No submarines have moved closer to American shores. Moscow may be observing, assessing and waiting, or it may believe this is not serious enough to warrant a response. Russian media's tone suggests indifference. What Triggered This Showdown? The spark came from a few lines on social media. Trump had recently tightened his deadline for Russia to end its war in Ukraine. He first said 50 days and then less than two weeks. Medvedev did not like it. He said in a post that Trump was playing 'games of ultimatum' with Russia. Each ultimatum, he wrote, was a step toward war. Trump hit back. 'Tell Medvedev to be careful with his words. He is a failed president who still thinks he has power. He is stepping into dangerous territory,' he wrote. Then Medvedev posted again. This time, he mentioned 'Dead Hand', a Cold War-era Soviet system designed to automatically trigger nuclear retaliation if Russian leadership was wiped out. That set Trump off. A New Era of Nuclear Talk From 2008 to 2012, Medvedev, the longest serving president of Russia and a Putin loyalist, was seen as a moderate. He once said, 'Freedom is better than non-freedom.' That version of Medvedev is long gone. Since Russia launched its full invasion of Ukraine, his tone has shifted. His posts have grown darker, fiercer and far more hostile to the West. Until now, most global leaders ignored them. Medvedev had no official role in diplomacy and no real authority to speak for Russia. But Trump paid attention. And he did not watch like a mute spectator. He responded with threats of submarines and nuclear might. Why Trump Took It Personally In an interview with Newsmax, Trump explained, 'Medvedev said awful things about nuclear weapons. Anytime someone mentions 'nuclear', I get alert. That is the final threat.' Medvedev has long thrown around the nuclear card online. This was not new. But Trump seemed to take it personally. Was it only an outburst or part of a strategy? Those close to Trump often say he likes disruption in business, politics (sometimes in diplomacy), unexpected moves and calculated chaos. Maybe this submarine talk is part of that. Maybe it is a way to rattle Russia before any real negotiation begins. For now, two men with no love for filters exchanged words online. One had once held the nuclear codes, while the other is close to someone who still does. There are two submarines somewhere in the ocean, and there is a silence stretching from Moscow to Washington.

‘Far from dead': Economy that Trump buried ‘outpaces' US
‘Far from dead': Economy that Trump buried ‘outpaces' US

Time of India

timean hour ago

  • Time of India

‘Far from dead': Economy that Trump buried ‘outpaces' US

1 2 Ludhiana: Indian business leaders have pushed back firmly against US President Donald Trump's recent remarks describing the Indian and Russian economies as "dead", calling the claim baseless and out of step with the country's economic trajectory. The resilient economy politely declines to attend its own funeral, and the critic must answer: "If we're dead, who's eating all the global market share?" Industrialists from Ludhiana, one of the country's leading manufacturing hubs, said on Sunday that while US tariff hikes may temporarily affect some sectors, the Indian economy remains vibrant, resilient, and driven by robust domestic demand. "India can never be a dead economy — our population and internal demand alone ensure that," said Ashpreet Singh Sahni, managing director of Sehaj Solutions and former chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry's Ludhiana chapter. "Yes, tariffs may slow us down for a year or two, but we'll bounce back stronger." Sahni, who was in the US when the new tariff regime was announced, said American manufacturers were also feeling the pinch. "There's nervousness on both sides. US companies look actively for alternatives to China, and India is high on their list. I believe the US will have to reconsider these tariffs, eventually." Upkar Singh Ahuja, president of the Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertakings (CICU), echoed the sentiment, arguing that India's global reputation was rising. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Ask A Pro: "I'm 70 with $1.4M in IRAs. Should I convert $120K/Year to a Roth?" SmartAsset Undo "During my visit to Europe, I saw firsthand the interest in Indian goods. Yes, IT and pharma may face short-term pressure, but they're already exploring new, tariff-friendly markets." Ahuja warned that Washington's protectionist stance could have unintended consequences. "Such tariffs are inflationary. They may backfire on the US economy itself. In the long term, it's not sustainable." Pankaj Sharma, president of the Association of Trade and Industrial Undertakings (ATIU), said India should seize the moment. "This is a time to turn adversity into opportunity. The tariffs aren't India-specific — they affect many countries. Our govt should ramp up support for manufacturing and help Indian firms enter new global markets." He called for stronger policy support, including incentives to help exporters tap into emerging economies and underserved regions. "The Indian economy is not just surviving — it's adapting. And that's the hallmark of a living, breathing market." The remarks come as global economic tensions continue to rise, with supply chains still reeling from pandemic aftershocks and shifting geopolitical alignments. Indian industry, local leaders say, is determined not to be left behind. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !

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