The hysteria surrounding the outbreak of H1N1, or the more colloquial and misrepresentative name �€˜Swine Flu�€™, has dominated the national and perhaps less so, global psyche for a few months. The rate at which the virus has spread has been disproportionate to the media coverage received in India, which has not shied from painting a virtual apocalyptic scenario �€“ understandable, given their fixation for maximizing TRP ratings. 

Cities today make up a sizeable share of the Middle East. More than half of the population (300 million) in the Arab world lives in cities. In fact, after Latin America, the Middle East boasts the fastest rate of urbanization amongst the developing world. 

Afghanistan�€™s elections are a complicated exercise in democracy. A raging insurgency in the south threatened to close voting centers, and cut of the fingers of those who have had the courage to vote and sport the indelible ballot ink. Despite these threats, people came out, albeit in small numbers, to express their desire for change. 

Energy security is important for India, which is largely dependent on fossil fuel imports to foster its economic growth. According to the World Energy Outlook report, India will become the third largest net importer of oil before 2025 after the United States and China. This will not be sustainable in the long run given the high volatility of international crude oil prices. 

For the last few months, Pakistan has witnessed a series of problems, both internally and externally. These events, starting from the refusal to reinstate the judges to the eventual successful long march; the Army offensive and the corresponding IDP problems and then the Musharraf verdict, will now start taking a serious tone as the country braces itself for its most turbulent period in recent times. The next six to eight months for Pakistan will actually determine in which direction the country will head. It will also determine the future of individual important players in a country where the theory of probability actually goes for a toss. 

After winning the election in November of ���08, Barack Obama set out to form the best team to run policy in America in what was an increasingly troubling time, both within the country and in the rest of the world. As talk turned to one of the highest profiles in the new cabinet, Secretary of State, Obama achieved a coup of sorts by recruiting Hillary Clinton, former presidential rival and First Lady. Where people had hoped for her to be Vice President, they felt that she would be an even more effective Secretary of State and lend the Obama team some much needed experience. 

Two transformative books - Robert Frenay�€™s "Pulse" and  Julie Catterson Lindahl�€™s "On My Swedish Island"-  begin at two different ends , but arrive at the same conclusion that nature will be the final frontier of politics...

When I began my career as a young researcher a little over two decades ago, I concentrated on South Asian Regional Cooperation. I had the privilege to attend the Second SAARC Summit in Bangalore, which was an exhilarating experience for someone who had just started a research career....