Sacred Water: The U.N. issued a report warning that three of South Asia's largest river basins (the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna, the Indus, and the Helmand) are at great risk. Environmental News Network Army Green: $3.6 billion of the economic-stimulus package is slated to go toward greening the m...

BLOG Links for the Week -- February 14, 2009 "25 things about me" collage; thanks to Pete McGregor for #25; all other photos except #8, #10, #16 by the author Mindmap as Course/Conference Curriculum: My friend Geoff has done something important, world-changing: He has used a mindmap (a tool cal...

Relaxing one evening last week at the Cuckoo's Cafe, a rooftop restaurant in the heart of the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, Barack Obama's special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan seemed on the point of causing a major incident. As ever in the region, there had been no warning. The weather was ...

Water is back in the China-related news lately - and that's almost always a bad sign. Most recently, we have had stories about the grinding North China drought; this may be the worst since the late 50s drought that exacerbated the Great Leap Forward famine. A bit earlier, we had the report of credib...

Located north of Islamabad, Abbottabad town is surrounded by lofty peaks and pine scented air. Among Pakistan's towns and cities, Abbottabad -- small, neat and clean in a spacious valley -- is a rarity. Apart from being famous for its educational institutions and Pakistan Military Academy, Abbottaba...

Sri Lanka: Reign of Anomy An Essay on the Ethnic Conflict Charles P Sarvan An earlier version of this essay was published in 2007 by Centurion Media, India Content page Preface Essay Bibliography Appendix 1 Asoka not a Buddhist?Appendix 2 The term ‘Racism’ and DiscourseAppendix 3 Made alien at h...

"QUANTUM SHOT" #519 Link - by Avi Abrams Wicked Routes in Pakistan, Romania, Ethiopia and Germany. Yes, Germany. "Last road to see before you die" for mad motorists and visual candy for location-starved Hollywood producers: depending on your driving experience (not on your "Need for Speed" scores) a...

Pakistan receives a large number of migratory birds from Europe and Central Asian States every year. These birds spend the winters in Pakistan and go back to their native habitats in the summers. The route these birds take from Siberia to Pakistan is known as International Migratory Birds' Route Num...

Novels 1. The Outlanders (Ecco, 2008) / Gil Adamson 2. The Wasted Vigil (Faber & Faber, 2008) / Nadeem Aslam 3. The Elegance of the Hedgehog (trans. from the French by Alison Anderson) (Gallic Books/Europa Editions, 2008) / Muriel Barbery 4. The Secret Scripture (Faber & Faber/Viking Penguin...

Name Jhelum reminds of Alexander from Macedonian who came to the South Asia sometime in 326 BC. He moved from Taxila of Raja Ambhi, whom he subdued without fight, to Kalar Kahar. From there he moved over the Salt Range, turning left, along the western bank of River Jhelum, which he called Hydaspes. ...