More than a game: The India-England draw sounds more tame than the match was. What might have been is of course speculation but as numbers go, it was advantage India. The next Test is not far off this Thursday but quite other than what was seen of the game, and the statistics, the friction between the two teams rose and rose, and who’s to say how much worse it could get beyond the high bristling level at present.
Gen Barrons calls Afghan troop withdrawal ‘strategic mistake’: The former head of the UK Joint Forces Command, Gen Sir Richard Barrons, has warned that the Western allies have “sold the future of Afghanistan.” He spoke to the BBC after the Taliban captured five cities in three days. Gen Barrons called the withdrawal of US and British troops “a strategic mistake” and said “I don’t believe it’s in our interest”. The warning comes too late.
Pak activists at risk in Britain: The police in the UK have warned of new plots to target Pakistani dissidents in Britain. Those critical of Pakistan’s military have particularly been warned to be careful. Last month Mohammed Gohir Khan from East London was charged with conspiring to murder a Pakistani activist critical of the military who is based in The Netherlands. The police believe other groups as well are around in Europe to try to silence Pakistani critics.
The hot topic: The new IPCC report, the most extensive study yet into climate change, based on more than 14,000 scientific studies, has pointed “unequivocally” to emissions as a result of human activity as a cause of climate change; the last five years have been the hottest since 1850. The biggest culprit is coal, and one of its biggest users, India. India skipped the last climate change meet, but can’t the big one coming up in Glasgow. That is pointing to a major confrontation building up between India and the rest, in any case, India and the West.
India-UK air travel set to skyrocket: A surge in bookings after the end of the red-listing for travel to the UK means that airlines will now have to, and want to, schedule more flights. Not only can Indian citizens now travel to the UK without having to spend days in near prison-like conditions by way of quarantine, but they can also now travel economy class without paying business class fares in effect when you count in the cost of quarantine.
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