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The West's Post-Cold War Mirage: Miscalculations, Shifting Alliances, and the Rise of a Multipolar World

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The West's Post-Cold War Mirage: Miscalculations, Shifting Alliances, and the Rise of a Multipolar World   The end of the Cold War in 1991 was hailed as the triumph of liberal democracy and market capitalism, ushering in an era of unipolar American dominance. Western leaders, buoyed by Francis Fukuyama's "End of History" thesis, assumed that former adversaries like Russia and China would inevitably converge toward Western models through economic interdependence and institutional integration. This optimism drove policies such as NATO expansion, China's WTO accession, and a "peace dividend" that reduced military spending in favor of global trade. However, these calculations overlooked deep-seated nationalisms, security anxieties, and the potential for authoritarian resurgence. By 2026, the world has fractured into multipolar realities: a resurgent Russia allied with China, challenging Western sanctions; India navigating strategic autonomy amid U.S. tar...
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The Shadow Deal: Unraveling the Myths and Machinations Behind Osama bin Laden's Final Hideout

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The Shadow Deal: Unraveling the Myths and Machinations Behind Osama bin Laden's Final Hideout   In the dead of night on May 2, 2011, American Navy SEALs stormed a fortified compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, ending the decade-long hunt for Osama bin Laden with a hail of bullets. This operation, codenamed Neptune Spear, wasn't just a military triumph; it exposed the rotten core of international alliances, where sovereign nations like Pakistan—nuclear-armed and ostensibly allied with the U.S.—harbored the world's most wanted terrorist under the guise of incompetence or outright complicity. The raid's success hinged on stealth technology, dubious backroom deals, and a web of lies that served both Washington and Islamabad. But peel back the layers, and you'll find contradictions galore: was it technological wizardry or a staged handover? Incompetence or calculated betrayal? This article dives into the mission's geography, timeline, tech, and the shadowy geopoliti...
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India's Uneven exchange with Energy Exporters: Deficits, Diversification, and the Diaspora Lifeline

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India's Uneven exchange with Energy Exporters: Deficits, Diversification, and the Diaspora Lifeline   India's trade relations with energy-exporting giants like the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations and Russia paint a picture of stark imbalances, flickering opportunities, and stubborn realities. On one hand, India guzzles imported oil and gas to fuel its booming economy, racking up massive deficits—$65 billion with the GCC and $59 billion with Russia in FY 2024-25 alone. Exports, from pharmaceuticals to engineering goods, lag far behind, outgunned by China's dominance and ASEAN's agility. Yet, glimmers of progress emerge: surging services, targeted FTAs, and labor mobility pacts that leverage India's human capital. Remittances from the GCC's 10 million-strong Indian diaspora provide a vital buffer, injecting $30-40 billion annually. But contradictions abound—pharma's global prowess falters in these markets due to regulatory mazes, while ambitious 203...
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India's CPI Overhaul: Navigating the Shift to a 2024 Base Year Amid Economic Evolution and Policy Reckoning

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India's CPI Overhaul: Navigating the Shift to a 2024 Base Year Amid Economic Evolution and Policy Reckoning   In February 2026, India unveiled a revamped Consumer Price Index (CPI) with a 2024 base year, marking a seismic shift from the outdated 2012 framework. This update, driven by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), aims to mirror the spending habits of a rapidly modernizing populace—where streaming subscriptions trump staple grains in budgetary relevance. Yet, this isn't just statistical housekeeping; it's a candid acknowledgment that the old index was a relic, prone to wild swings from onion prices while ignoring gym fees or rural rents. The inaugural January 2026 reading clocked in at 2.75%, a jump from the prior 1.3% under the old series, sparking debates on whether this signals hotter inflation or merely a recalibrated lens. As the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) grapples with policy implications, this overhaul exposes contradictions: ap...
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