Whether democracy is a precondition for development is a debate that continues to stimulate scholarly reflection till the present day. While this intellectual reflection is praiseworthy, the discussion could have been settled long ago when Amartya Sen redefined the concept of ‘development’ as ‘freedom’– a notion that strongly resonates with the human spirit.
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Technology and innovation are emerging dimensions of climate discourse in contemporary times. Climate technologies are rapidly becoming instrumental in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapting to the detrimental impacts of climate change. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology has the potential to expedite endeavours towards climate change mitigation in environmentally vulnerable countries.
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The nature of Indo-Pak relations has been turbulent right from the onset. Numerous events have influenced the trajectory of this bilateral relationship over time. In this regard, February 2019 stands out as both countries were on the verge of military escalation and nearly went to war, was it not for the foresight and restraint of Pakistan’s leadership.
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The Pakistan Air Force (PAF), known for its forward-thinking approach, has consistently embraced cutting-edge technologies, boasting a fleet composed of advanced aircraft. Currently, the PAF operates two formidable ‘J series’ fighters: the JF-17 and J-10C, alongside other potent fighters like the US F-16, French Mirage, and Chinese F-7P (originally J-7) aircraft.
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A grand Hindu temple – Ram Mandir – has been inaugurated in the Indian city of Ayodhya. The Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, attended – or led (as he would like history books to remember) – the consecration along with other Bharatiya Janata Party stalwarts, leaders from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and even Modi’s opponents from the Congress.
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The 2024 election in Pakistan deserves praise for three reasons: the spirited participation of the people, including women and young voters; the largely secure environment in which voters gathered; and the confirmation of the people’s commitment to a democratic process. What is also worth noting, however, is the technologically primitive nature of the electoral process, as if we were voting in 1924 rather than in 2024.
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Contrary to general perception, in recent years, the tech sector has entered a rather turbulent phase, marked by massive layoffs. 2022 witnessed a staggering 649% increase in layoffs, which continued to manifest itself in the subsequent year. The first quarter of 2023 witnessed a peak in layoffs and the tech industry underwent its most significant contraction in the last ten years, with the loss of more than 240,000 jobs.
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In response to Hamas’s attack on 7th October, 2023, Israel has unleashed a fatal onslaught on the Gaza Strip. In these brutal attacks, Israel is not even sparing innocent children and infants. According to Save the Children, in the last 100 days or so, more than 10,000 children have been killed due to Israeli airstrikes and ground operations.
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We live in an era where it is common to see AI-generated content with political undertones on social media. Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools like DALL E, ChatGPT etc. help create content in a format of one’s choosing: audio, video or text. Proliferation of these tools have raised concerns about their misuse to spread disinformation.
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At the World Climate Action Summit of the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, 22 countries signed a declaration pledging to triple nuclear power capacity by 2050 in a bid to cut reliance on fossil fuels. Experts have pointed out that, ‘the pledge is completely, utterly unrealistic.’
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