In October 1988, Salman Rushdie wrote to the then Indian prime minister, Rajiv Gandhi, expressing his disappointment that Indian democracy had become a joke after the government banned the import of his controversial novel, The Satanic Verses. Fast forward 36 years, and it seems that the author may have the last laugh as the ban … Read more
An Israeli military official told the BBC that a deadly strike was carried out on a five-story residential building in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza on Tuesday in response to spotting a “spotter” on the roof with binoculars observing Israeli forces. Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said more than 90 Palestinians, including 25 children, were killed … Read more
A senior Volkswagen executive has been deported from China, dealing another blow to the German group’s efforts to maintain its presence in the world’s largest car market. Jochen Sengpiehl, VW’s chief marketing officer and head of product strategy for China, was detained in China for about 10 days before being deported back to Germany. According … Read more
“The property market remains the biggest drag on China’s growth,” said Lynn Song, chief economist for greater China at banking giant ING. “New investment is unlikely to see a substantive recovery until prices stabilize and housing inventories decline… until then property will remain a notable headwind to growth.” Earlier on Friday, China’s central bank said … Read more
The US federal prosecutors have charged an Indian government official with orchestrating a plot to murder a Sikh activist in New York City, which could potentially escalate tensions with New Delhi. The Department of Justice has accused Vikash Yadav, described as a “senior field officer” in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration, of directing a “murder-for-hire” … Read more