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Observer
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Observer
The Palestinian struggle: History's cruelty and the logic of brutality
The current Israeli leadership appears in no hurry to end the campaign of genocide and ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian people. On the contrary, it proceeds with arrogance and cruelty, descending into ever darker depths of brutality not seen since the massacres in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995, the genocide in Rwanda in 1994 between the Hutu and Tutsi tribes, and the atrocities committed by American forces during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Every day, hundreds of Palestinian martyrs fall - mostly children and women - yet their deaths are reduced to a passing item in international news coverage. Some Arab and Gulf media outlets even report such tragedies timidly, towards the end of their bulletins, perhaps after segments on the 'heat issue with the latest iPhone", or a celebrity break-up, or the latest Elie Saab fashion collection. This media behaviour is, unfortunately, unsurprising. It is consistent with the Israeli doctrine of power, sustained by Washington's political, military and logistical backing. The Israeli government continues its campaign of destruction and assassinations, seeking to erase the Palestinian cause from regional and global discourse through bombardment, starvation and siege. Such acts have become the very identity of the Israeli regime in its dealings with Palestinians, Arabs and Iranians — turning Palestinians into the diasporic tragedy of our age, scattered in refugee camps and exiled across the globe, reduced to a footnote on the margins of the Zionist project and the ambitions of some of its regional allies. The Guardian reported on July 7, 2025 that the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change has joined the post-war planning for Gaza. The plans include building a 'Trump Riviera' and an industrial zone named after Elon Musk, in partnership with Israeli businessmen. These proposals fall under US President Donald Trump's vision of turning occupied Palestinian land into a commercial resort. Meanwhile, the Palestinian political landscape remains fractured. The President of the Palestinian Authority has gone so far as to demand that Hamas lay down its arms - a move interpreted by many as a prelude to their extermination at the hands of Israeli forces. This signals the Palestinian leadership's continued entrapment in the mindset of factionalism, rather than adopting a unified ideology and strategy for comprehensive resistance. Their banners have become scattered, their voices fragmented by the agendas of regional patrons, foreign sponsors and ideological opportunists - unlike many historic liberation movements around the world. The wider Arab world is witnessing a surreal collapse. It is a descent into chaos not seen since the region gained independence following the Second World War. Still, an ironic twist in this grim context is the growing wave of ethical outrage in Europe, where public pressure is beginning to influence political discourse. Slogans such as 'Death to the IDF' have emerged. Western governments - some for the first time - are voicing criticism against the Israeli government. Even in the US, shifts in public sentiment suggest that the long-standing narrative around Israel and Palestine is beginning to unravel. Despite the bleak present - military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, apartheid walls, discriminatory laws, forced displacement, and the transformation of Gaza into the world's largest open-air prison - Israel is facing existential dilemmas. Its international isolation is deepening, and global human rights groups, including war crimes tribunals, are increasingly describing its conduct as genocidal. Internally, Israeli society is fragmenting. Political and societal divisions are widening, extremist factions have risen to power, and public trust in the state and its leadership is eroding. In contrast, a new generation of Palestinians is rising - fearless, with nothing left to lose, and unwilling to settle for anything less than dignity, justice and the right of return. Israel, as a colonial occupying force that thrives on violence, exclusion and American support, is not immune to collapse. The Middle East, with its storms and uprisings, offers many lessons. No state built on the ruins of an entire people can enjoy lasting security or peace. The recent Iranian ballistic missile strike on Tel Aviv stands as a stark reminder of the region's volatility and the price of injustice. YAHYA AL AUFI The writer is an Omani writer and translator Translated by Badr Al Dhafri The original version of this article was published in 'Oman' Arabic print edition of the newspaper on July 10
Economic Times
08-07-2025
- Climate
- Economic Times
1st or 3rd world, no discrimination here
You'd think natural calamities like floods won't leave death and destruction in their wake in the First World. Well, as the flash floods that have devastated Texas, killing more than 100 and leaving dozens, including children, missing, climate-induced natural disasters are a great leveller. More used to such tragedies occurring in our part of the world, the flash floods and landslides claiming almost 80 lives, with dozens missing, in Himachal Pradesh have been no less tragic. But the two disaster zones separated by thousands of miles have the same problems: geography, 'unnatural' rainfall, and unhelpful human intervention and lack of preparedness. And, yet, many governments like the US are deprioritising climate change, heralding what the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change calls the 'Apathy Era'. The Trump regime has drastically reduced funding for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and wants to 'eliminate' the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema). While nature's fury does not discriminate between rich, not-so-rich and poor nations, costs are far higher for developing countries. Even so, building resilience and minimising losses from climate-induced extreme weather events has now become a concern for the developed world as well. The sequence of events leading to the Texas floods is eerily familiar - a slow-moving storm bringing intense rainfall, overwhelming riverbanks, and inundating small towns with water that rose faster than many could escape. No country can afford to disregard climate risk in its economic and policy calculus. Strengthening infra and integrating climate risk into planning and construction, improving weather forecasting, and investing in robust early warning systems are critical.
India Today
04-07-2025
- Business
- India Today
Oxford India Forum: Students should not see AI as challenge but as opportunity, says Rajeev Chandrasekhar
As the world enters the era of generative AI, with tools like ChatGPT and Gemini taking over the world, there is a real fear that these technologies will undermine the future of young students who are currently in colleges or are just coming out of their professional courses. As the Oxford India Forum held a panel discussion on AI and its role in the society, the conversation also addressed these concerns. advertisementThe panel discussion was attended by Rajeev Chandrashekhar, former IT Minister, Sameer Chauhan, Director UNICC, and Vikram Doraiswami, who is the High Commissioner of India in the UK. One of the key questions during the discussion, which was moderated by Prachetas Bhatnagar, who is Head of Strategy and Operations, Policy and Politics at Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, revolved around the anxiety among college students regarding the impact of AI on their careers. Replying to a question, Chandrashekhar said that AI would definitely bring big changes. 'AI is going to change the landscape of what we see as work. AI is changing the landscape of what we understand as innovation. (Earlier) I think search in many, many ways changed the dynamics and landscape of talent and who did well and who did not do so well at work,' he said. Then he elaborated that this would mean stark changes at workplaces. 'AI is going to take (change) to the next level. It's going to be an extremely deep change in the workflows. And the concept of talent and skills at work is going to be reimagined in ways that we cannot today understand,' he said. Yet, within the change there is the opportunity. 'I always tell students, don't underestimate the power of AI or how you will work and how you will succeed or fail,' said Chandrashekhar. 'And don't overestimate the hyperbole of AI and get threatened by it and see this as a challenge rather than an opportunity.'The discussion around AI was not just limited to its impact on careers or on workplaces. In the same discussion, the panelists also discussed the way forward for India as far as deep tech and AI is concerned, the concept of tech sovereignty and the social impact of AI, particularly around misinformation. 'If you think misinformation in the world of social media is a problem, that is going to look like a walk in the park when you see what's going to happen down the road with AI,' said Chandrashekhar.- Ends
The Hindu
25-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Tony Blair praises Revanth's vision for Telangana
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has received appreciation from Tony Blair, Executive Chairman of The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. In a letter dated June 23, the former British Prime Minister expressed his admiration for the Chief Minister's 'Rising Telangana Vision 2047' and pledged to collaborate with the State government to translate these priorities into tangible outcomes. Mr. Blair mentioned that he was impressed by the clarity and ambition of the vision and has assigned Vivek Agarwal, India Country Director of the Institute, to work with the Chief Minister's office. The Institute aims to explore practical ways to support the State government's initiatives and bring benefits to the people of Telangana. The State government entered into a partnership with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBIGC) for the Telangana Rising vision and its implementation on June 19.
Time of India
25-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Mini ‘AI missions' sprout in states boosting adoption and innovation
Indian states are launching AI missions to drive innovation, enhance public services, and boost local economies. From Rajasthan to Odisha and Telangana, states are creating policies, funding infrastructure, and enabling AI adoption. While challenges like limited budgets and skill gaps persist, this decentralised push aligns with India's broader, enablement-focused tech strategy. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads A host of mini 'AI missions' are cropping up to support AI innovation, boost adoption in critical sectors, and make public service delivery more efficient in the this month, Rajasthan released its draft AI policy with financial incentives for AI innovation, provisions to set up data and compute platforms, and ethical principles. Maharashtra approved the MahaAgri-AI policy to transform the sector with this technology. A dedicated AI policy is being chalked out to 'embrace AI in all walks of life', chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had said in May, the Odisha government announced the Odisha AI Mission with plans to provide compute capacity, access to datasets, and enable use case development. Haryana approved Rs 474 crores for the Haryana AI Development Project to support critical AI infrastructure , workforce transition, and AI in public service was an early mover, announcing an AI mission back in 2020. Its AI strategy released last year includes subsidised compute and a 200-acre 'AI city' near Hyderabad.'As more states step into this journey, it strengthens the collective momentum, and we are proud to be leading with both clarity and conviction,' Telangana IT minister D Sridhar Babu told ET.'The aim is to be aligned with and complement the IndiaAI Mission ,' a Rajasthan official told ET. 'Taking AI to the grassroots requires state-level initiatives, as states carry out a large number of citizen services.'A huge amount of data, especially in regional languages and dialects, sits with state governments. This can aid in AI training to solve local problems more effectively and inclusively, they shrinking economic headroom and rising citizen expectations, states are recognising that integrating AI into public service delivery enables cost reduction and faster delivery, said Vivek Agarwal, country director-India, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, a policy advisory organisation that works with various state also see how the technology is reshaping the industrial and employment landscape and 'states that fail to embrace AI risk being left behind in the 'new' economy,' Agarwal like Rajasthan and Odisha leaning in signals that AI isn't just for India's IT corridors, said Vinay Butani, Partner, Economic Laws Practice. 'Having their own policies ensures that innovation is not just top-down, but also rooted in local needs and realities.'Although most of these policies also cover responsible AI principles, they don't impose strict regulatory curbs or penalties for non-compliance.'This approach mirrors India's broader tech policy ethos: enablement over regulation,' said Jameela Sahiba, associate director-AI & public affairs, The Dialogue. 'There is growing soft competition among states to emerge as AI-friendly destinations. This is akin to the startup policy race of the 2010s.'Tamil Nadu in its 2024-2025 budget allocated Rs 14 crore for two years for its AI mission and Kerala's investing Rs 10 crore for a GPU set up an AI task force last year to outline an action plan, which has almost been finalised, said Mona Khandhar, principal secretary, department of science and technology, Gujarat. The focus areas include providing GPU compute, building Gujarati language AI models, and developing use cases for government is studying the impact of AI on its workforce to guide its upcoming IT states face initial challenges of infrastructure availability, skill gaps, funding and investment, population scale roll out of use cases to drive adoption, and managing bias and fairness aspects, said Anurag Dua, partner, EY India'Many state missions began with seed budgets in the low tens of crores of rupees, which threaten to run dry before large-scale pilots prove their worth,' cautioned Sreeram A, partner, Deloitte India.
