Author Archives: montecyril

Age, they say, knows no barriers. It takes all people with equal animosity. And there can be no secret inheritance as far as the aphrodisiac for the fountain of eternal youth is concerned. Nor has all the science in the world enough knowhow to beat the scalp-scalder. Yet some people nurse little discretions against playingContinue reading “Just for laughs: Old is gold; well, not exactly “

Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen on Tuesday, 6 September 2022, warned that China is putting relentless pressure on the island nation through its intimidatory strategies using drones, incursions by war planes and ships, as well as “cognitive warfare”.  Speaking to soldiers during live-fire exercises, a day after the first notice of a Chinese military drone’s flightpath inContinue reading “China’s belligerence challenges US commitment to Taiwan “

China on Thursday, 1 September 2022, strongly denigrated a UN report on Xinjiang that stated that Beijing’s crackdown on ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang region may have constituted “serious human rights violations,” including possible crimes against humanity.  Liu Yuyin, spokesperson for the Chinese UN mission to Geneva, termed the alleged ‘assessment’ on Xinjiang as a “farce”Continue reading “China continues to snub international concern over treatment of Uyghurs “

It is not unseemly to cry when we are in despair  Our tears are only a giving vent to miserable fare  But would be wrong to make a mountain of a molehill  Or as a result of our troubles to perpetrate ill-will  That benevolence in words and deeds will rain on the deserving  If weContinue reading “Laughter and smiles: A poem “

While the war in Ukraine has now stretched on for over six months, the US is keen to prove to its Indo-Pacific allies that it has no less prioritised the region. In fact, it has sought to launch a counterpoise to China on three fronts – Taiwan, to the south; Japan to the east; and India,Continue reading “US aims to launch a three-pronged counterpoise to China “

In this dog-eat-dog world, the spoils are for those that win  Where cut-throat ruthlessness is the result of incorrigible sin  Opportunism becomes a deliberate weapon, not a mere whim  Even competition is aimed at creating monopolies above the din  How can we forget that we are simple minds dabbling in complications  That greed for victoryContinue reading “Survival of the fittest: A poem “

On 15 August 2021, the Taliban walked into Kabul without facing any resistance, effectively taking control of Afghanistan. This transpired because of the withdrawal of US troops from the country, following the Doha agreement between the Taliban and the US in 2020, leading to the collapse of the Western-backed government. US forces left Afghanistan after almostContinue reading “Afghanistan: Taliban, one year on; no place for women “

Sometimes to wonder why there’s tribulation so much  When with goodness our conscience is always in touch  As we reckon, we do not deserve the overwhelming suffering  And worry and lament that life is not worth its offerings  Those with consummate poise have a deep lustre within  And those that ignore integrity for gain, areContinue reading “It is only a lifetime: A poem “

On the night of 15 June 2020, in freezing temperatures, Chinese troops, armed with homemade weapons, including iron rods studded with spikes and wooden clubs wrapped with barbed wire, ambushed a battalion of Indian soldiers in the high altitude Galwan valley in eastern Ladakh, India’s northern-most territory. The attack left 20 Indian soldiers dead andContinue reading “India-China relations: trade with one hand, feud with the other “

Taiwan can heave a sigh of relief. China has ended its wargames in the Taiwan Strait that many speculated were a rehearsal to an actual invasion of Taiwan. But this relief is albeit temporary, as China has sworn that it is ready to “use all necessary means to reunify” the self-governed island with the mainland. Continue reading “A war over Taiwan would be pyrrhic to either side “