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Podcast: Mohsin Hamid on a 'Pakistan-like' Trend in America

Novelist Mohsin Hamid in Lahore, summer 2011.
Policy

The author of 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist' turns a jaundiced eye on the United States. 

August 31st by Christopher Lydon | Comments

Podcast: Ali Dayan Hasan: 'The Rule of Law is Non-negotiable'

Ali Dayan Hasan, at home in Lahore, summer 2011.
Policy

This is the latest installment of a series of podcasts entitled Another Pakistan, a co-production of the Asia Society and the Watson Institute at Brown University. Click here to learn more. Scroll to the end of this post to listen to the podcast.

August 30th by Christopher Lydon | Comments

From The King's Speech to Learning Chinese

(www.whitehouse.gov)
Education

Vice President Joseph Biden recently said to his audience at Sichuan University that "I would rather be able to honor you and show my respect for you by speaking your language, as you honor me by speaking mine."

August 26th by Jeff Wang | Comments

Asia-Pacific Women Make Big Gains on Forbes 'Most Powerful' List

Clockwise, from upper left: Indra Nooyi; Julia Gillard; Yingluck Shinawatra; Aung San Suu Kyi.
Lifestyle

Are Asia-Pacific women becoming more powerful? Or is the rest of the world finally just taking notice? If you take stock in lists like Forbes' "World's Most Powerful Women" — and we know that you do — it appears women from the region are increasingly considered forces to be reckoned with.

August 25th by Shreeya Sinha | Comments

Welcome Back to the Industrial Revolution

(San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive/Flickr)
Sustainability

The latest turmoil in global stock markets following Standard & Poor’s decision to downgrade its rating of the United States government has led many to fear another serious economic downturn. We asked our Sustainability Roundtable  what hopes might exist for global cooperation on sustainability issues like food security, energy policy, and climate change in a renewed economic crisis? Is it possible for any of these issues to play an important part of international policy discussions?

August 25th by Adam Moser | Comments

Asia Society Remembers Bangladeshi Director Tareque Masud, 1956-2011

<i>Clay Bird</i> director Tareque Masud (R) wins the prize for best script with his wife Catherine Masud (L) at the closing ceremony of the 2nd Marrakesh International Film Festival in Marrakesh, Morocco on Sept. 22, 2002. (Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
Arts

Asia Society notes with sadness the passing of Bangladeshi filmmaker Tareque Masud, who was killed in a traffic accident near Dhaka, Bangladesh, on August 13, at the age of 54.

August 25th by Jeff Tompkins | Comments

Podcast: Ayesha Jalal, Part II - What Would Manto Say?

Historian Ayesha Jalal with Iqbal Hussain's painting of two ladies of the night in Lahore (cover art on a Penguin Classics edition of Manto's stories).
Arts

Ayesha Jalal revisits the work of Manto (1912-1955), one of Pakistan's greatest writers, and finds it almost disturbingly relevant today.

August 24th by Christopher Lydon | Comments

Vietnam Tries to Put Anti-China Genie Back Into the Bottle

Vietnamese protesters shout anti-China slogans at a rally in central Hanoi on Aug. 14, 2011. About 100 people took to Hanoi's streets to protest against Beijing's territorial ambitions in the South China Sea. (Hoang Dinh Nam/AFP/Getty Images)
Policy

On Sunday, the Vietnamese government rounded up and jailed dozens of demonstrators in Hanoi, trying to end a summer of weekly anti-China rallies related to the Spratly Island disputes.

August 24th by John Ciorciari | Comments

Naoto Kan's Resignation Leaves Japan in Leadership Vacuum

Former Japanese foreign minister Seiji Maehara declared his candidacy at the National Diet in Tokyo on Aug. 23, 2011 to replace Naoto Kan as prime minister next week. (Jiji Press/AFP/Getty Images)
Policy

Naoto Kan's resignation will bring Japan its sixth Prime Minister in five years. 

August 24th by Ayako Doi | Comments

'Savvy Strategist' Anna Hazare and India's Fed-Up Middle Class

Indian activist Anna Hazare gestures to his supporters during his anti-corruption hunger strike in New Delhi on Aug. 21, 2011. (Sajjad Hussain/AFP/Getty Images)
Policy

Will the Gandhian activist succeed in creating a politically engaged middle class?

August 23rd by Mira Kamdar | Comments

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