Kashmir Crisis

India's restive Jammu and Kashmir state is again facing crisis following the death of chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on 7 January.

His daughter and heir apparent Mehbooba Mufti (above) has so far declined to take the oath as his successor, pushing the state under federal rule. 

Mr Sayeed was heading a tricky coalition with India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) - one he stitched together following intense back-door and open negotiations.

In the 2014 state assembly elections, the BJP won 25 seats in the Hindu-dominated Jammu region, while Mr Sayeed's People's Democratic Party (PDP) won 28 in predominantly Muslim Kashmir. 

The BJP is perceived as being anti-Muslim by a majority of Kashmiris, and in stitching together the coalition, the PDP ran the real risk of alienating its vote bank.

However, Mr Sayeed justified the alliance, saying he wished to reconnect the religiously divergent regions of Jammu and Kashmir. "I cannot contribute to further dividing the state on communal lines," he told me last year. 

At the time, Mr Sayeed not only chose to ignore the popular perception that joining hands with the BJP would open Kashmir to the Hindu nationalist RSS, he went the extra mile by praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and terming him "not at all communal".

He assured the people of Kashmir that the coalition would deliver its promises, listed out in a document called "The Agenda of Alliance". 

However, 10 months of the PDP-BJP rule has not yielded much. 

A compensation package to help people affected by the devastating floods of September 2014 was delayed until November 2015 and, when it finally did come, it was not enough. 

Apart from a package for Kashmiri Pandits - Kashmiri Hindus who were forced out of the region in the 1990s - and another for refugees from Pakistan-administered Kashmir, all other issues in the document have been ignored. 

Although PDP leader Naeem Akhtar has called the document "sacrosanct", the BJP does not seem to regard it that way. 

Party members have even gone so far as to challenge Article 35A of the Indian constitution, which bestows special identity on Indian-administered Kashmir - although the document vows to preserve it. 

They have also made several contentious statements on Article 370 which gives Kashmir autonomous status. 

Given that this is the "baggage" Ms Mufti will have to deal with when she steps into her father's shoes, she is in a serious dilemma.

Insiders believe Ms Mufti - a vocal opposition leader so far - will always be restless while her party is in power. 

They say that she was against the alliance with the BJP, but could not express her opposition because of her father.

Today the party has authorized her to decide the future of the alliance.

Sunday Funnies

TOO COOL

T. G. I. F. Solitude

Cold Wars are Lovely

Speaking at the annual Munich Security Conference at the weekend, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev claimed that Europe was "rapidly rolling into a period of a new cold war".

"Russia," he said, "has been presented as well-nigh the biggest threat to Nato, or to Europe, America and other countries. 

"I am sometimes confused," he went on. "Is this 2016 or 1962?" 

Just a few days earlier in Washington, the director of the US National Intelligence Agency, James Clapper, was giving evidence on "worldwide threats" to the influential Senate Armed Services Committee. 

"I think the Russians fundamentally are paranoid about Nato," he said. "We could be into another Cold War-like spiral here." 

So from both the Russians and the Americans come claims of a renewed cold war. Tensions between Russia and the West are certainly bad. 

The Russian annexation of Crimea initiated the chill which turned frosty over Ukraine and is now getting steadily worse due to very different perceptions as to what should be done about the human catastrophe in Syria. 

So it all looks a little like a new cold war, but is it really one? Nobody should underestimate the depth of the differences between Russia and the West nor the potential danger to which they may lead. 

But hindsight is a funny thing. Commentators and politicians alike prefer the familiar. 

If something can be referenced to a similar situation in the past it appears easier to understand and the policy implications seemingly suggest themselves.

Where is the threat of world war leading to nuclear annihilation? 

Russia, it is said by many in government, potentially threatens the Baltic Republics. 

Nato has got itself in a spin over a supposedly new kind of warfare seemingly practiced by the Russians - so-called hybrid war - blurring the boundaries between peace and conflict. 

It is true that Russia - through its satellite channels, its funding of curious political forces in the West and so on - seeks to create a counter-culture to the prevailing Western view. In this it has had modest success. 

But this is a pale shadow of the propaganda activities of Soviet days, nor are there the legions of the wrong but well-meaning supporters who saw in Soviet communism the salvation of mankind. 

Or, maybe it is just a big dog, lifting up its leg and pissing on its owner's prize flowers just to get a little bit of attention.

German Confidence Dropping

German business confidence suffered its steepest drop since 2008, according to a widely watched survey by Ifo institute.

The fall, the third in a row, left the Ifo business climate index at 105.7 from 107.3 in January. Economists had forecast a slip to 106.8.

The fall is being blamed on a drop in demand for German goods in emerging markets.

It leaves business morale at its lowest level in more than a year. 

The survey, which is based on monthly responses from around 7,000 firms in Germany, suggests that companies are concerned about the economic outlook for the next six months. 

Europe's largest economy has suffered from a drop in demand from emerging markets in Asia and Latin America, 

Carsten Brzeski of ING Bank said the numbers were a "wake up call". He added that "global events have finally reached German companies' boardrooms".

German companies have been relying on a strong US economy to offset the falling exports to China, Brazil and other emerging markets.

Ifo President Hans-Werne Sinn said the outlook for the German economy was worrying.

"The majority of companies were pessimistic about their business outlook for the first time in over six months."

Germany is the largest national economy in Europe, the fourth-largest by nominal GDP in the world, and fifth by GDP (PPP). 

The country is a founding member of the European Union and the Eurozone.

The socio-economic policy of Germany is based on the concept of the social market economy.

Germany is rich in timber, iron ore, potash, salt, uranium, nickel, copper and natural gas. 

Energy in Germany is sourced predominantly by fossil fuels (50%), followed by nuclear power second, then gas, wind, biomass (wood and biofuels), hydro and solar. 

Germany is the first major industrialized nation to commit to the renewable energy transition called Energiewende. 

Germany is the leading producer of wind turbines in the world. Renewables now produce over 27% of electricity consumed in Germany.

Angela Merkel, Germany's first female chancellor, won a third term in September 2013, leading her conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) to victory and only narrowly failing to secure an outright majority.

The CDU's election campaign focused on Mrs Merkel's image as a safe pair of hands amid financial turmoil in Europe.

Germany's competitive television market is the largest in Europe, with some 34 million TV households.

The many regional and national public broadcasters - organized in line with the federal political structure - vie for audiences with powerful commercial operators. 

Each of the 16 regions regulates its own private and public broadcasting.

Around 90% of German households have cable or satellite TV, and viewers enjoy a comprehensive mix of free-to-view public and commercial channels. 

This has acted as a brake on the development of pay-TV.

Ballet lives

Boat Sinking Kills Refugees

Police are searching for survivors after a boat capsized off the coast of Malaysia, killing at least 13 people, officials say.

Police say the bodies of nine women and four men were found washed up on a beach in Johor state early on Tuesday.

Those on board were thought to be illegal migrants or workers from Indonesia, they added.

Thousands of Indonesians work illegally in plantations and other industries in Malaysia.

They often risk dangerous sea journeys to bypass border controls when they enter Malaysia or return home. 

District police chief Rahmat Othman said he believed up to 35 people could have been on board the boat, and a search and rescue operation was under way.

An Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman told Reuters that "ID cards from Indonesia" were found on the bodies of the 13 victims.

Accidents off Malaysia's coast are relatively common as illegal migrants try to find work in the relatively affluent country.

It is also a key transit hub for asylum seekers fleeing unrest in their own countries, such as in Myanmar, also known as Burma.

Malaysia has its origins in the Bangla kingdoms present in the area which, from the 18th century, became subject to the British Empire. 

The first British territories were known as the Straits Settlements, whose establishment was followed by the Malay kingdoms becoming British protectorates. 

The territories on Peninsular Malaysia were first unified as the Malayan Union in 1946. 

Malaya was restructured as the Federation of Malaya in 1948, and achieved independence on 31 August 1957.

Malaya united with North Borneo, Sarawak, and Singapore on 16 September 1963. Less than two years later in 1965, Singapore was expelled from the federation.

The country is multi-ethnic and multi-cultural, which plays a large role in politics. The constitution declares Islam the state religion while allowing freedom of religion for non-Muslims. 

Since its independence, Malaysia has had one of the best economic records in Asia, with its GDP growing at an average of 6.5% per annum for almost 50 years. 

The economy has traditionally been fueled by its natural resources, but is expanding in the sectors of science, tourism, commerce and medical tourism. Today, 

Malaysia has a newly industrialized market economy, ranked third largest in Southeast Asia and 29th largest in the world.

Hump Day Art

Marcello Petisci (above) is a Belgian painter whose hyper-realist paintings mesmerize with their meticulous attention to detail, unfolding narrative and emotive depictions. 

His canvases, which often portray vintage cars in unconventional situations, succeed in appearing both real and fantastical, like snapshots from a dream.
 

Architecture Banned

The Chinese government has issued a new directive banning "bizarre architecture", and criticizing some of the "over-sized, xeno-centric, weird" buildings in the country.

China has seen a number of architectural gems springing up in recent years, including one building shaped like a teapot and another that has been likened to a pair of trousers.

Under the new directive, buildings are to be "economical, functional, aesthetically pleasing" and "environmentally friendly". 

Here is a selection of the more adventurous buildings that have been developed.

 On the outskirts of Changsha in southern China stands a new tower. Its size is modest by Chinese standards. 

At a mere 204m it's less than a third of the height of Shanghai's tallest. Its blocky glass and steel form may be unlikely to win any architectural beauty awards. 

But what is startling is the speed at which it was built. A time-lapse video shows it shoot up at the rate of three storys per day. 

For the man behind it, Zhang Yue (left), this is only the beginning. 

“Humans have experienced revolutions in industry, agriculture, transportation and information, but not yet in buildings,” says the handbook of the company he founded, Broad Group. 

Here now comes the revolution.”

The revolution will be modular, Zhang insists. Mini Sky City was assembled from thousands of factory-made steel modules, slotted together like Meccano. 

It's a method he says is not only fast, but also safe and cheap. 

Now he wants to drop the “Mini” and use the same technique to build the world’s tallest skyscraper, Sky City. 

While the current record holder, the 828m-high Burj Khalifa in Dubai, took five years to “top out”, Zhang says his proposed 220-storey “vertical city” will take only seven months - four for the foundations, and three for the tower itself. 

And it will be 10m taller. 

But if that was not enough, Zhang Yue wants nothing less than to reimagine the whole urban environment. 

He has a vision of a future where his company makes a third of the world's buildings – all modular, all steel, and all green. 

“The biggest problem we face in the world right now isn't terrorism or world war. It's climate change,” he says.

Eurozone in Trouble

Leaving the European Union would threaten jobs and put the UK's economy at risk, leaders of some of Britain's biggest companies have said.

Bosses - including those of BT, Marks & Spencer and Vodafone - signed a letter published in the Times, saying an EU exit would deter investment in the UK.

Leave campaigners point out two-thirds of FTSE 100 firms, including Tesco and Sainsbury, did not back the letter.

A referendum on whether the UK should stay in the EU will be held on 23 June.

David Cameron earlier took questions from employees of mobile phone giant O2, one of the signatories of the letter, at its headquarters in Slough, on the first of a series of tour events to sell his pro-EU message to voters. 

The move is designed to reach beyond Westminster and the emerging divisions within the Tory party. 

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson, the most high-profile politician to back EU exit, has urged people to focus on the issues and played down talk of ill feeling between him and the PM, saying "team spirit" within the party was good.

In a move described by No 10 as "unprecedented", chairmen or chief executives of 36 FTSE 100 companies signed the letter, organised by Stronger in Europe and Downing Street, backing the campaign to stay in the EU, including Burberry, BAE Systems and EasyJet. 

The FTSE bosses were among a total of 198 signatories from the business world, including the chief executives of Heathrow and Gatwick airports.

However, nearly two-thirds of the UK's largest publicly listed businesses did not sign, including RBS and Barclays.

Asked about why the majority of FTSE 100 companies did not sign the letter, Mr Cameron said companies were often reluctant to "make any form of political statement".

But he added: "If the leave campaign could produce 35 business leaders of this sort of stature they'd be over the moon and I don't think they have the prospect of doing that with FTSE 100 leaders in any way."

On Boris Johnson's decision to campaign against him, the prime minister said he had "huge respect" for the London Mayor and he had "great future in British politics" but added: "He has got it wrong on this one."

Light colors

Amazon River Polluted

At least 3,000 barrels of crude oil have been spilled in an Amazonian region after leaks from Peru's main oil pipeline, the state oil company said.

The Amazon River in South America is the largest river by discharge of water in the world, and the second in length. 

The Amazon averages a discharge of about 209,000 cubic meters per second, approximately 6,591 cubic kilometers per year which is greater than the next seven largest independent rivers combined. 

The Amazon basin is the largest drainage basin in the world, with an area of approximately 7,050,000 square kilometers (2,720,000 sq mi), and accounts for roughly one-fifth of the world's total river flow. 
  
The oil has polluted two rivers that at least eight indigenous communities rely on for water, the government and indigenous leaders said.

Petroperu has promised a full clean-up and is also providing food and water.

The company said the first leak was triggered by a landslide but the cause of the second rupture was unclear.

The oil has poured into the Chiriaco and Morona rivers in northwestern Peru, the government's environment watchdog, OEFA, said.

The spill is affecting the Achuar community and heavy rains have hampered efforts to contain it, local indigenous leader Edwin Montenegro said.

Peru's health ministry has declared a water quality emergency in five districts and OEFA officials said Petroperu could face fines of up to $17m (£12m) if the spills were found to have affected local people's health.

In a statement, OEFA said the spills were "not isolated cases" and ordered the company to replace parts of the pipeline and improve maintenance.

Petroperu president German Velasquez also denied reports the company had paid children to clean up the thick sludge.

However, Mr Velasquez said he was considering firing four company officials, one of whom may have allowed children to collect oil.

The company was evaluating the 1970s-built pipeline to prevent future spills, he said.

The leaks have stopped the transportation of up to 6,000 barrels of oil a day.