September 30, 2019
Which means all this silliness of putting pressure on Pakistan
Which means all this silliness of putting pressure on Pakistan to do more on
Afghanistan will come to naught — why would Pakistan expose itself to a decline
in influence in Afghanistan in support of an American policy that the Americans
themselves don’t really believe in?Worse, the Trump review is coinciding with a
second successive fresh-look perspective in the military leadership here.
But yet
another round of American silliness can have a damaging effect on Pakistan —
because of what it could mean for Afghanistan and what happens inside Pakistan
itself.Pak-US relations are about where they should be given all that separates
them and the little that they have in common.
The problem is that it’s not. It
makes sense to change some things on Afghanistan. US President Donald Trump
(Photo: AP) The Americans are at it again.Here’s the thing, though: the Obama
years happened. Troop surge in Afghanistan, policy review on Pakistan,
alternating between threatening and bribing us to "do moreâ€.Barack Obama may
ultimately have reversed himself on withdrawing all US troops from Afghanistan,
but it was long obvious that he had no real interest in the area.A circularity
in a region full of circles and maddening conundrums. When the Americans are
breathing down your neck, you have both reason and excuse to delay deeper
readjustments.
Let’s work through it.But then in strides the American behemoth
once again, knocking heads around, demanding actions, threatening and
intimidating — all because it wants its (muddled) way in Afghanistan.More of the
same by a US administration towards Pakistan will only increase the odds of more
of the same from Pakistan on Afghanistan. In his early days, Qamar Javed Bajwa
could attempt the same: a policy review, if not a reversal.That creates an
incentives problem.
To really convince itself that fixing Pakistan is not the
automatic and inevitable route to fixing Afghanistan, the US would have to
really turn the screws on Pakistan.To fix Afghanistan, Pakistan must be fixed —
and to fix Pakistan, the usual tools are to be deployed. By coming in and
starting a military-led debate on Afghanistan that sounds so familiar, the Trump
administration is confirming what most outside powers in Afghanistan already
suspect: US policy in Afghanistan is somewhere on the spectrum between
not-interested and stale.
That drift allowed other outside powers to increase
their interest in Afghanistan — some with the explicit support of the US
(India), some with ambivalent American support (China) and some, arguably, by
the US dropping the ball (Russia).Just get them off your back and make sure you
don’t get too banged up.Possibly because the US doesn’t have the influence or
leverage it needs, but more likely because the debate we see in public is
supplemented by one out of view:The public stuff may be all Afghanistan,
Afghanistan, Afghanistan, but there’s counterterrorism cooperation, nuclear
safety and security, and a link to China and India that shapes what can be done
on Pakistan. The only realistic peaceful solution in Afghanistan is a negotiated
settlement between the Taliban and the Afghan government. To the extent that the
game be played out endlessly — US coaxing, cajoling and pretending it can change
Pakistan; Pakistan playing coy; the two occasionally falling out and then
sulkily sidling up to the other again — it doesn’t really matter.
The Trump
AfPak review is doubly damning because it’s back to the future after years of
White House disengagement.The terms of the debate being framed in the US for
Donald Trump on Pakistan are nascent but familiar: through the Afghan looking
glass and a blame-cum-incentives framework.That’s why the Taliban have always
insisted on primarily negotiating with the Americans.By arrangement with
Dawn.It’s like it’s 2009 again.Or at least makes sure that the public talk of
really turning the screws on Pakistan does not translate into actual action.But
there are far too many hawks on Afghanistan here to navigate a policy review
while also coming under pressure from the US to fit its stale and unworkable
agenda.But indulging that temptation just as Pakistan may be growing confident
enough to have an overall policy debate on militancy may be a classic American
mistake.Raheel Sharif tried and failed to change our Afghan policy.But if all
the US is going to do is to ensure a tenuous survival of the Afghan government,
tamp down the Taliban insurgency when it threatens to get out of control, and
give no more than lukewarm support to a peace process — there will be no real
peace process.Let’s assume Bajwa is inclined towards an overall policy rethink —
towards a militancy-free Pakistan, in all shapes and manifestations.In faraway
DC and nearby Kabul, the temptation to knock Pakistan around for perceived
misbehaviour is mostly irresistible. But it hasn’t worked and won’t.
That could
have a chilling effect on the overall anti-militancy debate that Bajwa may
want.But the only outside power that is fundamentally committed to the post-Bonn
Afghan state structure and power centres is the US.But it can’t — won’t — really
turn the three-dimensional
printer screws Manufacturers screws on Pakistan because of the other,
security-based aspects to the relationship and so the US will never reach the
stage where it can disabuse itself of the belief that fixing Pakistan is the
route to fixing Afghanistan.
There’s more. It’s 2017 and the Americans may be
about to screw it up for us — again, though perhaps in a new way. The Afghan
debate is one half of the overall militancy debate here.In faraway DC and nearby
Kabul, the temptation to knock Pakistan around for perceived misbehaviour is
mostly irresistible
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September 28, 2019
The regrade the price spread between jet and gasoil
Jet has two uses — the first as aviation turbine fuel and the second for
heating purposes.Jet fuel cracks have shed about 9 per cent in the last one
week, and are currently about 7 per cent weaker than this time last year,
Refinitiv Eikon data showed. Given the strong passenger statistics it may be
more apt to say ‘kerosene’ demand is weak, leading to the stock surplus,†said
Sukrit Vijayakar, director of energy consultancy Trifecta.
They were at USD
13.Airlines in the Asia/Pacific region posted a demand increase of 7.The price
for crude oil, a refinery’s most important and costly feedstock, on Wednesday,
pushed up by ongoing supply cuts from producer cartel OPEC and US sanctions
against Iran and Venezuela.
Airlines in the Asia/Pacific region posted a demand
increase of 7.1 per cent in January, compared to the same month last year.45 a
barrel on Tuesday.1 per cent in January, compared to the same month last year,
while domestic passenger demand grew about 12 per cent in India and 14 per cent
in China, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in a March
report.Despite strong demand growth from the Asian aviation sector, the margins
lacked the usual boost from seasonal heating demand this year due to a warmer
winter, market watchers said. Singapore: Asian refining margins for jet fuel
dropped for a second straight session on Wednesday to their lowest levels in
more than eight months, as crude prices firmed and demand for the distillate
fuel remained weak. I have often seen traders play the regrade suppressing jet China
three-dimensional printer screws Suppliers prices further,†Vijayakar
added.
Jet fuel cracks have shed about 9 pc in the last 1 week, and are
currently about 7 pc weaker than this time last year..Seasonal refinery
turnarounds in the region, however, is expected to keep a lid on supplies in the
near term and upcoming summer travelling demand would likely offer some support
to the aviation fuel in the next couple of months, trade sources said."Jet fuel
demand per se is weak.Refining margins for jet fuel, which also determine the
profitability of closely-related heating kerosene, plunged to USD 13.
The
regrade, the price spread between jet and gasoil, for April stood at a discount
of 38 cents a barrel on Wednesday..Meanwhile, cash differentials for jet fuel
cargoes in Singapore were at a discount of 25 cents a barrel to Singapore quotes
on Tuesday amid lacklustre buying interests in the physical market. The second
use does not seem to be holding its end of the bargain.19 a barrel over Dubai
crude during Asian trading hours, their lowest since June last year
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September 25, 2019
The apprehension of hundreds of crores
It is a carefully researched and scholarly work that also has a guide like
quality as it simplifies a very widely and frequently discussed subject — the
issue of black money. It is an irrefutably factual and cold analysis of what led
to the Modi demonetisation and its economic consequences. What does this
indicate?
One cannot claim any accretion of support due to
demonetisation.Demonetisation and Black Money, by C. So what was the hullabaloo
about?That demonetisation exacted a huge economic cost is without doubt. He also
specialises in the Chinese economy. The Act had the side-effect of prohibiting
nearly all US exports and most imports, greatly disrupting the US economy.
Its
utility and relevance will be undiminished even after the after effects of
demonetisation recede from our memories. But greatness lies in admitting
mistakes and learning from them. If the argument is that demonetisation stemmed
the loss of support to the Modi government, we have yet to see any empirical
validation of it.. But, instead of wisdom, there is much vaingloriousness in the
PM’s style of decision-making that crimps discussion and examination of
alternatives. But, most commentators and opinion makers have read in the results
of the UP elections that there is popular support for demonetisation. Its vote
share declined somewhat to 39. This may or may not be so.124)This as much a book
about an event as it is about economic and monetary policy and the institutional
framework they operate in.
The writer, a policy analyst studying economic and
security issues, held senior positions in government and industry. But, Reddy
gets back his cold tenor when he sums up: "The story of demonetisation and its a
ftermath, in the first two months after the event has been one of unremitting
pain and China
foaming barrel screws Suppliers hardship inflicted on the people who could
not escape its impact. This means this much good, bad and fake money was
successfully exchanged.The PM made out that demonetisation was going to mean the
extinguishing of "black money†and all that wouldn’t be returned to banks would
be its bonus. He exclaimed in public: "How could I have been so stupid?†Leaders
are not immune to stupidity or else they would not be human. Demonetisation and
Black Money By C. The pashm then began flowing to Ludhiana and helped it to
become the great centre for the manufacture of woolens it still is. There is not
even the slightest sign of remorse or that he has learned anything.
This entails
wisdom. I have described it elsewhere as a singular act of vandalism.7 per cent
in 2017.C.The decision by the government to strip 86 per cent of the currency in
circulation of its status as legal tender, followed by restrictions on
withdrawals from banks and then the general shortage of cash, deeply hurt people
at different levels and in different dimensions. Kennedy, agreed to the
disastrous invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs Crisis. It has everything one
could or should want to know about demonetisation in general and the impact of
how it was implemented by the Modi government. Rammanohar Reddy, is an
irrefutably factual and cold analysis of demonetisation and its impact. He went
public and acknowledged responsibility. It had very few Rs 2,000 or Rs 500 notes
rolling out of its security presses, and no additional small value notes to pick
up the slack somewhat. The apparent unpreparedness and haste in rolling out the
GST is indicative of this. The Embargo Act of 1807 was passed by the United
States Congress in protest against British and French interference in US
shipping.†(P. In 2014, the BJP had a 42 per cent vote share. Rammanohar Reddy
Orient BlackSwan, Rs 295; 272 pagesHistory is replete with instances when acting
out of pique or haste inflicts huge costs on a nation. Kennedy realised he was
taken in and was the one responsible. JFK had assembled the brightest men in
America to be part of his cabinet, advisors and aides. File photo of people
standing in line to exchange demonetised notes. Neither was borne out. The only
time when some emotion creeps in is in chapter nine on Distress and Despair
where Reddy juxtaposes anecdotal newspaper reports on individual and collective
distress. It just proves that new money too turns as easily into black money as
the old money and nothing has changed. Ladakh never recovered from the loss of
revenue. Yet, they led him into a disaster. Clearly, the government was
unprepared.2L crores in high denomination notes Rs 13.8L crores have come back
into the system. The book is extremely clinical in its diagnosis and
conclusions. He marches merrily on. Even the most ardent Modi admirers admit to
that. That they may have borne it stoically does not mean that their suffering
was any less.
The resultant cashlessness has cost the national economy hugely,
and devastated the livelihoods of tens of millions. When you abruptly withdraw
high denomination currency notes equal to 86 per cent of the value or Rs 14. In
1961 the newly elected US President, the brilliantly educated John F.2L crore,
one would expect proper arrangements would have been made to replace what was
now excluded. It was over the usual reasons — caste equations and local politics
being the main focus.†Closer home, the great Ladakh king, Senge Namgyal
(1620-70), imposed a punitive tax on the pashm wool trade between Tibet and
Kashmir, which largely went by the shortest route through Ladakh, in response to
a slight by the ruler of Kashmir. There is not even the slightest sign that
Narendra Modi has realised the massive screw-up his demonetisation policy has
turned out to be. Out of the Rs 14. It is to the writer’s credit that he does
not let any biases creep in — the EPW after all does have a certain editorial
political slant — and keeps the focus tightly on the subject. Rammanohar Reddy,
a former editor of the respected Economics and Political Weekly, popularly
referred to as EPW, wrote his book Demonetisation and Black Money before the UP
elections.
The apprehension of hundreds of crores in new pink Rs 2,000s from all
across the country by the police as well as the I-T authorities within weeks of
outlawing the Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes is enough proof of that. Even if not
educated in the conventional sense, seeking many options from a deep examination
of the issue by the knowledgeable is a quality essential for successful
leadership. He once said at dinner with them that not since Thomas Jefferson
dined alone had the White House seen so much brilliance, intelligence and wit.
It’s a book every student and practitioner of economics and public policy must
read. The UP election was not fought over demonetisation. Even the citations are
mostly from official documentation
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September 19, 2019
The ability to swap out filters
The brand is famous for offering a range of audio products across varied prices
with the sole aim of providing audiophile-grade products without any compromises
to the masses. These earbuds also come with magnets that allow you to keep them
secure when hanging around your neck. The earphones come with a host of silicone
tips and Comply memory foam tips in the box and it’s best you try on a range of
tips to give you the snug, sealed fit.There are dust and protection
certification thrown in here as well with the T20 Wireless rated at IP64.As the
name suggests, the RHA T20 Wireless is a Bluetooth version of the
audiophile-grade RHA T20i wired earphones.
There’s the bass filter, the treble
filter and a reference/neutral filter. This feature is pretty common with wired
earphones, but extremely rare with Bluetooth earphones and we are glad that RHA
has added this highly welcome feature. The bass or treble can be improved upon
depending on the genre you’re listening to. Like the rest of the earphones, this
unit is built of premium materials and boasts a multifunctional button that is
in charge of playback, answering calls and your voice assistant. However, in a
bid not to isolate any section of its fans; RHA has also added a wired
functionality here.We now take a look at the RHA T20 wireless earphones and
break down the reasons why they should be your next pair of audiophile-grade
earphones.
The ability to swap out filters, the option to go from Bluetooth
earphones to wired earphones, and the extraordinary sound quality all combine to
be a tech enthusiast and an audiophile’s wet dream. With that being said, it’s
best to keep it protected as there are open posts such as the USB-C charging
port which can cause you some issues if some water accidentally gets in it. With
the earbuds finished in matte black with silver accents, there is a fair sense
of understated appeal that shows off the premium design of the RHA T20 Wireless.
Attaching them to the earpiece is a cakewalk and are easily
hot-swappable.Comfort level is a top priority when it comes to earphones and the
T20 Wireless are no exception.
The in-line remote also features volume rockers
that apart from adjusting the volume can also control shuffling between tracks.
It has to be said that these magnets are not the strongest and they come undone
pretty easily. These are the small features that go unnoticed but are highly
appreciable.The audio quality here is absolutely extraordinary and there is a
crisp, clear playback that’s devoid of any bit of tininess or jarring treble
even when the volume is set to its highest. The T20 Wireless being
audiophile-grade speakers aren’t fitted with the common, run-of-the-mill dynamic
drivers; instead, RHA uses DualCoil driver that’s paired with a voice coil as
well as a custom diaphragm that provides a balance to the bass, trebles and
mids. These audiophile-grade earphones are priced steeply; but once witnessed
they will seem like a bargain buy. Earlier this year, we tested the RHA
TrueConnect true wireless earphones and they exceeded all our expectations. The
treble filter did its job as advertised screw
barrel of injection moulding machines Suppliers and it managed to make the
vocals and acoustics shine by offering a very defined audio performance.Another
neat feature of these earphones that’s seldom mentioned is that while getting a
call, the neckband vibrates. On the cable, there is an in-line remote control
and microphone unit that reaches up to the right earbud.The T20 Wireless comes
with the incredible sound witnessed on the wired version in a convenient
cord-free format. With this filter screwed on, you experience a booming,
animated, rich and deep bass that doesn’t drown out the mids and treble.The
battery life is rated at 12 hours of continuous playback and in our testing, we
found this to be about accurate.. Unlike some of the completion out there, the
housing of the earbuds here is a bit bulky as they appear to be custom-built to
house the dual-drivers. In all our experience, we have rarely found this option
where the earphones vibrate while getting a call to alert us. Yes! You read that
right! The earpieces can be unscrewed from the cabling and attached to a wired
cable that’s a part of the packaging. The newly launched earphones packs in all
the best qualities of its predecessor such as above-average audio quality,
interchangeable tuning filters and more all in a cord-free format. This filter
was definitely our favourite of the lot. The T20 Wireless is the next step in
the evolution of the T20i wired earphones and those are widely considered as one
of the best audiophile-grade earphones in recent history. An advantage these
earphones have over its rivals is in the form of the custom filters and these
help in enhancing the audio quality to an extraordinary degree. If you have been
saving your cash for a good pair of wireless earphones that offer
audiophile-grade audio quality, then look no further than the T20 Wireless as
this is where all the best audio performance is at. The T20 Wireless packs in so
many features and then some more. It comes in one colour — matte Black and has a
rubber-like exterior that encases the neckband while the black cables reach the
earbuds.As far as codec support goes, it does offer aptX for those using Android
devices; unfortunately, there’s no AAC support here.Design, BuildWhen it comes
to the design of these earphones, the RHA T20 Wireless looks similar to every
other neckband-style earphones available in the market. Call quality was good
through the earpieces; however, when outdoors, the person on the other end
couldn’t hear us all that well and on more than one occasion we received a
handful of complaints about us being inaudible. With this being said, during our
testing period, the T20 Wireless was paired mostly with an iPhone XS Max and it
still managed to offer excellent audio performance. Hot on the heels of the
awesome TrueConnect, RHA has recently introduced the T20 Wireless earphones in
the Indian market. Rating: Glasgow-based RHA has grown by leaps and bounds since
the few short years of its existence. Better to be safe than sorry with this
pricey option.VerdictThe RHA T20 Wireless is priced extremely competitively at
Rs 19,999 and though some of you may baulk at the price is too high for a set of
wireless earphones, you have to understand that these are no ordinary Bluetooth
earphones. While this isn’t the most water-resistant; you can safely use it in
the gym or if you are caught in a light shower, it should manage to hold up to
the elements of nature. The RHA T20 Wireless sets itself apart from competitors
by offering detachable earbuds. By choosing your ideal ear tips, you can block
out ambient sounds as well as enhance the bass impact to a bit with a tighter
seal. The bass output here witnessed isn’t overpowering and the vocals are
smooth. This will appease the traditionalists who feel that wired earphones have
a substantially better audio quality.The biggest design change of the T20
Wireless is undoubtedly the wireless functionality. While connected with the
wired cable, you can use the T20 as a pair of old-school earphones.The neckband
is constructed from a soft, flexible material that features a power/pairing
button on one side along with a USB Type-C port for charging the earphones.While
the reference filters are great and you get a balanced tone throughout and you
get the sound as the artist intended; our favourite was the bass filter that
absolutely transforms the T20 Wireless experience. These filters come as a part
of the packaging and are colour coded. Interestingly, RHA has also thrown in a
pouch that can be used to store your earphones when not in use.PerformanceWhile
RHA does well in the design and build department, it is in the audio performance
where it actually flexes its muscles and outshines most Bluetooth wireless
earphones. This feature is rarely found on earphones and it is actually quite a
big deal. Out of the box, the T20 Wireless are attached with the neutral filter;
but depending on your mood of the hour or the genre you listen to often, you can
screw on whichever filter you want.Another chief feature of the RHA T20 Wireless
is that it comes with a variety of tuning filters
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September 06, 2019
West Texas Intermediate crude oil was trading down
Brent Crude, the international benchmark, fell 0.Marketmen said the fall in
crude oil futures was mostly due to trimming of positions by traders in tandem
with a weak trend overseas.05 per cent to USD 56.19 per cent to trade at USD
63.2 per cent, to Rs 3,908 per barrel with a business volume of 19,992 lots. New
Delhi: Crude oil futures fell 0.75..2 per cent, to Rs 3,908 per
barrel.
Meanwhile, West Texas Intermediate crude oil was trading down 0. extruder replacement partss
Manufacturers Marketmen said the fall in crude oil futures was mostly due to
trimming of positions by traders in tandem with a weak trend overseas.On the
Multi Commodity Exchange, crude oil for delivery in July contracts shed Rs 8, or
0.2 per cent to Rs 3,908 per barrel on Thursday after participants reduced
positions amid a weak trend in global markets.On the Multi Commodity Exchange,
crude oil for delivery in July contracts shed Rs 8, or 0.78 a barrel
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September 03, 2019
The March Brent contract was down
The March Brent contract was down $1. While experts warned that not all
sanctions may be lifted immediately once the agreement on its nuclear programme
came into effect, any additional oil would add to a glut that has pushed prices
into a deep slump since mid-2014.Brent and US crude oil were on track to close
lower for a third consecutive week, down roughly 20 per cent from their 2016
highs.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) could issue its report on
Iran’s compliance with an agreement to curb its nuclear programme during a
Friday meeting in Vienna, potentially triggering the lifting of Western
sanctions.Others were more concerned about the impact of new exports from Iran.
Earlier on Friday, it fell to $29.Still, influential US bank Goldman Sachs on
Friday maintained its $40 price forecast for US crude for the first half of
2016.The February Brent contract, which expired on Thursday, closed higher for
the first time this year at $31.15 at $29.73 a barrel.53 GMT, after posting the
first significant gains for 2016 in the previous session.43, the lowest since
February 2004.US crude futures were 5 per cent lower at $29.†Commerzbank cut
its 2016 forecast for oil prices, changing its year-end expectation for Brent to
$50 per barrel, down from a previous forecast of $63.
The key theme for 2016
will be real fundamental adjustments that can rebalance markets to create the
birth of a new bull market, which we still see happening in late 2016,†Goldman
said in a report. "That means a drop toward $25 is quite possible, but not much
lower than that.Brent crude futures plunged more than 4 per cent to near 12-year
lows on Friday as the market braced for increased Iranian oil exports, with the
lifting of international sanctions possible China
injection molding screw head and rings Suppliers within days Brent crude
futures plunged more than 4 per cent to near 12-year lows on Friday as the
market braced for increased Iranian oil exports, with the lifting of
international sanctions possible within days. The contract earlier hit $29.
In
the very short term, another price drop cannot be excluded in particular after
sanctions against Iran are being lifted,†Commerzbank analyst Cars-ten Fritch
told Reuters Global Oil Forum.39, the lowest since November 2003..03 per
barrel.64 per barrel at 10
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