“While the e-commerce giant from Seattle has argued that it only acts as an intermediary between sellers and buyers in the country, it has been accused of violating India’s foreign direct investment, or FDI, regulations by trying to make a ‘backdoor entry’ into the country’s retail business.”
Tag: 09.01.14
Just Like Old Times: With Russia’s Political Opposition In Disarray, Kremlin Goes After Cultural Figures
“Dissenting cultural figures have become the new focus of pro-Kremlin witch hunts, with state media treating them as a political force and accusing them of treachery. The practice has echoes of Soviet times, when cultural figures perceived as a threat to the regime … were subjected to vicious smear campaigns.”
It’s 25 Years Since Fukuyama’s “End Of History.” Hmph!
“Today, it’s hard to imagine Fukuyama being more wrong. History isn’t over and neither liberalism nor democracy is ascendant. The comfy Western consensus he inspired is under threat in ways he never predicted.”
Spain Returns Colombian Antiquities Seized From Drug Gangs
“Most of the ceramic items are of huge cultural and archaeological value, and date back to 1400BC. They had been smuggled out of South America … by a man who specialised in laundering money for the drug cartels.”
Ancient University In India Reopens After 800 Years
“Around 800 years after it was razed by foreign invaders, Nalanda University reopened its doors on Monday in an attempt to reclaim its ancient glory of an international knowledge destination. The new university, set up on a sprawling 443-acre campus built near the ruins of the ancient seat of learning in Bihar, aims to rebuild the intellectual rigour of the old school initially with a school of environmental studies and a school of historical studies.”
Does A Strong Belief In Evil Make Someone More Intolerant?
“But what does it mean to believe in evil? How do our attitudes about its existence shape our worldviews? While researchers stampeded over one another to understand evil behavior in the wake of the 20th century’s seemingly endless bloodletting … much less research has been done into how the idea of evil itself colors our understanding of the world and its inhabitants.”
Lars Von Trier Breaks His Press Silence While Technically Keeping His Vow Not To Talk To The Press
After he got himself banned from Cannes in 2011 for making a thoroughly unfortunate joke, the Danish filmmaker announced that he would “refrain from all public statements and interviews” so as to keep himself out of trouble. But he really wanted to discuss the uncut 5½-hour version of Nymphomaniac with the press at this year’s Venice Film Festival. So they found an ingenious (and entertaining) solution.
How Did A Notorious Experimental Theatre Troupe Survive For 30 Years In A Provincial English City? They Didn’t Stay Home
“[Forced Entertainment’s] success is due to having realised early what much larger arts organisations are only discovering now: they work abroad as much as they do here.”
Are Some Books Too Dark For Children? (Sorry – That’s The Wrong Question!)
“If we start categorizing books as appropriate for readers of certain ages, we are running a huge risk of missing wonderful opportunities for discovery and exploration. And children are fantastic at self-policing their own reading.”
Detroit’s Bankruptcy Trial Begins (And The Art World Watches)
“The resolution of the largest municipal bankruptcy in US history is likely to set precedents for other struggling cities. At the centre of the conflict is the question of whether a bankrupt city can avoid selling any valuable asset, including its art collection.”