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Hello, everyone.
After a brief but intense exchange of military attacks, India and Pakistan reached a ceasefire deal to put an end to the latest round of skirmishes. In a new piece [ [link removed] ], former Inkstick managing editor Sahar Khan returns to excavate the myths that, if not dispelled, will continue to fuel violence between the two nuclear-armed countries.
Much of the world mourned the passing of Pope Francis. There’s a new pope now, one from the United States, but Natalia Cote-Muñoz breaks down [ [link removed] ] the diplomatic kit Pope Francis left behind in a world increasingly focused on hard power.
That’s not all we’ve got at Inkstick. And if you’re not already, please follow us on LinkedIn [ [link removed] ], Threads [ [link removed] ], Facebook [ [link removed] ], Instagram [ [link removed] ], Bluesky [ [link removed] ], and YouTube [ [link removed] ].
“When a Trillion Is Not a Trillion: The Pentagon’s Budget Request [ [link removed] ]” by William D. Hartung (May 12)
The Pentagon’s budget request is out now, and it is for $1 trillion — sort of. More worrisome, though, is that as military funding reaches its highest levels since World War II, the Trump administration’s proposal calls for $163 billion in cuts in domestic programs.
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“Pope Francis Left Behind a Diplomatic Toolkit for a Fractured World [ [link removed] ]” by Natalia Cote-Muñoz (May 13)
Over 12 years, Francis transformed Vatican diplomacy into a modern soft-power institution. He didn’t ask nations to obey but to believe — to see the moral stakes in migration, poverty, and climate not as Catholic issues but human ones. His diplomatic toolkit offers valuable lessons.
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“How India’s Cyber Scam Industry Causes Global Havoc [ [link removed] ]” by Hanan Zaffar (May 14)
Across India, thousands of young men and women from cities, suburbs, and rural areas are stepping into roles in the fast-expanding, multi-billion-dollar scam industry. Some are out of jobs, others never had one. Abroad, though, the consequences are felt in the US, Canada, the UK, and beyond.
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“The Myths That Keep India and Pakistan at War [ [link removed] ]” by Sahar Khan (May 15)
Since becoming nuclear powers, recent violence marked the first time that India and Pakistan have targeted each other’s military bases, engaged in an hour-long aerial battle, launched drones, or had warships postured in the Arabian Sea. There are off-ramps for future flare-ups, but they only work if you consider three core myths behind the conflict.
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“Deep Dive: ‘No Chance to Rest’ for Saudi’s Domestic Workers [ [link removed] ]” by Inkstick (May 16)
Amid United States President Donald Trump’s visit to the Gulf, the global rights watchdog Amnesty International released a new report that reveals the severe exploitation, racism, and exclusion that migrant domestic workers face in Saudi Arabia.
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