Social Fragmental Origins of Terrorism: A Research Note

Social fragmentation is one of the primary factors feeding the reservoir of discontent leading to terrorism. Social fragmentation is a result of internal and external tensions. The primary set of internal tensions is ethnic identities related to several issues, including race, religion, and language. The primary external tension is rooted in past colonial policies which favor the emergence of puppet “strongmen,” and their hereditary successors within the colonized land (Migdal 1988; Shughart 2006; Esposito 2003). The external tensions polarize the fragments by disrupting the delicate balance in wealth distribution among social groups, enabling the emergence of cliental economies and tribal politics.     

Rat bite fever, a fatal case of Streptobacillus moniliformis infection in a 14-month-old boy

Streptobacillus moniliformis is the primary cause of rat bite fever in North America. Children under 12 years of age are primarily infected, presenting with an acute syndrome of fever, rash, and polyarthritis. Common vectors include rats and mice. Transmission is predominantly from a bite or scratch, but contact with or ingestion of food contaminated with feces or saliva has also been reported. We report a fatal case of S. moniliformis infection in a 14-month-old-boy. At home, the child was exposed to filthy living conditions and the family had pet ferrets. Autopsy revealed a red-pink, mostly confluent rash and a circumscribed area suspicious for a possible bite mark. Cerebrospinal fluid cultures were positive for S. moniliformis. This case highlighted key features, such as the morbiliform rash, but lacked lymphadenopathy or joint manifestations. It is important to consider rat or rodent exposure as a source of infection.     

Rethinking the History of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Kāma</Emphasis> World in Early India

This essay introduces a special issue on the history of kāma?āstra in medieval India. It briefly reviews the secondary scholarship on the subject from the publication of the first translations of the genre at the end of the nineteenth century. It highlights the relatively unexplored history of later kāma?āstra, and stresses the need for contexualized and detailed studies of the many kāma?āstra treatises produced in the second millennium CE. The introduction, and the essays that follow, also argue for an expanded interpretive framework for the genre, moving beyond ‘sex’ and ‘sexuality,’ to a more widely defined notion of a ‘kāma world’, in which sensual pleasure is understood as being deeply enmeshed with aesthetic, ethical and cosmopolitan cultures.     

An Exploration of the Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Job Performance in Police Organizations

The aim of the current study is to explore the relationship between emotional intelligence and job performance in a sample of 310 police officers. The results show significant correlations between EI levels and police job performance. After controlling for general mental abilities and personality traits, EI has been found to explain additional incremental variance in predicting police job performance. Applied implications of the findings for police organizations are discussed.     

The extent to which demographic characteristics determine international drug couriers’ profiles: a cross-sectional study in Istanbul

Transnational crime syndicates (TCS) have increasingly been deploying couriers to transport narcotics. TCSs develop innovative strategies and constantly recruit couriers that demonstrate fewest risk indicators. As a counterstrategy, drug-enforcement agencies launch courier-profiling programs and identify the emerging risk factors. Demographic factors and ethnic origins are often cited by the international literature as noteworthy risk factors in drug-enforcement agencies?? courier-identification schemes. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate whether demographic characteristics and ethnic origins play any significant role for courier recruitment in Turkey. The population of this study consisted of international drug couriers who were detained between 2006 and the first 6?months of 2010 and charged with drug offenses (importing/exporting drugs) in Istanbul/Turkey. The data was collected through content analysis of criminal case files. This research revealed that several demographic factors and nationalities have a significant relationship with courier recruitment.     

Pakistan-China Friendly Relations Are Deep Rooted

On the eve of the 60th anniversary celebrations of the establishment of Pakistan-China Diplomatic Relations,a special function was jointly organized in March by     

60 Golden Years of Pak-China Relations

Since establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries in May 1951,China and Pakistan have developed an all-season friendship which is based on equality,brotherhood and overall cooperation.In the past 60 years,the two countries have carried out multi-dimensional cooperation in varied fields.Despite unstable international situation,the China-Pakistan friendship remained strong and vibrant.This is only because both the countries enjoy high respect and trust over each other.Recent years have witne...     

When Law and Practice Collide: the Implementation of the Plea-Bargaining Process in Malaysia

The amendment of the Malaysian Criminal Procedure Code in 2010 formalised the plea-bargaining process and introduced two new sections, 172C and 172D. The new procedures are intended to reduce the backlog of cases in the criminal courts and as a swift alternative to a full criminal trial. However, the law in action does not appear to be in line with the law in the statute book because currently the actors involved in the process are avoiding the use of the new procedural law. Instead, those actors are following the old informal practice of plea-bargaining to achieve their personal goals which may be inconsistent with the organisational goals of the judiciary and prosecution. This paper adopts a qualitative methodology, in which the primary data is obtained from semi-structured interviews with twenty respondents comprising the stakeholders in the criminal justice system.