South Korea growth misses estimates; India's chronic hypochondria; Specter of apartheid in South Africa; 'Bitter' truth about chocolates

1 South Korea growth misses estimates (BBC) South Korea's economy grew at a slower pace than previously estimated, hurt by a fall in capital investment and a slowdown in exports. Growth was 2.3% between April and June, compared with a year earlier. That is slightly lower than the central bank's earlier estimate of 2.4%. The weak data may prompt policymakers to boost stimulus measures. 

"The possibility that the simultaneous weakness in exports and domestic demand will continue in the third quarter is leading to expectations for a rate cut next week," said Lee Sang-jae, an economist at Hyundai Securities. South Korea's growth in recent years has been powered by the success of its exports sector, which accounts for nearly half of its total economic output. However, slowing growth in key markets such as the US and the eurozone has hurt demand for South Korean goods, underming the country's economic growth. Exports fell 1.4% in the second quarter from the previous three months, according to data released by the Bank of Korea.

2 India’s chronic hypochondria (Jawed Naqvi in Dawn) A handful of political analysts in India betray symptoms of hypochondria in their unending obsession with the China bogey. China is encircling India, goes the media chorus. It wouldn’t occur to any among the pundits to admit that China’s encirclement of India — on for decades, and in tandem with the US for many years — could only become possible because India has failed to win the trust of its own neighbours, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan among them, something the Chinese handle with obvious finesse.

In Sri Lanka, for example, India lacked the diplomatic wherewithal to address Sinhalese concerns and Tamil fears equitably and played both sides of the street. So, should we endorse China’s bonhomie with Colombo as a role model? Not before censuring Beijing’s arms supplies to Colombo for the mass murder of Tamils though that still leaves India without an explanation for its own faltering ties with Sri Lanka.

Again, a landlocked Nepal suffered a crippling economic blockade imposed by India. Was there a valid reason for the former Hindu kingdom not to look to China for help? Why is Bangladesh close to Beijing when Delhi claims to have helped its creation? Should the Chinese be given credit for India’s failure to strike up a sure-footed relationship with Dhaka?

Ties with Pakistan is a more complex story but there is nothing to suggest that the Gujral doctrine which put premium on improved ties with Pakistan and other neighbours could not be replicated by his successors. For reasons not entirely transparent, the Americans now see India as the ‘lynchpin’ in their Asia strategy. True to recent tradition, leading Indians are looking forward to being thus loved by the most powerful nation on earth, forgetting the kiss of death it once brought to Pakistan.

3 Specter of apartheid in South Africa (Johannesburg Times) Governments might topple and leaders might go, but laws and institutions are notoriously resilient. And perhaps, nothing better corroborates this assertion than the current crisis brewing in South Africa. The most unfortunate incident was when the police opened fire on a group of workers from the Marikana mine, northwest of Johannesburg, killing 34 people.

But more shocking than these killings was the reaction of the authorities in the aftermath. The National Prosecution Authority (NPA) used the infamous “common purpose” doctrine — institutionalised by the previous apartheid regime to curb disturbances in the public sphere — to convict the 270 protesting miners of murder. Not only was the charge thoroughly unfair and illogical, it also revealed the double standards of the authorities. During the apartheid rule, the African National Congress (ANC) was against the very doctrine that it used to crush the dissenting labourers.

The ANC has built its credibility as a party representing the majority, but its use of the notorious “common purpose” law to detain miners shows that the party has reneged on its promises and ideals. It has become clear that the government, too, will ironically resort to the oppressive tactics of the previous racist regime to crush dissent.

4 ‘Bitter’ truth about chocolates (Khaleej Times) There are two words that best describe chocolate: sinfully scrumptious. And while its good old plain version is enough to send most on a sugar binge, the incredible variety of its flavours, textures and combinations are sure to tempt even those who rarely experience a sweet tooth.

But before you gorge on a generous slab of chocolate to supposedly take advantage of its health benefits (but mostly enjoy its wonderful taste), here are a few facts for you. It’s true that chocolate can be healthy, but it’s the dark variety — bitter in taste and low in sugar — that you need to go for if you are the health conscious type. Regular milk chocolate is loaded with refined white sugar, which is stored in the body as fat and is also highly carcinogenic. 

Moreover, studies that highlight the benefits of chocolate, produce uncertain results. Probability is actually the key factor in most of this research— chocolate ‘may’ cause weight loss, it ‘may’ reduce the incidence of coronary disease. So don’t delude yourself into believing that a leaner figure or a healthy heart is just a chocolate chip cookie away. Besides, the spate of research on the wonderful health benefits of chocolate sounds a tad dubious. So this is the ‘bitter’ truth: The way to health is certainly not as delectable as studies on chocolate make it sound.