Across the Europe, the Russian steppes and through the Byzantine wonder of Constantinople, gateway to Asia, Kerbouchard is thrust into the heart of the treacheries, passions, violence and dazzling wonders of a magnificent time.

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The shadow of nuclear rivalry between India and Pakistan is at the heart of international concern about stability in south Asia, and the nuclear issue will be pursued in more talks in London next week between Mr Singh and US Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott.

BBC: Britain and India to combat terrorism

Unable to offer its own citizens anything other than poverty and fear, it was also unable to prevent itself from being hijacked by drug barons, war lords and jihadists of every stripe, from those who merely hoped to establish a new caliphate in central Asia to those whose target was the heart of the world's most powerful nation.

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And while the list of places No Reservations has visited is long and covers much of the globe, Bourdain seems to have a special spot in his heart for Southeast Asia.

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However, East Asia leads the charge with a clear strategy to reposition its industrial powerhouses at the heart of the clean tech revolution with both intellectual property and manufacturing might.

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