Courtesy: New York Times
Three epoch-making events in 2016 are continuing to have global repercussions. They were: Brexit, China’s rubbishing of the July verdict of the Permanent Court of Arbitration after it rejected its claims on disputed islands in the South China Sea, and Trump’s election. This article, the prologue to a book-in-progress, The Hinge Year – Geopolitical Dislocations and Dispersals, outlines how these events intersect with transformed geoeconomic realities
Courtesy: WTOP
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s siblings last week accused him of putting self-interest before good governance. Yet, his personal popularity remains untarnished. The Singaporean economy may no longer be the powerhouse it was and the country’s cost competitiveness may have declined, but the government has been working to regain its edge
Courtesy: Wikipedia
Referendums are a way of mobilising society and bringing in exceptional change. Turkey’s third constitutional referendum in the last 10 years, being held on Sunday, April 16, is the greatest of them in many respects as it puts the country on uncharted waters, having it move from one unbalanced system to another
Courtesy: Channel News Asia
Allegations of corruption brought down erstwhile South Korean president Park Geun-Hye. Now, there are many changes afoot: the new president who will be elected in May will face some crucial dilemmas that may affect the country’s relations with China and North Korea, besides the U.S.
Courtesy: Manjeet Kripalani
There is much dissatisfaction with the status quo in India’s largest state, where bribery and corruption are endemic and leaders with a national identity hard to find. A six-day trip through eastern UP offered insight into the state’s changing mindset
Courtesy: RTL
The French presidential election, which is less than two months away, defies attempts at predicting who the finalists of the two-round tourney will be, what with allegations of corruption being hurled at the contestants and new revelations unfolding on a daily basis.
Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
China’s resurrection of the ancient Silk Road is ambitious, sprawling, hegemonic. Its pre-European origins, though, lay in a criss-crossing of nameless caravan routes on which Indian cotton was traded as vigorously as Chinese silk, tangible proof of the interdependence of two ancient civilisations over two millennia
Courtesy: India.com
Central banks play a critical role in forging the country’s international economic relations. Now, with the rule-based order being reset and new regimes getting established, they are better positioned to influence the playing field. It is, therefore, critical to strengthen the Reserve Bank of India so it can drive an agenda closer to the interests of emerging countries. This will also be a test of India’s future leadership capabilities
Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
Even nearly 70 years after independence, the people of Myanmar are struggling to complete nation-building and resolve the Rohingya issue. Is the million-strong community an ethnic group native to Myanmar or is it of South Asian origin, and, therefore, a part of Bangladesh? Evading the issue may not hasten national reconciliation
Courtesy: The New York Times
Transiting from one administration to the next is never easy, but Trump’s dilemma is particularly difficult: he has to bring in change and also find candidates who have the respect of their peers. Are the differences of opinion on his choices a sign of things to come?