Since March 2019, residents of Hong Kong have been protesting the controversial Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019. Scores of residents have taken to the streets and, of late, the city’s airport, to press their demands. The regular movement of nearly 2 million people requires massive and secret coordination– and, in this case, it has been through Telegram, a Dubai-based, six-year-old encrypted messaging service. The government in Beijing finally caught on, and read more

In the summer of 1944, in the last phase of the Second World War, Japanese soldiers reached India’s north eastern borders, their aim being to defeat the British Empire. But they met their own Waterloo at the much written about Battles of Imphal and Kohima. Seventy-five years after the Second World War, a different era prevails. India and Japan are very close strategic partners; Japanese diplomats, development administrators, Buddhist pilgrims and language teachers are contributing to the economic development read more

What do Goan cashew feni, Mexican tequila, Swiss watches, Costa Rican coffee, French bordeaux and Scotch whisky have in common? A Geographical Indication, or GI, tag. GI is a platinum standard that is granted to unique geographical origin-products and regulated worldwide under rules set by the World Trade Organization. In recent years, GI tags have garnered interest from countries around the world as a potentially powerful marketing tool. But designating products is just a first step. Taking full advantage read more

How does governance affect economic outcomes? Governance is a concept that impinges on our lives every day in a thousand myriad ways. How am I treated when I go to the tax collection agency? Can I cast my vote without interference? How long did it take for the government to build that new road linking my village to the larger market town where I sell my vegetables? If the government decides to change its agricultural support policies, how do my read more