Trump and Hillary dominate the debate
In the first Republican debate of the the 2016 elections Donald Trump stood out as the biggest winner. However, the lack of any outstanding Republican candidate means Democrat Hillary is the real winner
Courtesy: Gage Skidmore
Republicans gear up to ‘Stop Hillary’
With the 2016 U.S. presidential primaries in less than a year, Republican candidates have begun to multiply. Former Senator Jeb Bush is leading the pack, followed by Governor Scott Walker and Senator Marco Rubio. It is early days yet, but in their focus on countering Democrat Hillary Clinton, discussions on issues like the growing rivalry with China and plurilateral trade agreements are, so far, missing
Courtesy: Hillary Clinton/Flickr
Hillary’s candidacy and India
Hillary Clinton finally announced her second bid to be the democratic candidate for the November 2016 presidential election on April 12. Despite her landmark achievements, there are a number of controversial issues from her time as senator, the first lady and as Secretary of State, that will be raised in the coming months
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Brazil: protests and Petrobras
The 14 March protests is the latest in a series against corruption in Brazil. While the government is acting, the political and economic environment will continue to deteriorate until it is rooted out.
Courtesy: NPR
Mexican inspiration for Bollywood
Mexican director Alejendra Inarritu’s Oscar for his work on Birdman comes after his compatriot won the same category award in 2014. This is a matter of pride for the Mexican film industry which is undergoing a renaissance in the last fifteen years. Although Indian cinema dwarfs the Mexican film industry, Mexico’s success in Hollywood should hold as inspiration for Bollywood
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Latin American lessons for AAP
The nature of the sweeping victory of AAP and Kejriwal may be unprecedented in India but not in Latin America. In Brazil, Mexico and Colombia, there are lessons for AAP and Arvind Kejriwal as they assume power in New Delhi – and also for the Congress Party as well as the BJP
Courtesy: globalsherpa.org
Decoding conditional cash transfers
The Indian government has undertaken a massive financial inclusion scheme to bring bank accounts to the poor. But poverty alleviation needs to be addressed at multiple levels for which the Latin American example of using targeted and customised conditional cash transfer programmes can help India
Courtesy: Yale University Press
Book review: Brazil’s guided capitalism
Michael Reid's book argues that Brazil, a nation that was built by a top-down elite, is now moving to a new phase of a bottom-up approach to political and economic reform
Courtesy: UN Climate Conference
Climate Change: glimmers of hope?
With the weaker-than-expected agreement at the recent Climate Change Conference at Lima, there is an urgent need to replicate innovative green endeavours in civil society and business for a sustainable global economy with grassroots empowerment
Courtesy: Getty Images
Cuba: end of isolation
The U.S. has finally ended its outdated policy of isolating Cuba. It is a triumph for the proud and courageous Cubans who have withstood so many overt and covert destabilisation attempts by the U.S. It is also a victory for Latin America which has opposed the U.S. embargo and advocated normalization of relations with Cuba