brics leaders_210x140 Courtesy: dilmarousseff/Flickr
6 June 2011

BRICS: Convergence or dissonance?

As Europe stands united in its support for France's Finance Minister Christine Lagarde as a candidate to head the International Monetary Fund, many have begun to question if BRICS is truly an effective and united bloc. Will they be able to put forth a candidate all emerging countries can support?

christine lagarde_380x270 Courtesy: WorldEconomicForum/Flickr
31 May 2011

The IMF: Emerging economies aren’t ready for prime time

With the post for the head of the International Monetary Fund up for grabs, the emerging market countries are yet to unite and provide a suitable candidate who receives formidable support for his or her candidature. China, however, may boldly question the status quo and step ahead.

pm kazakh visit_210x140 t Courtesy: PMO
28 April 2011

India-Kazakhstan: Beyond energy II

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met with Kazakh President Nazarbayev to strengthen ties and announced a Joint Action plan for 2011-14. Should the countries enhance their “arms-length transactional” relationship, a deeper alliance can be forged to include untapped sectors with immense potential

Lear 21 Wikipedia Courtesy: Lear21,ThomasWolf/Wikipedia
22 April 2011

Germany: Charting its own course

Germany’s abstention on the UN Resolution on Libya heralds the mellowing of a nation blamed for last century’s most catastrophic wars. This time, Berlin may determine the history of Europe by choosing to pursue its national interests peacefully rather than subjugating an entire populace.

UN Photo Marco Castro_210x140 Courtesy: UNPhoto/MarcoCastro
14 April 2011

South Africa’s human rights dilemma

As the newest entrant of the BRICS group, South Africa's unpredictability in upholding the human rights dimension of its foreign policy agenda, by its stance to impose a ‘no fly zone’ over Libya, has brought about an incoherency between the BRIC countries and South Africa.

UN Photo Marco Castro_210x140 Courtesy: UNPhoto/MarcoDormino
12 April 2011

New trends in the management of upheaval

A new United Nations doctrine is revolutionising the manner in which Western powers achieve regime change. Under the pretext of “Responsibility to Protect” –as the doctrine is named –armed intervention does not depend on the aspirations of a populace but the facilitation of existing power equations

AL J Libya fLICKR Courtesy: AlJazeeraEnglish/Flickr
31 March 2011

A New Taliban in Libya?

The fundamental problem when supporting an anti-regime opposition is to ascertain the identity and purpose of the rebels. It is a question –which M.D. Nalapat discovers –is never asked by the United States, no stranger to shoring up rebels in far-off countries.

Nina-no wIKIMEDIA Courtesy: NinaAldinThune/Wikimedia
7 February 2011

March of Follies in Egypt

There are more than Western interests at play in Egypt. The other catalysts for the unrest are a combination of Iranian adventures, hypocritical policies of West Asian regimes and resurgent commodity speculation in western markets, triggering a rise in prices of basic items in emerging markets