scs Courtesy: U.S. Central Intelligence Agency/Wikimedia Commons
4 April 2014

South China Sea: a new war brewing

China is reportedly taking advantage of the situation in Ukraine to further its claims in the South China Sea. Its aggressive stance has pushed the Philippines to approach The Hague for arbitration. There are concerns that the tensions could lead to a breakdown of trade routes in the Western Pacific

Operation Mountain Fire Courtesy: Staff Sgt. Christopher Allison/Wikimedia Commons
30 March 2014

Afghanistan: At a turning point

The presidential election is vital not only for Afghanistan’s future but also for the stability of the region. The ensuing race has thrown up candidates from various ethnicities and they face an uphill task with a resurgent Taliban and a former President who still hopes to be a force in the political arena

BRICS versus the G8?
27 March 2014

BRICS versus the G8?

A new equation is emerging between the BRICS countries and the informal grouping of the most industrialized economies, called the G8. The G8 has been reduced to G7 following Russia’s suspension. Of late, BRICS have taken an assertive stand against the G8 in economic as well as the geo-political fora

Credit Rating Agencies Courtesy: Jeremy Edmunds/Flickr
20 March 2014

A new house for sovereign ratings

Efforts to reform credit rating agencies after the 2008 financial crisis have failed to address concerns about their ability to assess a nation’s financial status. Issues like private interests and a disregard for the diversity of development models have made it imperative to think of a new multilateral agency

Federal_Reserve_Board_Building Courtesy: Agnostic Preachers Kid/Wikimedia Commons
13 March 2014

Multi-polar world, unilateral Fed

To navigate the U.S. away from the huge monetary stimulus, the Federal Reserve has initiated tapering. But in an integrating world, the emerging economies, especially India, China and Brazil, will see collateral liquidity damage. How will the Fed enforce its mandate? How will central banks in emerging markets react?

Arg_Pesos_2014 Courtesy: alex proimos/Wikimedia Commons
13 March 2014

Going downhill: Argentine economy

With a devaluing peso, a low trade surplus, high inflation, and falling foreign exchange reserves, the economic situation in Argentina is bleak. But the government can overcome the crisis by changing policies, lessening controls, exploring the country’s shale gas reserves, and working on settling its debt