shutterstock2_1027256470 Courtesy: Shutterstock
13 February 2020

Pakistan under FATF’s critical review

The upcoming Financial Action Task Force (FATF) plenary session 16-21 February will be crucial for both Pakistan and Iran as the anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing measures undertaken by the two countries will be reviewed by the 39 member states of the FATF. Decisions will be taken on their retention or removal from the grey list and black list respectively

shutterstock_44385856 Courtesy: Shutterstock
2 January 2020

India’s diplomatic agenda in 2020

India will host four prestigious international conferences, such as the India-Africa Forum Summit and the subsidiary SCO Summit in the course of the next three years. These are historic opportunities for the country to show global leadership and fulfil a diplomatic agenda that involves handling strategic competition and advancing partnerships

IMG-20191024-WA0003 Courtesy: Asad Lalljee
24 October 2019

A Lebanese Spring

Lebanon has been the scene of some of the biggest mass protests through the month of October. They arose in response to cumulative economic crises due to low economic growth and the government’s controversial austerity measures. But can they also be seen as an awakening of Lebanese society to the need for a more equitable political and social discourse?

shutterstock_1330442825 Courtesy: Shutterstock
15 August 2019

Sequencing Governance and Economic Growth

The Narendra Modi government came to power in India in 2014, promising "minimum government, maximum governance". Its roll-out of numerous government schemes meant that democracy and governance came before economic growth. But it returned Modi to power.Analysing the current debate on growth and governance the author explores how the sequencing of governance and economic outcomes is different in China, Turkey and India

23072016-BlueMosque3 Courtesy: LBB
14 August 2019

The Persian merchants of Bombay

Bombay’s trade with the Persian Empire grew rapidly in the 19th century because of regular steamship services between the city and prominent Iranian ports such as Bushire. The wealthy and public-spirited Persian merchants, who settled in Bombay, endowed their community with a religious and social infrastructure, in use even today

46118329451_16cf134eac_o Courtesy: MEA/Flickr
27 June 2019

Gateway House on the G20

The 2019 G20 Summit in Osaka on June 28-29, is the 14th meeting of the Group of 20 leaders. The G20 is the world’s most influential economic multilateral forum. It is the agenda-setting forum that develops and guides rules of global economic governance. Under the Japanese Presidency, this summit will be the first to discuss and establish the rules for the worldwide governance of data, including current hot-button issues like data localisation and data sovereignty. India has both a preparatory and a contributory role to play in the G20 this year. For in 2022, it will be the President of the G20. India must identify its agenda early on; its a weighty responsibility but also an opportunity to set the global economic agenda.

BN-WC464_BURMAP_GR_20171113114119 Courtesy: The Wall Street Journal
6 June 2019

Suu Kyi, more politician than icon

The Aung San Suu Kyi-led National League for Democracy, which has been in power for three years, has shown a modest score card, winning more censure than praise. Suu Kyi’s civilian-military equation has been good, but not her reluctance on the Rohingya issue. What chances does her party have of winning in Myanmar’s elections in 2020?