Headlines

India’s not the China alternative Wall Street thinks

Financial bookmarks can be very illuminating in assessing a market’s readiness for global primetime. Such is the case with JPMorgan Chase & Co adding Indian debt to its emerging market indices. The Wall Street icon plans to do just that in June 2024, perhaps drawing US$40

Malaysia’s Anwar wants more money from Goldman Sachs

SINGAPORE and LONDON – Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is upping the ante on efforts to renegotiate a controversial settlement with Goldman Sachs for its role in the multi-billion-dollar 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) financial scandal and extradite one of Goldman’s

Don Quixote in the White House

Now that the writers’ strike in the US is over, I can pitch my script for that blockbuster version of Cervantes’ classic crying out to be made: Don Quixote in the White House, updating windmills to stray weather balloons, complete with paranoia and mustache-twirling villains.

Ukraine war: Who has the real mobilization problem?

When Vladimir Putin called for a partial mobilization in September 2022 it was a sign to ordinary Russians that – despite all the Kremlin’s denials – this was no longer a “special military operation” but a real war. In response to Ukraine’s successful counteroffensive which

Why so many Indians prefer ‘Bharat’ to ‘India’

When India invited delegates attending the G20 summit in September 2023 to dinner with “the President of Bharat,” rather than “the President of India,” it may have looked to the world like a simple case of postcolonial course correction. The word “India” is, after all, an

TSMC to help Europe break its Asia chip dependency

In contrast to Dutch manufacturing equipment maker ASML’s position at the center of the US-China trade and technology conflict, most European semiconductor makers are maintaining a low profile. For those who have not been following the issue, Netherlands-based ASML has a

Environmental villains in the South China Sea

The Philippines has publicly castigated China and its fishermen for damaging the coral- based ecosystem at Iroquois and Sabina reefs in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). This criticism has been hyped and spread around the world. Others including the US and Japan have joined

EU rethinking China business ties, state by state

Western nations and multinational corporations, severely impacted by Covid-19 restrictions and supply chain disruptions, are reevaluating their approaches toward China. While many Western businesses view China as a vital market, there is considerable uncertainty about the

Biden’s Belt and Road counter needs an eastern extension

US President Joe Biden announced on September 9 at the G20 Summit in India an ambitious plan for a transportation corridor connecting India with the Middle East and, ultimately, Europe – a possible game changer for global trade. The shipping and rail corridor would include

Taiwan builds first submarine, with Western support

Taiwan, a self-governing island in Asia, is not only famous for its dominance in the global semiconductor sector but can now also call itself a submarine-maker after it unveiled its first underwater vessel on Thursday. The submarine, named “Hai Kun” in Mandarin and “Narwhal”