In The News

India's Role in Climate Change

Nayan Chanda December 17, 2015
Global leaders attending COP21 in Paris have pledged to reduce carbon emissions – and now must follow through, convincing citizens and businesses at home to support tough policies that curb fossil-fuel production. The national commitments are voluntary. “After initially resisting Western pressure, Modi government has announced a pledge – the so-called Intended Nationally Determined Contributions...

The Challenge of Urban Flooding

December 3, 2015
Research suggests that heavy rainfall events are on the rise. “The time has come to take serious cognisance of the link between climate change and extreme weather events like Chennai floods,” notes an essay from the Hans India. “As recommended by Centre for Science and Environment, India should start internalising climate change adaptation in all developmental policies and programmes.” Cities as...

Gauging the ISIS Threat in Indonesia

December 2, 2015
Indonesia, with near 250 million people, is the world’s largest Muslim nation. The Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict in Jakarta estimates that 300 Indonesians headed to the Middle East; 100 of those have been killed and another 100 were detained and returned. “A video has been circulating in social media since Nov. 22, purporting to be from East Indonesian Mujahideen, a terrorist group...

Diaspora's Influence in India’s Domestic Politics

Dilip Hiro November 17, 2015
Huge crowds attending receptions for India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New York’s Madison Square Garden, Dubai’s Sport City and most recently London’s Wembley Stadium displayed spontaneous enthusiasm and patriotic pride with images broadcast to India. In reality, months of meticulous planning by the Overseas Friends of BJP preceded these extravaganzas, explains author Dilip Hiro. The...

Opposition Wins in Myanmar, But Military Still Holds the Reins

Bertil Lintner November 12, 2015
The National League for Democracy, an opposition party in Myanmar led by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, has won a landslide victory. The military has pledged to work with Suu Kyi, but has a lock on 25 percent of seats in parliament, enough to prevent changes to the nation’s constitution if none of its representatives go astray, explains journalist and author Bertil Lintner. Suu Kyi’...

With Aung San Suu Kyi’s Rise, China and Myanmar Face New Relationship

Jane Perlez November 12, 2015
China anticipated an election win in Myanmar by opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar and invited her for a meeting with President Xi Jinping. “Among ordinary people in Myanmar, China is seen as a heavy-handed northern neighbor largely interested in extracting valuable natural resources like timber and jade – and prone to plundering the land to build pipelines and a vast hydroelectric dam...

Sinking States

Patrick Skyes October 30, 2015
As sea levels continue to rise, island states in the Pacific and Indian oceans may soon find their territory submerged. More than 9.5 million people are at risk of climate displacement, and evacuations, described as “population transfer,” are already occurring throughout the Pacific. While international law guarantees individuals the right of asylum, never before have entire countries, such as...