Will Duterte Follow Aquino into the South China Sea?


Some countries have become wary of China’s aspiration to become a maritime power because the means pursued by the Xi Jinping government — as seen in the disputed South China Sea — appear to ignore the legitimate interests of its smaller neighbours, flout existing international norms and pose risks to regional peace and stability.

Investors Cheer New Home Sales Blowout


Investors dived into the stock market after American home sales crushed expectations with double-digit gains.  New home sales in April soared to 16.6% more than sales in March and 23.8% from a year ago, according to a new report by the Census Bureau.

World Bank to Lend $100 Million to India for Clean Water in Karnataka


The World Bank and India signed a deal on Tuesday by which the nation will receive $100 million in loan funds to provide the citizens of Karnataka with a continuous supply of fresh, running water. The Karnataka Urban Water Supply Modernization Project will provide access to continuously piped water to the cities of Karnataka, a poor region of India.

Meanwhile, in Australian Television News


The Ten Network is signing a five-year regional television affiliation agreement with WIN, ending long-standing speculation.  While WIN needs Ten’s big name programs, this move looks forced and results in WIN sacrif

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Categorized as Australia

What’s Really Going On in Africa’s Middle Class?


Since the turn of the century, the middle classes of the global South have taken centre stage in economic policy circles. Animated by diversification of some countries’ economies, a handful of economists from international agencies and think-tanks began a discourse that then entered African and development studies.

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Categorized as Africa

Philippine President Duterte Walks the Walk


There may be more to the Philippines’ new president Rodrigo Duterte than his tough guy image indicates. In the populist theatrics that are Filipino politics, the overwhelming election of Duterte should not have come as a surprise, even with common, but inaccurate, comparisons to the US presidential candidate Donald Trump. Unlike Trump, Duterte is an active Filipino politician and, unlike Trump, his rhetorical bluster is backed by action.

Economists: U.S. to Face Greater Inflation


After several years of weak inflation, economists now believe Americans will see higher prices in 2016 and beyond.  Weak inflation that fell into near deflation in 2015 has reversed course, with the U.S. consumer price index (CPI) rising to its highest point since 2013. The CPI for all items rose over 1.1% in April, and has shot up markedly after falling earlier in 2016. Excluding food and energy, the CPI rose over 2.1% in April.

OECD Warning: African Urbanization May Not Yet Be Sustainable


The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) published its most recent African Economic Outlook today. In it, the OECD warned that although Africa has been urbanizing at an unprecedented rate, it must take steps to ensure that that process remains sustainable or it could lead to enormous economic collapses.

The Brexit and Vector Autoregressive Analysis…What?


Over 90 pages, the British Treasury’s latest referendum attempts to identify the short-term economic effects of a vote to leave on June 23 – aka Brexit. When the Treasury tweeted the publication late on the morning of May 23 it was billed a “detailed and rigorous analysis on the immediate impact of leaving the EU”. So how does it stack up?

U.S. Interest in India’s Defense Needs is Way Up


On 10–13 April, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter paid his third visit in just 30 months to India — the seventh by a US Defense Secretary since 2008. The frequency of high-level visits reflects the prominence accorded to New Delhi within the Pentagon’s emerging strategy towards the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

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Categorized as India