Thai Coup: Continued political divide and uncertainty
Synopsis
The Thai Military’s takeover of the government on 22 May afternoon following the declaration of Martial Law on 20 May 2014, is seen as a move to support the royalist elites to oust the Puea Thai government. Political divide among the Thai people has deepened and the political uncertainty will continue.
India’s External Relations: What the Modi Factor Promises
Synopsis
The new Modi government is expected to revive the Indian economy and provide coherent and effective governance. It will also expand India’s options in its external relations, especially with its neighbourhood. PM-designate Modi will be the chief asset India needs to re-establish its credibility and clout internationally.
Approaching Critical Mass: Regional Views on Asia’s Multipolar Nuclear Future
Ladies and gentlemen (etc),
The momentous watershed of the contemporary age has been the end of the Cold War. The winding down of this great confrontation brought a sense of optimism with it. The “end of history,” Francis Fukuyama told us, meant that there would be no more all-encompassing ideologically charged encounters of this kind in times to come. An even greater sense of relief came from our sense of having evaded another kind of “end of history” – that which might have been wrought by global nuclear war.
Booming Synergies in Sino-Russian Natural Gas Partnership
Abstract
A central debate in the study of energy geopolitics concerns the relative importance of the Sino-Russian energy alliance and the lack of the long awaited deal in natural gas. The deadlock in natural gas is all the more puzzling when contrasted to the two countries’ flourishing ties in oil. I explore these developments by comparing the outcomes of the two deals and highlighting the distinctiveness of oil trade vis-à-vis gas trade. I subsequently describe the interplay of different domestic, regional and international policy changes currently taking place, which may pave the way for a breakthrough in the two countries’ gas talks in 2014. I then turn to two scenarios, one optimistic and the other pessimistic, to highlight the increasingly binding forces and some residual fault-lines in the relationship. I conclude by assessing the implications that the two countries’ increased energy synergies might have for the broader world.
U.S. Needs To Plan For The Day After An Iran Deal
Advocates of the effort to reach a negotiated settlement with Iran over its illicit nuclear activities have emphasized the benefits an agreement could bring by peacefully and verifiably barring Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. Skeptics, meanwhile, have warned of the risks of a “bad deal,” under which Iran’s capabilities are not sufficiently rolled back.