Opinion

Shang-su Wu SPECIAL TO EMIRATES BUSINESS With his term set to end in June, it’s an appropriate time to review the Philippines’ military modernization efforts under the administration of President Benigno Aquino III. During his six years in office, military modernization has advanced at a scale unprecedented since the Marcos era – but it remains insufficient. After the Philippines gained …

Last week legislation to change the voting procedures for the Senate passed both houses of the Australian Parliament. With the current conservative Liberal/National coalition government not having a majority in the Senate, the legislation was passed with the assistance of the Greens, and the powerful South Australian Independent Senator, Nick Xenophon. Whenever a voting system becomes a topic of debate …

Surprise: America’s discouraged workers are finding jobs — or so it seems. Unanticipated by many economists, this is good news for the country (and, assuming it continues, probably for Democrats this fall). Ever since the Great Recession, economists have worried that the severity and length of the slump would forever consign many workers to the sidelines. Their prolonged disconnect from …

With Barack Obama becoming the first US president to set foot on Cuban soil in 88 years, the US-Cuban relations are taking a new turn towards normalization after long decades of animosity. The trailblazing visit would gradually usher in a new era of bilateral economic ties. The US businesses see potential in Havana and on the island’s beaches where tourism …

A new piece in Wall Street Journal discusses how the increasing number of Chinese students at U.S. universities generates discord within them, emanating from cultural shocks, academic dishonesty, and pedagogic challenges. To some degree, all these concerns are legitimate and they reflect a general picture of the shortcomings of the Chinese educational system, which tends to put more emphasis on …

Rising inequality threatens to derail, from the start, successful implementation of the new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the Asia-Pacific region. Stronger, more equitable social protection will be critical in overcoming these challenges. New research by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) indicates that inequality, related to both outcomes and opportunities, is …

Singapore has retained its unenviable ranking as the world’s most expensive city for the third straight year, with Hong Kong and Seoul also joining the top 10 list. But while residents of the powerhouse Southeast Asian economy are likely not exactly celebrating their status, at least those residing Down Under can still see the joy in life’s lot while they …

Increasingly, central bankers, economists and market watchers are discussing the pros and cons of what’s called helicopter money, a 47-year old idea that posits a way to kickstart an economy through dropping money on its citizens. Peter Praet of the European Central Bank, for example, said in an interview published last week that “all central banks can do it” if …

In this bitter campaign, one area of agreement unites the major candidates: trade. Bernie Sanders brags that he’s opposed all recent trade agreements; Hillary Clinton now rejects the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), President Obama’s signature trade success that she once supported; and Donald Trump blames incompetent US trade negotiators for devastating job losses to China that might be cured by a …

The quest for water, especially in arid regions worldwide, is rapidly becoming an overriding concern, as governments and research centres seek options on how best to address the issue. The scenario looks so gloomy with reports that as many as 3.5 billion people are expected to experience water scarcity in the next decade. Given this huge number, the problem is …