Getting China-Australia relations out of a rut
The recent change of government in Australia and a less strident tone from China could be a promising turn for fractured bilateral ties. But Australia remains caught in the great power rivalry between the US and China.
Thailand’s simmering political discontent
Prayut Chan-o-cha’s government has sought to quell pro-democracy protests by restricting and monitoring internet use, and by ramping up enforcement of lèse-majesté laws.
Ending the cycle of political disarray in Malaysia
Malaysia is witnessing what some observers say is the most serious era of political instability since independence in 1957. What will it take for the political turmoil to end?
India’s two-way bet on the US-Russia divide
India has, on four occasions, abstained from voting in the UN to censure Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. For how much longer can India sit on the US-Russia fence?
Islamic finance in a fintech future
Having built a Shariah-compliant global finance industry now worth US$3 trillion, Islamic legal experts are grappling with whether cryptocurrencies are permissible for the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims.