Who is she? Regina “Gina” P. Lopez is the chairperson of ABS-CBN Lingkod Foundation, the philanthropic wing of the Philippines’ ABS-CBN media corporation. Her work with the foundation has covered a number of environmental projects, including reforestation, river rehabilitation, and…
By Conor Cronin — Former deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin on August 9 officially registered Malaysia’s newest political party: Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, or Bersatu for short. The party is the latest salvo in a slow mutiny against Prime Minister…
Two new territories join UDAY; multiple states are moving to allow the lease of farming land; Gujarat’s amended Land Acquisition Act becomes law; Delhi, Haryana, and Maharashtra are drafting new taxi policies; West Bengal’s new solar policy could reduce the…
By Michael J. Green & Nicholas Szechenyi — On August 8, Emperor Akihito of Japan, in a rare televised address to the nation, referenced his declining health and Japan’s aging society as segue to sharing his personal reflections “on a…
By Richard Rossow — On August 3, the Rajya Sabha (upper house of India’s Parliament) passed the Constitution (122nd Amendment) (GST) Bill, 2014, allowing for the creation of a national “Goods and Services Tax” (GST). The vote came 15 months…
Who is he? Lieutenant General Yar Pyae heads the Myanmar Armed Forces’ Bureau of Special Operations 2, based in Shan State in the country’s northeast. He previously served as the chief of training and judge advocate general of the Myanmar…
This week, Gujarat’s chief minister announces her resignation; the GST might actually be in the bag; the center is drafting an investor-protection agreement for states to sign; Malaysia makes a big bet on infrastructure in Maharashtra; Karnataka stands up its…
By Sarah Watson — Agriculture’s importance in India’s economic landscape is declining, but it still employs nearly 50 percent of workers. While most observers agree that India’s future growth path lies in moving workers out of agriculture to more productive…
By Victor Andres “Dindo” Manhit — Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte on July 25 delivered his first State of the Nation Address in which he summed up his legislative, projects, and public services priorities to achieve his vision of a people-centered…
Gujarat may follow Kerala’s lead in establishing a ‘fat tax,’ Haryana to allow male government employees to take paternity leave, Mamata Banerjee to visit Germany and Italy in November, Ford Motor Company to set up its first overseas research and…
