As the cease-fire, concluded by the USA and Russia, mercifully holds in Syria, the Kremlin has announced a critical shift in strategy. Vladimir Putin’s declaration on Monday night that Russian troops would begin a partial withdrawal from Syria is without question a surprise move that could mark a major shift in the conflict. On closer reflection, the Russian President’s signal of intent was only very logical in the aftermath of the truce in the troubled land, one that he had brokered with Barack

Viewpoints March 18, 2016

Indonesia created a historic moment at the fifth extraordinary summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The summit concluded with a cornerstone on the peace process and independence of the Palestine state. After two years of nearly no signs of progress, the world now has new hope in solving the Israel-Palestine conflict. As the host of the latest OIC summit, Indonesia could push forward Palestine issues to the wider international arena and play a bigger role in the OIC from merely part

Viewpoints March 17, 2016

Artificial intelligence has achieved another milestone. On March 15, Google’s AlphaGo, an AI program, beat one of the world’s best Go players, champion Lee Se-Dol of South Korea, 4-1 in a five-game match.This underscored the computer’s capability to further outsmart humans in complex tasks such as playing the complicated board game, Go.Previously, IBM’s Deep Blue computer had defeated world chess champion Garry Kasparov.Since the 1900s, when computers emerged in the form of tabulation; and the 1

Viewpoints March 17, 2016

The elections in three states of Germany would scarcely have triggered much excitement across the continent were it not for the resounding setback for Chancellor Angela Merkel and her open-door policy toward migrants. The elections have turned out to be a referendum on her geostrategy, one that allowed more than a million migrants to enter the country last year. The electoral setback must be stunning, however much she may be trying to conclude a deal with Turkey to curb the influx. Unmistakable

Viewpoints March 17, 2016

Customers are surely the beneficiaries when rival players in a given industry engage in a price war, such as the current one taking place between app-based transportation service providers grouped under Grab and Uber versus conventional transportation service operators. But given the generously discounted prices offered by the new players, which seem to go beyond business common sense, the outrage of many who make a living working in the traditional transportation industry has a strong basis.On

Viewpoints March 17, 2016

Human rights reports make for depressing reading. Filled with accounts of cruelty, they can inspire despair for the human condition. But while I have read many such reports over the years, I cannot recall one as packed with horror as the one recently published by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic.The commission, established in 2011 by the United Nations Human Rights Council, was denied access to Syria. It based its findings on 415 interviews, supplem

Viewpoints March 17, 2016

California made a bold move last week by passing legislation that raises from 18 to 21 the legal age for purchasing and using tobacco products. If Gov. Jerry Brown signs the measure, California will join Hawaii and a number of major American cities that ban anyone younger than 21 from smoking legally.　Laws that limit Americans’ freedom to smoke -- combined with higher cigarette taxes and public awareness campaigns -- have transformed the face of smoking in America in a good way. The National Cen

Viewpoints March 16, 2016

Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the Russian public’s acquiescence in direct government control of news media have many people wondering if Russians are predisposed to authoritarianism. It seems like a sensible question. But I have learned from experience that we have to be very careful about drawing conclusions about national character from isolated events.In 1989, I was invited to an economic conference in Moscow, then in the Soviet Union, sponsored jointly by the Soviet think tank IMEM

Viewpoints March 16, 2016

Outdated drug policies around the world have resulted in soaring drug-related violence, overstretched criminal justice systems, runaway corruption and mangled democratic institutions. After reviewing the evidence, consulting drug policy experts and examining our own failures on this front while in office, we came to an unavoidable conclusion: The “war on drugs” is an unmitigated disaster.For nearly a decade, we have urged governments and international bodies to promote a more humane, informed an

Viewpoints March 16, 2016

The story of a Tesla Model S which was slapped with a S$15,000 ($10,923) carbon surcharge here throws up several questions. The one that goes up in neon must be: Are electric cars as clean as we think?　And there are conflicting answers, just as there are for diesel cars, hybrid cars and natural gas cars.Detractors point out that electric cars are actually dirtier than conventional cars if one adopts a lifetime comparison. They say the cars’ biggest shortcomings have to do with the production of

Viewpoints March 15, 2016

Although Chinese growth numbers are sliding in comparison to India, this may be temporary and based on curves in the business cycle; China’s economic fundamentals are stronger than any other emerging economy.The vice governor of China’s central bank, Yi Gang, was not far from the truth when he said, “Chinese foreign exchange reserves are ample and reasonable.”Thus according to him, expectations are high on the yuan; therefore it should remain steady and cross-border capital flows should be manag

Viewpoints March 15, 2016