A Historic But Deeply Divided Mandate

The 2016 US presidential election, probably the longest political reality show in the world, finally reached its dramatic climax yesterday and will put Donald Trump in the White House. In the end it was not so much a contest to determine who was the more popular candidate but rather a competition to see who was less unpopular; it was, as one political commentator mused, “a race to the bottom”.

BRICS: FALLING APART

Hosting international summits inevitably offers a country the opportunity (if managed well) to lead the agenda and provide leadership to the meeting; enhance the role of the institution in serving its members and providing global public goods; and, in doing so also advance its own national, regional and global interests and standing. While India might have sought to achieve these objectives in hosting the 8th BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit in Goa, the results are at best mixed and disappointing at worst.