Pushan Dutt, INSEAD

2 December 2024
The Big Story: Joe Biden pardons his son - Is this an abuse of power?
US President Joe Biden has pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, who had been convicted of making false statements on a gun background check and illegally possessing a firearm and pled guilty to federal tax charges.
President Biden’s move marks a stunning reversal, after repeatedly claiming he would not pardon his son. This also comes just weeks before he is set to leave office.
Is this an abuse of power? How will this impact Biden’s reputation and legacy? Will this move become a bad precedent for future presidents?
On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics and Political Science at INSEAD, for a deeper analysis.

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13 November 2024
The Big Story: Will Elon Musk working with Donald Trump give him more power?
It looks like Elon Musk will be part of the new incoming US government in January.
President-elect Donald Trump has named Elon Musk to a role aimed at creating a more efficient government, handing even more influence to the world's richest man who donated millions of dollars to help Trump get elected.
Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will co-lead a newly created Department of Government Efficiency, an entity Trump indicated will operate outside the confines of government.
What exactly is the Department of Government Efficiency? Will this department bring any benefits to the government and the people of America? And what does this new role mean for Elon Musk?
On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics, INSEAD to find out more.

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6 November 2024
The Big Story: Donald Trump declares victory. What's next?
Republican candidate Donald Trump is set to be elected as US president for the second time, US media has reported, defeating US Vice-President and Democratic opponent Kamala Harris.
The former president will return to the White House with an assured simple majority of more than 270 Electoral College votes, AP and CNN have projected.
What fuelled Trump’s victory? And what might Trump 2.0 look like for the US and the rest of the world?
On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics, INSEAD to find out.

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29 April 2024
Washington Report: Blinken in the Middle East, Biden starts the clock for ByteDance
From US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's seventh diplomatic mission to the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas war to US President Joe Biden signing a US$95 billion foreign aid Bill into law, starting the clock on a nine-month window for TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app.
Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics, INSEAD gives us an analysis of those headline and more.

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18 March 2024
Washington Report: Will the US ban TikTok? Who could buy the app from China’s ByteDance?
The US House of Representatives passed a Bill on March 13 that would give TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance about six months to divest the US assets of the short-video app used by about 170 million Americans or face a ban.
What will happen to TikTok if the US bans the app? Who will be the potential buyers lining up to take over the social media company? Could the ban fuel Meta's advertising dominance, and how will Google and YouTube also stand to benefit?
Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics, INSEAD weighs in.

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25 January 2024
Morning Shot: Can the US's posture dollars fight China's foray in the Indo-Pacific?
The Indo-Pacific region has been garnering increased attention by some of the world’s biggest powers in recent years, with both China and the US pumping investment bucks into the region through development projects such as the Belt and Road Initiative.
But as the geostrategic chess match between the United States and China grows more intense, what are the risks faced by countries in the Indo-Pacific and where are the growth areas?
On this episode of Morning Shot, Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics, INSEAD weighs in.
Presented by: Ryan Huang & Emaad Akhtar
Produced and edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg)
Photo credits: Lucidity Information Design, LLC

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4 December 2023
Washington Report: Remembering Henry Kissinger's impact in Southeast Asia
Henry Kissinger, the former US Secretary of State and National Security Adviser died on November 29 at the age of 100. While he was an influential member of the US government under two Presidents, Kissinger was also seen as a controversial figure in global politics. In fact, his legacy in Asia has been much debated.
How will Henry Kissinger be remembered in Southeast Asia? And what impact will he have on world politics for decades to come?
Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics, INSEAD explains.

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20 November 2023
Washington Report: Why OpenAI Sacked ChatGPT Star CEO Sam Altman & What It Means For The AI Race
In a sudden move, billionaire and AI evangelist Sam Altman has been fired as CEO of OpenAI. What does the surprise sacking mean for the AI race?
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum is over, but what did US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping accomplish?
Elsewhere, as the conflict in Gaza continues to rage on, has the US been able to successfully broker a ceasefire deal with Israel and Hamas?
Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics, INSEAD gives us his analysis of the biggest headlines out of the US on this week's Washington Report.

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9 October 2023
Washington Report: Why is Joe Biden Building a New Border Wall Using Trump-era Fund?
US President Joe Biden's administration says it will add sections to a border wall to stave off record migrant crossings from Mexico, carrying forward a signature policy of former President Donald Trump.
What will Biden achieve with the new border wall? How will this impact Biden's 2024 reelection campaign?
Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics, INSEADexplains.

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18 September 2023
Washington Report: Rough September for Joe Biden - Auto Strikes, Son’s Indictment
Hunter Biden is indicted on three gun felonies, but it seems that his problems are legitimately his father's problems too. But that's not all for US President Joe Biden, with The United Auto Workers going on strike at Ford, General Motors and Stellantis factories.
As Joe Biden runs for re-election, how will the president cope with his son’s legal woes, turbulence on Capitol Hill and questions about his economic leadership?
We take a closer look with Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics, INSEAD.

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21 August 2023
Washington Report: Will Donald Trump regret skipping the first GOP presidential debate?
Donald Trump has confirmed that he will not attend the first Republican primary debate on Wednesday, amid reports that he is weighing several options in an attempt to upstage the opening event in the party’s nominating contest.
Will he change his mind? How will Donald rump’s absence impact the GOP debate?
For more on this and the key issues that could shape the first debate of the 2024 vote, we speak with Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics, INSEAD.

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26 June 2023
Washington Report: Is 'Bidenomics' enough to earn Biden a second term in the upcoming US presidential election?
The US and India have announced defence and chips deals at the White House. For India, this is in an effort to advance their technology, especially for defense and military purposes.
US President Joe Biden travels to Chicago where he will deliver what is being billed by the White House as a major speech on his economic achievements, dubbed ‘Bidenomics’ which involves addressing issues around infrastructure, unemployment and climate change.
Republicans are taking steps to expunge former US President Donald Trump’s two failed impeachments from his record. How likely is this and what will his role be in the upcoming election?
We speak to Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics, INSEAD to find out more about this.

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19 June 2023
Washington Report: What's on the agenda at the US-China talks & why Biden is honoring Modi with a state visit
In order to prevent rash decisions on both parties, China and US must continue their attempts at dialogue. India as well, another country with strained relations with China is in discussions with the US with China's increasing global influence in focus.
In other news, Joe Biden made his 2024 re-election pitch to union members in Philadelphia on Saturday in his first political rally since launching his campaign in April.
We discuss these headlines with Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics, INSEAD.

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22 May 2023
Washington Report: Takeaways from G7 summit
The G7 summit has given us some insight into the members' views on significant global issues such as the Ukraine-Russian war. Moreover, how should the US debt ceiling issue be dealt with?
We discuss this further with Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics, INSEAD.

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24 April 2023
Washington Report: US and France react to conflict in Sudan
In the wake of ongoing conflict and violence between rival forces in Sudan, the United States and France have commenced the evacuation of their citizens and embassy staff.
As tensions escalate, questions arise as what steps the United States may take in response.
Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics, INSEAD discusses the situation and more.

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10 April 2023
Washington report: Conflicting US rulings leave fate of abortion pill in doubt
China kicked off three days of military exercises around Taiwan on Saturday after condemning Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen's meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. How will the US react in the face of Chinese hostility?
Meanwhile, US abortion pill access is in doubt after a Texas judge suspends approval. What about the political fallout coming into focus?
On Washington Report, Drive Time's Elliot Danker speaks with Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics, INSEAD to break it all down.

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Presenters: Elliot Danker
Producer: Nadiah Koh

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27 March 2023
Washington Report: Is time up for TikTok in the US?
The US Congress may have shown its strong desire to ban viral video platform TikTok in the US over national security concerns, but is the social media company’s time really up for its 150 million users in the region?
On Washington Report, Drive Time's Elliot Danker speaks with Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics, INSEAD to discuss the future of TikTok in the US and other key headlines out of the States.

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27 January 2023
In the Spotlight: How are the US and China economies doing so far in 2023?
In the Spotlight on Prime Time, we focus on two major economies - the US and China.
Timothy Go is joined by Pushan Dutt, Professor of economics and political sciences at INSEAD who gave his insights on the US GDP data that came in firmer-than-expected, so what will the Fed do next?
Plus, with the US hitting its debt ceiling, what’s going to happen next and how will that impact Singapore and the region?
Finally, in China, with its population declining, is their period of rapid growth likely over?
Produced and edited by Anthea Ng (nganthea@sph.com.sg)

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30 December 2022
In the Spotlight: An economist's outlook for 2023 - from recession, US China relations, war in Ukraine and Singapore's economy
As the year comes to an end, the customary flow of economic outlooks is in full swing.
In the Spotlight, Bharati Jagdish speaks with Pushan Dutt, Professor of economics and political sciences at INSEAD on what to look out for in the regional and global political situations, their economies, as well as Singapore’s outlook in 2023.
Produced and edited by Anthea Ng (nganthea@sph.com.sg)

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19 December 2022
Washington Report: US plans to pump US$55 billion into Africa
From the US’ announcement to pump US$55 billion into Africa at the US-Africa Summit and the country beginning to buy back oil for its Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics, INSEAD shares his analysis.

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28 November 2022
Washington Report: What to expect from Trump’s presidential run
From what to expect from Donald Trump’s presidential run to US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart meeting up recently and what this means to their relationship moving forward.
Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics at INSEAD shares more.

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25 November 2022
In the Spotlight: How will the US midterms election results and Trump's 2024 presidency bid impact Asia?
At the US midterm elections, Democrats took a majority in the Senate and while they lost the House, the result was very close.
At the same time, Donald Trump announced his 2024 presidency bid.
What does the US midterm election results mean to the Asian region?
And if Trump becomes President again, and with Asia being more sensitive to Chinese growth and US financial conditions, how would that impact the region, specifically China and Singapore?
We unpack all of that In the Spotlight on Prime Time in this conversation between Bharati Jagdish and Pushan Dutt, Professor of economics and political sciences at INSEAD.

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28 October 2022
The global impact of leadership changes in the UK, US & China
In the Spotlight, Prime Time's Bharati Jagdish speaks with Pushan Dutt, Professor of economics and political sciences at INSEAD about the leadership in the US, the UK and China and how it will affect the global outlook moving forward.

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26 August 2022
In the Spotlight: Will "Trussnomics" sink the UK economy and government?
Is Britain in a self-inflicted financial crisis that threatens to accelerate the economy’s dive into recession? Can Liz Truss and her team restore its credibility with its people and investors? In the Spotlight on Prime Time, Bharati Jagdish speaks wtih Pushan Dutt, Professor of economics and political sciences at INSEAD to look at what’s next for the UK economy, what will the spillover effect be, as well as the latest on the Russia-Ukraine front.

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26 August 2022
With escalating geopolitical tensions, is Asia’s peace under threat?:
The 21st century has mostly been a time of peace and a window of possibility for economic growth in Asia. But the pandemic has seen countries politically polarised and societies deeply divided. Having enjoyed decades of peace, is Asia confronted with the prospect of war again? In the Best of Prime Time, Bharati Jagdish spoke with Pushan Dutt, Professor of economics and political sciences at INSEAD for more insights.

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24 June 2022
Hong Kong’s current political and social issues expecting better solutions from the incoming leader this July 1
John Lee will officially step up as chief executive on July 1st, which is also the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China from the British coloniser. Challenges regarding division in politics and society in terms of housing price surge and Covid-19 restrictions are foreseeable for the incoming leader.

In The Spotlight, Prime Time’s Timothy Go and Bharati Jagdish spoke with Pushan Dutt, Professor of economics and political sciences, INSEAD to find out more.

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3 June 2022
In The Spotlight: Airline industry may reverse back to its pre-pandemic growth in early 2023
World travel is coming back strongly as people have been longing for overseas vacation for the past two years. With such a trend, the airline industry is believed to bounce back to its pre-pandemic growth earlier than it expected. In The Spotlight, Prime Time’s Bharati Jagdish spoke with Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics at INSEAD to find out more.

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27 May 2022
In The Spotlight: Highlights from Davos 2022: Global economic crisis and approaches of world leaders
After two years of recess, the World Economic Forum returned to Davos to discuss the mounting economic issues posed by the lingering pandemic and Ukraine-Russia war. Discussions on Ukraine were at the top of the agenda, with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s address opening the meeting on Monday. In The Spotlight, Prime Time’s Bharati Jagdish spoke with Pushan Dutt, Professor Economics Professor, INSEAD to find out more.

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29 April 2022
In The Spotlight: What is Europe's energy alternative as Russian gas is off the cards?
Russia halts gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria. The long-feared move marks a dramatic escalation of Moscow’s bid to weaken the collective resolve of Ukraine’s allies as they send more weapons to help Kyiv fight. But why does it matter? In The Spotlight, Prime Time's Timothy Go and Bharati Jagdish spoke to Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics, INSEAD to find out.

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25 March 2022
In The Spotlight: An analysis of the latest from the war in Ukraine
US President Joe Biden will travel to a town near the Polish-Ukrainian border today, in a bid to signal Western unity against Russia’s onslaught.
It comes as the UKs Defense Ministry said Ukraine was pushing Russian troops back and regaining ground near Kyiv.
In The Spotlight, Prime Time’s Timothy Go and Melissa Hyak spoke to Pushan Dutt, Professor of economics and political sciences at INSEAD for the latest updates from the war in Ukraine.

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24 February 2022
What Russia's invasion of Ukraine means for global economies
Explosions rang out before dawn in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, and several cities, after Russia announced a military operation. Shehzad Haque and Melissa Hyak spoke to Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics and Political Sciences, INSEAD about the situation in Ukraine.

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4 February 2022
In The Spotlight: Latest from the Ukraine-Russia crisis
The US has claimed Russia is planning to stage a fake Ukrainian attack that it would use to justify an invasion.
Russia denied it was planning to fabricate an attack, and the US did not provide evidence to support the claim.
The build-up of tens of thousands of Russian troops on Ukraine's borders has escalated fears of an invasion.
In The Spotlight, Prime Time's Rachel Kelly spoke with Pushan Dutt, Professor of economics and political sciences at INSEAD about the latest developments in Russia and Ukraine.

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27 August 2021
Weekly Wrapup: Kamala Harris and her maiden Southeast Asian tour
US Vice President Kamala Harris’ recent visit to Singapore and Vietnam was meant to reaffirm America’s commitment to the region, in particular, to pressure China to abide by international maritime law pertaining to the South China Sea. Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics & Political Science, INSEAD provides an analysis of her visit and shares how Singapore intends to balance its existing relationships.

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3 August 2021
In The Spotlight: Latest from Malaysia’s political and Covid-19 situation
In The Spotlight, hosts Rachel Kelly and Timothy Go spoke to Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics and Political Science at INSEAD to find out more about Malaysia’s current political landscape and updates on the country's Covid-19 situation.

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6 July 2021
In The Spotlight: Breakdown in OPEC+ talks & the Fed's meeting minutes
In The Spotlight, hosts Timothy Goh and Rachel Kelly spoke to Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics and Political Sciences, INSEAD on regional breaking headlines - including the impact of the latest OPEC+ talks and the Fed’s upcoming meeting minutes.

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8 June 2021
In The Spotlight: Understanding the G7 multinational tax proposal
Over the weekend - G7 Finance Ministers Agreed to a historic global tax agreement that will mean the largest multinational tech giants will pay their fair share of tax in the countries in which they operate.
As part of landmark deal, finance ministers agreed to the principle of a global minimum rate that ensures multinationals pay tax of at least 15% in each country they operate.
To find out what exactly this means and who might be impacted Prime Time's Rachel Kelly spoke with Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics and Political Sciences at INSEAD.

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11 May 2021
In The Spotlight: Could a Scottish referendum be on the horizon?
The Scottish National Party celebrated a fourth consecutive win in the latest round of elections.
Scottish First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon has promised to bring Scotland through the pandemic, and when it is past, to give Scottish voters the right to choose their future.
This has led to a flurry of headlines and discussions surrounding the “Battle over Scotland’s future”.
To get the latest on what this means for the UK and the British economy we are joined now by Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics and Political Sciences, INSEAD.

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6 April 2021
In The Spotlight: What could the $2 trillion infrastructure plan mean for the US economy?
Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics and Political Sciences at INSEAD shares his insights on recent news out of the US, from the $2 trillion infrastructure plan to international trade relations.

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2 March 2021
In The Spotlight: What next for Myanmar's economy?
As turmoil in Myanmar continues, Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics and Political Science at INSEAD shares what the latest developments out of Myanmar means for the countries economy.

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2 February 2021
Budget 2021: In The Spotlight - Outlook for Singapore's Economy and Budget 2021
Prime Time's Rachel Kelly speaks to Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics and Political Science at INSEAD about the outlook for Singapore's economy and Budget 2021.

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Click here for more Budget 2021 updates.

7 January 2021
In The Spotlight: Insights into the storming of the US Capitol & Georgia state run off election
In the spotlight, Howie Lim spoke to Pushan Dutt, Professor, Economics and Political Science, INSEAD who has insights into what’s been happening in the United States, the protests on Capitol Hill and the Georgia state run off election.

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1 December 2020
In The Spotlight: Tackling tourism and trade amid the Covid-19 pandemic
As new waves of Covid-19 continue across the globe, how can we balance livelihood and lives? Prime Time's Rachel Kelly speaks to Pushan Dutt from INSEAD to find out.

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3 November 2020
In The Spotlight: What will the US election results mean for Asia?
As polls open across the US - Prime Time's Rachel Kelly speaks to Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics and Political Science at INSEAD to find out what to look out for in the week ahead and what the potential election results could mean for Asia.

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6 October 2020
In The Spotlight: US President Donald Trump's discharge from Hospital
US President Donald Trump has been discharged from hospital after just three days following confirmation of his Covid-19 diagnosis, promising that he will be back on the campaign trail soon. To find out what this means for the elections which are less than a month away, and what we can expect from the upcoming VP debate this week - Prime Time's Rachel Kelly spoke to Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics and Political Science, INSEAD.

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1 September 2020
In The Spotlight:Unrest, Covid-19 and trade tensions cast shadows over the US elections
The US Presidential elections are now just two months away - However, shadows have been cast over the race by the shootings over the weekend in Portland, Covid-19, and trade tensions. To break down the latest we spoke to Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics and Political Sciences at INSEAD.

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4 August 2020
In The Spotlight: 2021 should be the year of cooperation
More than half a year has passed since COVID-19 hit. Globally, governments have introduced measures to help buffer the blow of this pandemic. However, regional economies are still grappling with new cases.
Over in Australia - its second-most populous state Victoria said that military personnel will be deployed to enforce COVID-19 isolation orders, with anyone caught in breach of those rules facing tough new fines.
In the Philippines over the weekend - President Rodrigo Duterte restored stricter quarantine restrictions around Metropolitan Manila.
The question is now - what next for regional economies, is a vaccine the only answer? We spoke to Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics and Political Science at INSEAD to find out .

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22 April 2020
What the enhanced and prolonged circuit breaker measures mean for Singapore and its economy
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong recently announced an extension on circuit breaker measures to choke the spread of the virus. With that, more businesses will be closed to further reduce the number of workers keeping essential services going. Pushan Dutt, Professor of Economics and Political Science at INSEAD joins us to discuss what these measures mean to Singapore and the economy.

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