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Europe Politics

EU’s economic problems prevent a comprehensive immigration policy

Capsizing boats full of asylum-seekers off the coasts of Italy and Malta have made headlines in Europe. Despite the loss of lives, the EU has not come up with a

Asia Pacific Finance

China’s central bank stands alone against inflation

Renminbi internationalization may work against the Chinese central bank’s effort to tighten liquidity and curb rising inflation. Commercial banks will also have bigger leverage over the central bank as more

Europe Technology and infrastructure

UK’s High Speed Rail 2 unlikely to boost growth by itself

It has not been a good month for High Speed Rail 2 (HS-2). The proposed upgrade to transport infrastructure that would connect London to Birmingham with a high-speed line running

Natural resources and energy Sub-Saharan Africa

South Africa pins hopes of economic boost on fracking

Fracking in the Karoo region may offer a much-needed revitalisation of the South African economy, despite public protests against exploration and extraction. Benefits are likely to offset environmental and political

Economics Europe

Unlike public, UK manufacturers favour EU membership

Anti-EU sentiment has been on the rise in most of the bloc’s 28 member states since the onset of the European sovereign debt crisis. However, few European countries have proven

Middle East/North Africa Security

PM kidnapping shows Libya’s chaos

The kidnapping of Libya’s Prime Minister Ali Zeidan, starkly demonstrates the country’s harrowing post-Gaddafi security crisis. Since the fall of the Gaddafi regime, the level of instability in Libya has

Asia Pacific Politics

Fukushima amplifies Japanese energy import dependence

The Fukushima disaster demonstrates Japan’s reliance on energy imports as Tokyo shuts down its reactors and spends billions on stop-gap energy production. When Typhoon Wipha flooded Japan with heavy rains last

Politics South and Central Asia

Autocracy in Azerbaijan threatens long-term investment

Despite enjoying rich energy resources with which to tempt FDI, Azerbaijan’s autocratic political climate remains a long-term liability to said investment. In Azerbaijan, foreign investment opportunities and geopolitical considerations take

Security Sub-Saharan Africa

Central African Republic may become ‘the next Somalia’

Of all the bloody conflicts around the world, it is somewhat surprising that the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) receives such scant media attention. While some observers even

North America Politics

Why US business cannot afford to ignore unbalanced politics

The US government shutdown revealed that big business may have responsibilities to a functioning political system. After a three-week debacle, the greatest loser is neither a political party nor the