Archive
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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