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Europe Finance

Slovenia avoids bailout, but long way to recovery remains

The results of the bank stress test released on 12th December have confirmed that the cost of recapitalization for debt-ridden Slovenian banks is higher than originally expected, but the country

Europe Politics

Is the Vilnius Summit an Eastern Partnership pre-mortem?

While news of the Vilnius Summit failure last week was dominated by coverage of the Ukraine’s decision to freeze negotiations with the EU, the Summit has also called into question

Economics North America

Fed mulls taper, possible changes in guidance

A strong December U.S. jobs report has fueled speculation on the possibility of a taper of asset purchases in December or January. However, job numbers are not clear-cut for a

Latin America Natural resources and energy

Argentina’s nationalized oil company may plague finances

A new deal between the Argentina and Repsol, a Spanish multinational oil and gas company, will mark a new era for Argentinian state finances. It also introduces an important question: will Repsol’s

Economics Europe

Is Germany’s proposed minimum a Euro-zone win-win?

Germany is about to set a statutory minimum wage as Angela Merkel gave in to the demands of the Social Democrats in an attempt to form a coalition government. Can

Asia Pacific Natural resources and energy

India moves on long-term plans for Arctic investment

This year, India experienced economic turmoil that highlighted several obstacles to long-term growth. The rupee crash and slowed economic growth have led some to question whether the world’s largest democracy can

Finance North America

Could Puerto Rico default?

Puerto Rico is about to follow in the footsteps of Detroit, with few options left but declaring bankruptcy. With U.S. retirement funds relying on Puerto Rican bonds in portfolios, the

Economics South and Central Asia

Kazakhstan seeks larger China-Europe transit trade share

Kazakhstan is in the middle of an ambitious railway modernization project that the Kazakh state hopes will upgrade its status as a transport hub in the middle of the Eurasian

Asia Pacific Politics

Japan’s electricity sector reform passed in wake of Fukushima

Shinzo Abe has overcome his first obstacle in liberalizing Japan’s electricity sector by securing passage of a key piece of legislation. Yet, whether this reform can reach its goals is

Economics Sub-Saharan Africa

Growth impeded by obstacles to female traders in Africa, says report

A recent World Bank report finds that women make major, significant contributions to trade in most African countries, but face many obstacles when it comes to fully realizing the potential of