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Economy & Business

Tariff Trouble in Trump Town

President Trump has had many a cartoon about him as a child throwing toys and anything to hand out of the playpen. Now, of...

Global reaction to Trump tariffs only reinforces his use of this tired and risky strategy

True to form, U.S. President Donald Trump disrupted global markets with a three-day surge of tariff announcements, border security negotiations and ultimately a 30-day...

Donald Trump is inaugurated amidst promises of security, stability and prosperity

After storming a frigid Washington D.C. during his extended inauguration festivities on January 20, Donald J Trump, America’s 47th and 45th President, launched a...

The Biden administration’s parting gift to Russia: Still more sanctions

Clearly working overtime to underscore the Biden administration’s desire to inflict maximum economic pain on Moscow and its coterie of Ukraine invasion supporters outside...

Undeclared “open season” on energy infrastructure in Europe

Russia is claiming it has shot down nine Ukrainian drones that tried to attack the TurkStream pipeline, which carries Russian gas to Europe through...

Insights from the recent UN-Turkmenistan Dialogue on the International Year of Peace and Trust

The modern world stands at a crossroads, facing unprecedented challenges that range from political conflicts to environmental crises. At the heart of these issues...

Righteous indignation over Maduro’s inauguration unlikely to change Venezuela’s dark reality

President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela was sworn in on January 10 for his third six-year term. Promising that his third term would be one...

Stringent new energy sector sanctions on Russia announced

On January 10, the U.S. Government released a massive new listing of over 200 entities and individuals involved in Russia’s energy sector for Ukraine-related...

Tokayev: Kazakhstan strengthens foreign policy, economic potential

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said his primary goal is to strengthen the economic potential, sovereignty, and international standing of his Central Asian country. Since...

Stock Market or Not Market

So, what is a market? Obviously, it is somewhere where you can buy and sell “stuff.” In a successful economy having a market to...

Transforming Central Asia from a frontier market to a stable investment

Central Asia is considered a frontier market. However, at least two of the five countries that constitute this region, namely Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, are...

NATO and EU strengthen Baltic Sea infrastructure protection after Estlink2 undersea power cable damaged

The damage of an undersea power cable off the coast of Finland in the Baltic Sea is the latest in a series of suspected...

EU searches for alternatives before Russian gas to Europe via Ukraine stops

The Ukrainian government has repeatedly stated that it will not extend a transit agreement, which has provided political, commercial, technical and legal grounds for...

Is there any hope for a democratic and peaceful Syria?

Most observers will argue that a democratic and peaceful Syria is just a pipedream, but at least in the first weeks since Bashar-al-Assad’s rushed...

Bulgaria and Romania become full Schengen area countries

As from January 1, 2025, travel will become possible without land border controls to and between Bulgaria and Romania. This follows a unanimous decision...

OPEC+ postpones plans to increase production over supply unease

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies including Russia, known collectively as OPEC+, decided on December 5 to delay its planned...

A Christmas Carol for the new European Commission

In the novel “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens it is noted that “there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter...

Resources for the Common Good: New Taxation in Times of Crisis

Do you wonder whether the world is crumbling before your eyes? If so, you are not alone. The global human rights map is alarming:...

Biden administration takes final steps to counter global corruption and human rights abuses

Announcing a global grab-bag of new sanctions, possibly some of its last, the Biden administration took major steps on December 9 by authorizing new...

Facing mounting challenges, new EU Commission takes office

Amidst global geopolitical turmoil, the European Commission of Ursula von der Leyen officially took office on December 1 with the President pledging that over...

COP29: Multilateral diplomatic stalemate circumvented

COP29 in Baku ended in the early hours of November 24, reaching a compromise deal on finance that will advance the global climate agenda...

Lula’s G20 Rio Summit: Forgettable but not inconsequential

Seen from the perspective of a week after the November 19-20 Rio de Janeiro Summit, but before the event has completely receded into the...

U.S. sanctions Russian banks, finance officials and securities registrars

The U.S. announced on November 21 new sanctions targeting Russia’s largest remaining non-designated bank (Gazprombank), as well as dozens of other financial institutions and...

Washington targets Syrian conglomerate funding Iran and Houthis

On November 14 the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned 26 companies, individuals, and vessels associated with the...

The Key Issue for a new Government

After 14 years in the political wilderness, the new UK Labour government could be excused for being somewhat rusty when it comes to running...

Striving for the best: results of the new QS Asia university rankings 2025

The number of Kazakhstani universities in the flagship QS World University Rankings, which lists the world's top universities, has more than doubled over the...

Maia Sandu’s slim win: Moldova struggles between Europe and tradition

The results of Moldova’s recent presidential elections and referendum are final. President Maia Sandu won a re-election bid, while a referendum to cement the...

Addressing Caspian Sea shrinkage requires a collective response

Protecting the Caspian Sea is critical.  As the UN’s annual climate conference (COP29) approaches, the gradual drop of the Caspian Sea's water level is...

Kazakhstan’s bold leap towards establishing an academic hub

The ConnectED 2024 conference, held in Astana on October 17-18, marked a significant milestone in Kazakhstan’s ambition to become a leading academic and research...

IMF pronounces victory over inflation while sounding debt and tariff warnings

The 2024 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG) took place in Washington D.C. from October 21...

EU-GCC to expand cooperation on green energy, minerals, and bringing peace to Ukraine

The EU heads of state and government and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) held their first summit on October 16 in Brussels under the...

Drone producers in China and Russia face new U.S. sanctions

In recent months, the Biden administration’s sanctions taskmasters at the State and Treasury Departments have clearly gone into overdrive, designating new targets/entities at least...

The complex politics of Caspian gas

For the countries bordering the Caspian Sea, gas has always been a major economic resource and, in most cases, one of the biggest contributors...

Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan railways upgrading the Middle Corridor

Much has been reported in the last few years about the steady progress across Central Asia and the Caucasus in establishing the so-called “Middle...

U.S. expands sanctions on Iranian petroleum sector, targeting “ghost fleet”

In the aftermath of Iran’s unprecedented October 1 ballistic missile attack against Israel, Washington made it clear that Iran would face consequences for its...

Washington orders new sanctions against Hamas’ sham fundraising network

Going after key elements of the Hamas European fundraising network on the anniversary of the Gaza war, on October 7 the U.S. Treasury Department’s...

Interview: A Polish view of cooperation with the EU

As Poland prepares for its presidency over the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2025, NE Global sat down with...

Strategic Partnership or Strategic Risk? France’s Deepening Ties with Qatar

It has recently marked the half-year anniversary since France and Qatar announced a strategic partnership that will see the emirate invest €10 billion into...

In energy-rich Azerbaijan, COP29 preview targets a greener future

Ahead of the UN’s annual climate conference, COP29, key stakeholders from policy, private sector, finance, trade and investment, civil society, cities, regions, science and...

The 10 most significant consequences of climate change

The most significant threats of climate change in the year 2024 are of environmental, economic and social actions that could change significantly the way...

Seven new members join the Minerals Security Partnership Forum

Meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 26, the recently formed Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) came together...

Supplying Russia and Iran, Armenia emerges as a new sanctions black hole

For the past two years, Armenia has been attempting to demonstrate its shift towards the West, all the while maintaining its geopolitical role as...

UNGA 2024 overshadowed by Middle East turmoil

At the end of September, as usual, most of the world’s leaders converge on New York for the annual UN General Assembly (UNGA) session...

A Source of Growth?

The most overused word at the moment has to be “growth.” From the politically naïve (or stupid) and thankfully short UK premiership of Liz...

Europe’s climate policy isn’t working. It’s time for a new approach

The EU faces two inescapable truths: it’s falling behind on growth and angering the European public and farmers with some of its climate policies....

Georgian officials sanctioned for anti-democratic actions and human rights abuses

In the continuing wave of new sanctions announcements this month against actors who are seen as undermining democracy and abusing human rights, the Biden...

Interview: Afghanistan military mission veteran lays out Hungarian EU Presidency goals

In 2008-2009, one of Hungary's most successful military missions took place in Bhaglan Province, Afghanistan. That mission was led by Zsolt Sándor, Hungary's current...

G7 Foreign Ministers condemn Tehran’s export and Russia’s procurement of Iranian ballistic missiles

The foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized powers condemned on September 14 "in the strongest terms" Iran's sales and Russia's purchases...

World Nomad Games highlight Kazakhstan’s extensive cultural heritage

The record-breaking fifth World Nomad Games, also called the Olympics of the nomadic world, concluded on September 13 in the capital of Kazakhstan where...

The role of open talent in raising European competitiveness

The American poet Claudia Rankine once said that the past is a life sentence: a blunt instrument aimed at tomorrow. This is particularly true...

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