Finance
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Back to the 1970s: Flared trousers and tank tops. Is this the result of Trump’s tariff tantrums?
There are somewhere some dreadful photographs of this author wearing what we all once thought were the height of fashion and style. Generally, that...
Economy & Business
Doom, gloom or boom?
While it is an almost painful daily task to ascertain where the Trump administration is positioned on the question of tariff policy, and traders...
Germany
Germany removes key debt brake budget limits in historic move
Rushing to arrive at a workable arrangement before the new post-election German parliament convened on March 25, Friedrich Merz’s victorious CDU/CSU bloc and the...
Kazakhstan
EU signs critical raw materials, energy and infrastructure deals with Kazakhstan
As part of the visit of EU Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela to Astana, the European Union and Kazakhstan signed on March 13...
Invasion of Ukraine
EU leaders in Kyiv back Ukraine, but Trump won’t blame Russia
On the three-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, European leaders travelled to Kyiv to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky and to declare their...
USA
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...
Russia Sanctions
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...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
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...
Zero Tolerance
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...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
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:...
Zero Tolerance
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...
Russia Sanctions
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...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
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...
Zero Tolerance
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...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
EU must strengthen financial protections for Hong Kong activists
Imagine leaving your homeland to escape tyranny, only to find the oppressive regime you fled can still reach you, manipulating your financial lifelines. This...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Living on the Fulcrum Point
In the summer of 2024, we are on a fulcrum point, namely, the key balancing point of a vital situation, and if we were...
Sanctions and related policies
U.S. Targets ISIS Facilitation Network across Africa
On July 23, the U.S. Government announced new sanctions against a network of three individuals associated with the expanded activities of the Islamic State...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
The UK Economy – Another Twist in The Tale
Around the world most nations have been trying to recover their financial strength and where possible find some growth. Above all, they have been...
Invasion of Ukraine
G7 Summit focuses on Ukraine support and shattering Russia’s wartime economy
Despite last week’s expert punditry (itself almost indistinguishable from AI) on the latest G7 decisions as exhibited by the “instant experts” on global issues...
China
Can Central Asia escape China’s debt trap?
While Washington focuses on the war in Ukraine, Russia and China seek to expand their influence in regions where the US is not sufficiently...
Zero Tolerance
Silicon Valley Bank financial contagion contained – for now
The world’s top policymakers and international financial leaders acted effectively in the days following the collapse of California’s Silicon Valley Bank. They appear to have dealt positively with the risk of wider global financial contagion.
Finance
The Pandora Papers: Exposing Iran’s clandestine financial system
As the international community continues to coordinate a response to the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine, longstanding debates surrounding sanction efficacy and compliance have...
Economy & Business
Ireland’s climate action plan must look beyond de-growth led by the state
The Republic of Ireland has committed to reaching carbon neutrality by 2050, after the coalition government of Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Greens...
Afghanistan
Will Central Asia serve as Europe’s bridge to Afghanistan?
Just over one month on from the fall of Kabul, Europe is still grasping for answers to the question of how to engage in...
Afghanistan
Economic progress and political reforms give post-Soviet space reason to celebrate
On August 30th, Kazakhstan celebrated one of the country’s most important holidays—Constitution Day, which commemorates the adoption of the 1995 constitution which confirmed the...
Analysis
How the Austrians and their Chancellor charmed the Arabs
In late July, the Austrian capital of Vienna hosted a special guest. It was none other than the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. The...
Africa
Must “resource cursed” countries always suffer the double jinx of conflict traps?
A “resource cursed” country is one in which an abundance of natural resources fosters worse development outcomes than those without. Often termed “the paradox...
Afghanistan
With GSP+ beneficiary status, Uzbekistan takes major step towards closer relations with Europe
A decision by the European Union to include Uzbekistan as the ninth beneficiary of its Special Incentive Arrangement for Sustainable Development and Good Governance,...
Environment
The business of sustainability: A Swedish success story
From popstars to flat-pack pioneers, the Swedes are no strangers to global domination, but today the flag they fly is not so much blue...
Economy & Business
Reforms in Uzbekistan’s energy sector and cooperation with major international financial institutions
Since September 2016, when Shavkat Mirziyoyev began his presidency, Uzbekistan has embarked on a process of deep economic and social reforms. We are determined...
Analysis
Blinken reaffirms America’s focus on rebuilding partnerships
During his March 22-25 trip to Brussels, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized repeatedly that the Biden administration will work to rebuild America’s...
Archive
Hungary approves two more vaccines not authorised by EU regulator
Hungary has issued initial approval to two more COVID-19 vaccines not authorised by Europe's medicines regulator, the country's officials said on Monday.The Hungarian medicines...
Archive
EU leaders’ summit to be held virtually amid spike in COVID-19 cases
A European Union summit due to take place on March 25-26 in Brussels will now be held virtually due a spike in COVID-19 cases...
Archive
Belgium postpones planned easing of measures after spike in cases
Belgium is postponing a number of planned April relaxations, following a spike in Coronavirus cases across the country, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced...
Archive
Slovakian health minister resigns over Sputnik V dispute
Slovakia's health minister Marek Krajci resigned on Thursday following pressure from the country’s four-party ruling coalition for the acquisition of the Russian-made vaccine, Reuters reported...
Archive
Belgium sticks to current Coronavirus restrictions amid cases surge
Belgium has decided not to ease Coronavirus restrictions for at least another week, due to a recent spike in COVID-19 cases, the country's Prime...
Archive
Development Finance Corporation’s first overseas office sparks controversy
A controversy has erupted in Washington over a Trump-era plan to establish the first overseas office of the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC),...
Archive
Commission proposes 10-year extension of free roaming across the EU
The European Commission on Wednesday proposed the prolongation of the current rules that allow citizens to enjoy roaming without additional charges when travelling inside...
Archive
Boeing recommends grounding certain 777s
Boeing Co has recommended that airlines suspend the use of 777 jets after the engine on a United Airlines flight caught fire and fell apart...
Africa
Macron urges Europe to send vaccines to Africa
The European Union and the United States need to provide African countries with vaccines, to prevent exacerbation of global inequality, French President Emmanuel Macron...
Archive
Germany extends lockdown until March 7
Germany on Thursday extended lockdown measures from February 14 to March 7 in a bid to prevent a third wave in the country and...
Archive
EU tells Turkey pandemic not an excuse to ‘silence critical voices’
Efforts to curb the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic should not be used as an excuse to "silence critical voices", Europe's top diplomat, Josep...
Archive
French labs to start producing Pfizer, Moderna COVID vaccines
A French lab will start producing in March the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Moderna, while another one will begin manufacturing the Pfizer/BioNTech jab a...
Archive
British PM says EU ‘undermined’ Northern Ireland Protocol
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the European Union undermined the Northern Ireland Protocol by triggering an emerging provision in the Brexit Protocol in...
Archive
UK formally asks to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership
A year after it formally left the European Union, the British government on Saturday announced it would apply early next week to join the...
Archive
Bezos to step down as Amazon CEO
Jeff Bezos will step down as CEO of Amazon and will become the executive chair of the company's board by the third quarter, kickstarting...
Archive
Pfizer/BioNTech pledge up to 75 million extra vaccine doses to the EU
US drugmaker Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech have pledged to provide up to 75 million more doses of their vaccine to the EU...
Archive
German Health Minister says Chinese, Russian vaccines could be used in the EU if EMA approves them
Germany could use the vaccines developed by China and Russia if Europe's medicines watchdog approves them, the country's Health Minister Jens Spahn said on...
Archive
Von der Leyen says AstraZeneca to deliver 9 million more COVID vaccine doses
British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca will deliver 9 million more doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to the European Union in the first quarter of this...
Archive
Putin signals readiness for better ties with the EU
Addressing the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on Wednesday, the Russian President Vladimir Putin signalled that the Kremlin is ready to enhance...
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