The recent natural gas find in Egypt ensures the country’s energy security, but also alters the energy and geopolitical dynamics in the eastern Mediterranean. Over the past few years, the discoveries of hydrocarbons in the...
A number of Southeast Asian countries are seeking to update their rail networks to high-speed lines. This is expected to significantly benefit state and regional economies. For some states, however, the costs might outweigh the benefits.
Recent reports suggest a Russian military build-up in Syria as President Vladimir Putin searches for new venues to stoke both domestic and international legitimacy — an expanded foray into the Middle East with global geopolitical implications.
Cyber-warfare has emerged as the spearhead of the new strategic capabilities strongly supported under the leadership of President Xi Jinping. However, extensive cyber-attacks launched from China targeting US core...
For years, the Russian economy enjoyed stable growth rates supported by high commodity prices – oil and gas, in particular. Everything changed in 2014, when a combination of Western sanctions and falling oil prices...
The Fed’s Thursday policy decision is clouded by data that justifies both hawkish and dovish stances, leaving uncertainty over whether rates will rise this month. Either way, the response from markets may be more...
Last week, yet another complex development emerged from this summer’s ongoing downturn in the Chinese economy — China’s sudden sale of large amounts of US Treasuries. Though the underlying meaning is elusive...
Recent volatility in China’s stock market signals investors’ general skepticism about the economy’s prospects. However, Middle East oil exporters may stand to lose the most if the growth of Chinese oil consumption slows...
Aggressive pricing and strategic partnerships drive China’s rising profile in the global smartphone market. It may not be long until “Made in China” becomes a mark of prestige. Smartphones may be a ubiquitous part of...
Public discontent over for-profit university financing schemes in the United States could present serious sociopolitical and economic challenges. The 2011 student protests in Chile serve as a sobering example of...
The unprecedented growth of the Internet provides a serious risk to individuals, businesses, and governments, alike. In order to secure the future of the Internet, the world need to start thinking differently. The Internet of...
The three-day devaluation, which rattled markets last week, serves two ends for the Politburo; it is a move towards a slightly more market-based rate, and it tests the last tool left untried in the fight to sustain...
China’s decision to let the yuan depreciate last week came for a number of reasons, including being a needed boost for Chinese export industries. But there are two sides to every currency swing, as the following countries are...
Low oil prices and the battle against Islamic State (IS) are pushing Iraq toward a financial crisis. Only fundamental reforms, especially decentralization of power, can resolve the challenges facing Iraq today.
At every turn, Bitcoin supporters say their anonymous cryptocurrency is the solution for countries in currency crisis. Despite its other shortcomings, bitcoin has a use in places like Argentina, but not so much in Greece.
After long and difficult negotiations, the SYRIZA-led government managed to reach an agreement with Greece’s creditors on a third bailout program. However, one of the main implications in Greece’s fluid political field is...
Economists and the Federal Reserve officials are increasingly resolute that interest rates will rise in 2015, but markets are expecting rates to rise slightly later than they did last quarter. Conflicting portraits of the...
Lost in the discussion about the Trans-Pacific Partnership is its likely impact on the already-complex “rules of the game” governing global investment. The outcome will have a considerable effect on investors for years to come.
The Swiss National Bank is faced with an overheating currency and slumping economy following the decision to abandon the currency exchange rate cap on the Euro. Uncertainty in the EU is leading to a rush on the franc...
China’s push for the adoption of a super-sovereign reserve currency points to a possible larger role for IMF’s Special Drawing Rights (SDR). The current international monetary system is a historical exception.
