Categories
In The News This Happened

This Happened — September 29: COVID-19 Death Toll Hits 1 Million

On this day in 2020, the worldwide death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic reached one million. What was the initial global response to the COVID-19 pandemic? In the early stages of the pandemic, countries implemented various measures such as travel restrictions, quarantine protocols, and public health campaigns to raise awareness about the virus. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. WHO facilitated information sharing, provided guidelines, and coordinated efforts to ensure equitable access to medical supplies and vaccines. Initiatives like COVAX were launched to ensure fair distribution of vaccines to lower-income countries. Were […]

Categories
Future Geopolitics

What The China-Morocco Alliance Says About Our Geopolitical Future

As the world’s technologies change, so do the countries with not only advantages in production, but also geography and diplomacy. China knows this, and sees that investing in Moroccan resources is a particularly smart bet in the long run.

Categories
Economy Migrant Lives Society

A Train Journey With Bengal Migrants Looking For A Living Far Away

Finding a seat on the Karmabhoomi Express is close to impossible. A closer look at why so many migrant workers travel on it, and out of Bengal, offers a grim picture.

Categories
Economy Migrant Lives Society

How Nepal’s “Left-Behind” Children Of Migrants Hold Families Together

Children left to fend for themselves when their parents seek work abroad often suffer emotional struggles and educational setbacks. Now, psychologists are raising alarms about the quiet but building crisis.

Categories
Economy Russia-Ukraine War

Russia’s Dependence On China Is Deep And Wide — It May Also Be Irreversible

Russia is digging itself into a hole as it becomes increasingly dependent on China, as a result of international sanctions and isolation. This shifting dynamic, analysts argue, is bound to have ripple effects around the world

Categories
In The News

Inside The Search For Record-Breaking Sapphires In A Remote Indian Valley

A vast stretch of mountains in India’s Padder Valley is believed to house sapphire reserves worth $1.2 billion, which could change the fate of one of the poorest districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

Categories
In The News

With The Migrants Forced To Face The Perils Of The Darién Gap Journey

The number of migrants and refugees who have passed through the Darien Gap reaches historic figures. So far this year, it is estimated that 250,000 migrants and refugees have crossed through the dangerous Darién jungle, mainly from countries such as Venezuela, Ecuador and Haiti.

Categories
Geopolitics Russia-Ukraine War

If 3.3 Million Ukrainian Refugees Never Come Home? The Economics Of Post-War Life Choices

The war isn’t the only thing that stands in the way of the homecoming of Ukrainian refugees. A lot depends on the efficiency of post-war economic recovery. A new study warns that up to 3.3 million won’t be coming back after the fighting stops.

Categories
LGBTQ Plus Society

The “Magical Towns” Of Mexico, A Tourism Trap Paid By Marginalized Locals

The Patio de la Estrella neighborhood being hailed as a “magical” place in Córdoba, Mexico is a perfect example of “touristification,” where the most vulnerable residents suffer the consequences.

Categories
Geopolitics Ideas

Why China Has Bet On A Bigger (And Nastier) BRICS To Challenge The West

The BRICS economies’ inclusion of new members like Iran may not make business sense, but it fits with the Sino-Russian strategy of drawing states of the Global South into their orbit in open confrontation with the U.S. and the rest of the West.

Categories
Economy Geopolitics Ideas

Why India Should Bet On A BRICS Future (And Let G20 Pass On By)

With the G20 in New Delhi around the corner, India risks finding itself the wrong side of history, and end up as an observer and not one of the drivers of a “once in a lifetime” change.

Categories
In The News

How The Demise Of Traditional Newspapers Looks In Sri Lanka

As newspapers reduce or fold, the elderly find themselves with less connection to their community and at risk of misinformation in an online world that is unfamiliar.

Categories
Geopolitics

Why The End Of Western Hegemony Is Not (Necessarily) The End Of The West

The West is losing influence on many fronts, embodied in the rise of the BRICS alliance as a kind of “counter-G7.” But Western leaders will need to decide if they want to be part of this change, or its victim.

Categories
Geopolitics

Cash-Strapped Iran Ramps Up A Favorite Old Business: Taking Hostages For Ransom

Is the Biden administration following President Obama’s counterproductive recipe of handing Tehran large sums of cash hoping for good conduct and a tepid détente?

Categories
In The News

Rolling Into Catenanuova, The Hottest Spot In Europe

The streets are deserted until 7 p.m., air conditioning for those lucky enough to have it blasts constantly, and locals dream of leaving the arid desert that has become of their hometown.

Categories
Geopolitics

Kenya Is Coming To Help Haiti — And Where Are Our Neighbors From The Americas?

A lack of action by countries in the Western Hemisphere could increase the risk of Haiti truly turning into a failed state.

Categories
In The News

Early Signs Of Business In Poland Shifting Away From Warsaw

As the Polish capital is outpaced by cities such as Kraków and Gdańsk for earnings, the question is posed of what the future holds for the Polish job market and Warsaw.

Categories
Economy Society

Inside ​The Last Penicillin Factory In The West​

There are currently supply bottlenecks for around 500 medicines, including the antibiotic penicillin. Every second box of the active ingredient in Europe comes directly or indirectly from one place: a factory in the Tyrolean town of Kundl, Austria. Die Welt takes a look at the factory and what’s causing the supply problems.

Categories
Economy

Unpacking Erdogan’s Charm Offensive In The Gulf (It’s Complicated)

Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent tour of Gulf states is proof that the Turkish president aims to repair his country’s diplomatic ties in the region, all the while looking for investment for Ankara’s floundering economy. Quite the reversal of fortunes considering that not so long ago Gulf countries faced accusations of sponsoring the 2016 coup attempt in Turkey.

Categories
Economy Society

The Eternal Whims Of Economics, As Seen By Japanese Artist Murakami

Japanese artist Takashi Murakami has unveiled a large fresco capturing the history of economics, from the Sumerians to Elon Musk, at a gallery in the suburbs of Paris. French journalist Yann Rousseau met him in his studio near Tokyo.

Categories
Economy

A BRICS Common Currency? The New Plans To Challenge U.S. Dollar Hegemony

The creation of a new common currency will be one of the main questions on the agenda at the BRICS summit in South Africa in August. But there are still many obstacles to overcome before breaking free from the almighty dollar.

Categories
Green

Why Lula’s Big Green Promises Are Such A Long Shot

As Brazil’s President Lula da Silva wields limited power over parliament and his multi-party cabinet, he may be unable to fulfil many of this campaign promises, including protecting the environment.

Categories
Economy Green

Africa’s Demographic Boom Is The Continent’s Greatest Resource

The projections from the United Nations Population Division for African demographics reveal some striking figures. And it’s up to leaders to turn it into economic growth and social vitality.

Categories
Economy Russia-Ukraine War

The Foreign And Domestic Forces That Keep Russia’s Military-Industrial Complex Turning

The continuing heavy shelling of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities shows that Russia still has more missiles than Ukrainians would have hoped. The look through the web of Kremlin diktats and murky international commerce that keeps the Russian military churning out hardware that drives the war in Ukraine

Categories
This Happened

This Happened — May 26: Modi Becomes India’s Prime Minister

Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister of India on this day in 2014, after his party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), won a majority in the Indian general election. What were Modi’s main promises during his election campaign? Narendra Modi campaigned on a platform of economic growth, job creation, and improving infrastructure in India. He […]

Categories
Economy Ideas

What Europe Could Learn From Joe Biden’s “Productivism” Policy

Subsidies to green industries and the promotion of “quality” jobs: Joe Biden’s economic policy is driven by an American form of “productivism,” which French business daily Les Echos says has allowed the country to regain the upper hand in both economics and politics.

Categories
In The News

The Bitter Core Of Uganda’s Billion-Dollar Cocoa Industry: Economic Injustice

Many of Uganda’s small-scale farmers rely on someone else to dry their beans, a practice that keeps them in a cycle of poverty. A new processing factory aims to change that.

Categories
Economy Geopolitics

Tunisia, Between Arab Spring Nostalgia And An Age-Old Dilemma Of Democracy

The arrest this week of top opposition leaders shows Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed is drifting ever farther away from basic democratic practices. Yet there’s no mass uprising, unlike in 2011, perhaps because economic factors are foremost on people’s minds.

Categories
Economy Society

How Natural Disasters Threaten The “Madan Sara,” The Women Driving Haiti’s Economy

The Madan Sara provide a vital service by collecting farmers’ produce and selling it in urban communities. But natural disasters and growing insecurity have threatened their way of life.

Categories
Economy Society

Colombia Pushes Coca Farmers Into Legal Crops — But It’s No Clean Fix

Convincing coca farmers to plant legal crops is better than spraying poisonous pesticides to wipe out the plants. And yet it turns out these crop substitution programs are problematic, disrupting livelihoods and unintentionally causing violence and deforestation.

Categories
Economy Russia-Ukraine War

Poland’s Ban On Ukrainian Agriculture Must Not Stand

Poland’s unilateral decision to ban imports of Ukraine’s agricultural products, in violation of EU agreements, has caused shock among Ukrainians. Nazar Bobytsky, head of the Ukrainian office of the Polish Union of Entrepreneurs and Employers, says Brussels must show Kyiv it is serious about Ukraine joining the EU.

Categories
In The News

A Cold French Shower On All The De-Dollarization Hysteria

Sure, financial instability in the U.S. and the weaponization of the dollar have raised crucial questions about how long the dollar can remain the world’s de-facto currency. But France’s leading business daily says don’t expect major changes any time soon.

Categories
Economy Geopolitics

Globalization Takes A New Turn, Away From China

China is still a manufacturing juggernaut and a growing power, but companies are looking for alternatives as Chinese labor costs continue to rise — as do geopolitical tensions with Beijing.

Categories
Economy Geopolitics

How Argentina Has Become China’s Foothold In Latin America

China has become one of Argentina’s most important trading partners and is increasing its military bases in the country. As China seeks to challenge the liberal world order, Argentina risks rifts with other key allies.

Categories
Society

Meet The “Patchers,” Burkina Faso’s Mobile Tailors Cutting Corners On-The-Go

Seven days a week, the “patchers” of Burkina Faso roam the streets of the country’s capital, looking out for any clothes that might need mending.

Categories
Economy Ideas

The Direct Link Between Turkey’s Earthquake Toll And Global Real Estate Markets

The shoddy homes that collapse on their inhabitants in Turkey’s recent earthquake were badly, and hastily, built as part of a worldwide real-estate fever typically fueled by greedy governments indifferent to safety norms and common sense.

Categories
Economy Geopolitics

First Signs The China-Africa Love Affair Is Growing Cold

China has invested billions in multiple African countries in order to expand its influence. But both sides have been quietly scaling back the relationship, as Africans resent one-sided deals and China fears defaults on debt.

Categories
Economy Geopolitics

A Latin American Common Currency? Not So Fast

Brazil and Argentina have raised the idea of a shared currency for the South American trading zone. But few believe this is possible without more economic harmonization in the region.

Categories
Ideas Society

A Writer’s Advice For How To Read The Words Of Politics

Colombia’s reformist president has promised to tackle endemic violence, economic exclusion, pollution and corruption in the country. So what’s new with a politician’s promises?

Exit mobile version