Economics

According to a new report from the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), violence not only cost the world economy trillions of dollars but also carved out 13 percent of the world's GDP in 2014. The IEP adds that political...

The Greek drama is approaching the long awaited climax. An emergency heads of state summit will be held on Monday, followed by the regularly scheduled summit later in the week. At the same time, the banking crisis threatens to eclipse...

Republican leaders and President Obama appear to have aborted a plan to put off a “final” vote on a fast-track trade bill until the end of July and may bring it before the House as soon as today. Republican leaders...

The China-Australia free trade agreement is not just another FTA. In the coming decade, it will make a unique contribution to stability and prosperity in the Asia Pacific. After almost a decade of talks, China and Australia recently signed a...

We are witnessing another round of China-bashing — this time because of its reclamation activities on islands and submerged reefs in the South China Sea. The US Department of Defense has accused China of undermining the status quo and generating...

The US dollar has continued to sell-off post-FOMC meeting against most of the major currencies.  The euro traded above $1.14 for the first time in a month.  Sterling moved above $1.59 to new highs for the year.  The dollar has...

The FOMC message is that it is still on course for hiking rates later this year.  The Fed previously told us it would taper, and it did.  It told us that there would be a "considerable period between the end of...

The recent general election offered the electorate a big fiscal choice over the speed and extent to which the deficit, and public spending, should be cut. The electorate plumped for the bigger, swifter cuts on offer. However, we were not...

In June 2015, negotiators concluded discussions in Singapore on draft Articles of Agreement of the nascent Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). India is a founding member of the AIIB and expects to have the second-largest shareholding after China. Global media...

Many expected Japan–Republic of Korea (ROK) relations to reset when the Shinzo Abe and Park Geun-hye administrations first came to power, but the past two years or so have seen further deterioration and pessimism. Many expected Japan–Republic of Korea (ROK)...

News on the US economy has been all over the map. A lower than expected expansion during the winter months earlier this year caused many to decry recovery efforts and proclaim the US economy in a second recession. Yet other...

One of the biggest debates among world policy makers has been whether it is possible to reduce the world's greenhouse gas emissions without adversely affecting economic performance. Now, a new report indicates that these two objectives, once believed to be...

It was supposed to be all about the Federal Reserve today, but the strong UK's weekly earnings data has sent sterling to four-week highs and brought forward market-based measures of the BOE's first rate hike.  Previously, the SONIA forwards had...

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week issued a “proposed finding” that greenhouses gases from aviation pose a danger to the health and welfare of current and future generations. It could pave the way for regulations to limit domestic...

The Labour leadership race is hotting up – and it is interesting to watch how the various candidates are going about convincing party members that they are fit to hold the reins of leadership. With runners and riders now all...