Economics

On 12 March 2015, the United Kingdom submitted its application to become a prospective founding member of the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). The application created a major diplomatic spat between the UK and the US. A spokesperson for...

On 1 July 2014, the cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe issued a decision reinterpreting the Japanese constitution’s Article 9 ‘peace clause’ to allow the country to exercise collective self-defence — the right to use force to aid an ally...

Equities rallied in the United States as the Federal Reserve hinted that interest rates will not rise in the near term, and that the Fed continues to wait until the labor market is stronger. Equities rallied in the United States...

The extremely dovish market reaction to the outcome of the FOMC meeting was more a function of the dot-plots than the FOMC statement or Yellen's press conference.  Methodologically, we have argued that the Federal Reserve is like the Chinese Communist...

Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, South Africa and Venezuela proposed a treaty to regulate transnational corporations last year. You’d be forgiven for feeling a sense of déjà vu. It has been a long and complicated road tightening the leash on the giant,...

The Federal Reserve met the widespread market expectations.  It dropped the word patience and recognized growth had moderated.  It wanted to see more improvement in the labor market and needs to be confident that inflation will move toward its target...

The US dollar has been on the rise every day setting new records. With the upward pressure on dollar, stronger dollar could tighten financial conditions across the globe. Further, the rising dollar could be offsetting the benefit of low cost...

For six years, the US economy has grown. Unemployment has slowly dropped and overall the health of the American economy has returned to levels comparable to those before the housing boom and bust. Yet, in a turn that has left...

A fall in unemployment rate has not caused more demand for residences, as housing starts suddenly declined in February. Private housing starts fell to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 897,000 in February, far below expectations of 1.04 million starts,...

The Federal Reserve meeting is the highlight of the week.  The most pressing issue is the continued evolution of its forward guidance that will maximize the room to maneuver.  Until now, officials have indicated that they are in no hurry...

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s seven-year fight against sodomy charges ended on 10 February 2015. His five-year prison sentence was widely seen as a victory for his political opponents in using the law to silence him (again). The opposition coalition...

A recent report has found that homebuilders have lost confidence in the American housing market in March 2015. The drop has surprised many analysts who see the market on a long-term growth trend. A recent report has found that homebuilders...

The euro rose from its lowest point over a decade against the dollar as oil prices continued to fall. For the second day straight, the euro rose slightly against the U.S. dollar even as analysts await news from the Federal...

Australia’s foreign policy has been a mix of positives and negatives under the Liberal-National Coalition government, as was true of the previous Labor government. Former Prime Ministers Gough Whitlam and Bob Hawke recognised the need for Australia to think strategically...

The House of Commons has voted in favour of compulsory, standardised and logo-free packaging for cigarettes. If also approved by the House of Lords, the new law will enter into force in England in 2016. This will mean trademarks, graphics...