Markets

Shrugging off memories of its colonial past, Africa today stands at a precarious crossroad. On one hand, it is being aggressively pursued by international heavyweights such as the United States, China and Japan – all of which promise billions in...

For three decades, China's reform and opening-up policies led to unprecedented economic growth, as well as the creation of first-tier megacities particularly along the coastal regions. China has in recent years contemplated a grand plan to make urban residents of...

Intelligence-gathering post 9-11 is increasingly more complex mainly due to the changing nature of contemporary national security threats. As surveillance techniques expand and become more invasive, how do we strike the right balance between privacy and security? Revelation of the...

The US Federal Reserve has signaled that barring new signs of weakness in the economy, it will likely slow its asset purchases this year and conclude them next year. But Fed officials appear somewhat surprised by the sharpness of the...

Since the 2008 financial crisis, both China and India have taken steps to become more financially open. But while the Indian economy appears to be ahead at present, policy continues to segment onshore and offshore markets in both economies and...

In the early 1870s, the United States, the largest emerging economy of the era, overtook the United Kingdom. Now, as the United States' liquidity-driven growth eclipses, the once-in-a-century transition of economic power – from U.S hegemony to China’s peaceful rise...

The prices of a wide range of risky assets have been rising, despite sluggish GDP growth worldwide. This discrepancy reflects a new period of financial-market volatility – one that could mark the beginning of a broader de-risking cycle for financial...

Many consider hatred and conflict inevitable, owing to a fundamental clash of values and interests. Fifty years ago, U.S. President J.F. Kennedy showed that peace could be achieved even in the most difficult circumstances. His courage, vision, eloquence, and political...

There are no easy, risk-free paths to development and prosperity but borrowing money from international financial markets is a strategy with huge downside risks. It is no secret that sovereign bonds carry significantly higher borrowing costs than concessional debt does,...

The competition between China and Japan, the two economic heavyweights of East Asia, has now intensified at a time when both countries are hungrier than ever for resources and energy to cope with its development challenges. Earlier this month, Japan pledged some...

After nearly a decade of rapid GDP growth, peaking at 11.228 percent in 2010, India's economy has slowed significantly – plagued by stalled reforms, huge corruption scandals and bureaucratic inaction. In 2012, India’s GDP growth rate (constant prices, national currency)...

In its relentless quest for energy to fuel its booming economy, India, the second largest buyer of Iranian oil, has struck a neat diplomatic balance: Delhi has managed to maintain friendly ties and oil shipments from Tehran without antagonising Washington,...

The United States' global primacy depends in large part on its ability to develop new technologies and industries faster than any other country. However, after decades of intensified globalization and the rise of the large emerging economies, such as China,...

The United Kingdom is made up of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. It has the fifth largest national economy—measured by nominal GDP—in the world, and the second largest in Europe. In 2013, the United Kingdom (UK) was the world's...

The UK is the 7th leading importer and the 12th leading exporter in the world. Accordingly, the UK holds a massive trade deficit with the rest of the world, second only to the US. In 2012, UK imports were worth...