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A Bipolar World? Searching in Vain for a Dollar Alternative
The seizure of Russia’s dollar reserves, part of the first wave of sanctions decreed in response to Moscow’s ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine, has a growing legion of pundits wondering if the time has come to look for a new
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A Perfect Storm Perfected: EU Battles String of Calamities
It’s about the only thing missing from a world in turmoil: France going haywire and off the rails. The solid showing of Marine Le Pen at last Sunday’s polls gives plenty of cause for concern. More moderate in her policy
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A Reacquaintance with Inflation: Safe Havens in Short Supply
An entire generation of workers, executives, and entrepreneurs has never experienced inflation and know the phenomenon only from history books. The Great Inflation of the 1970s is usually attributed to the sudden rise of oil prices after OPEC asserted its
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Sanctions Against Russia Resemble a Boxing Match
The economic sanctions against Russia announced last week by the US and Europe are having a profound impact on the Russian economy — and repercussions at home. As in a boxing match, the expectation is that blows to the opponent
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The Great Dictator Becomes More and More Isolated
Russian fat cats are, of course, no longer welcome in Europe. But now, their four-pawed relations have been declared ‘non grata’ as well. The executive board of the Luxemburg-based Fédération Internationale Féline (Charmingly abbreviated to FIFe) ruled that any cat
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This Season’s Collection is Second-Hand — and Purchased Online…
High street fashion giant H&M has posted higher-than-expected earnings, and is optimistic that the fashion industry — valued at $1.9tn in 2019 — could reach $3tn by 2030. The sector has been growing year-on-year for two decades, revolutionised by fast
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Trust is a Vital Part of ‘Success Recipe’ for Pharma Companies
German pharmaceutical company BioNTech has debuted a modular medicinal production facility — just one of many recent innovations in the medical sector. A significant impact of the past two years has been raised awareness of healthcare as a priority. A
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Casting Russia Adrift: The Decline of Western Power May Have Been Exaggerated
The Austrian subsidiary of Sberbank, Russia’s biggest lender, has collapsed after its parent company was unable to provide the liquidity required to keep the bank afloat. Sberbank’s other European subsidiaries are being wound down or offloaded in fire sales to
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Fortress Russia on Shaky Ground: EU Finds Its Footing and Unleashes Its Economic Might
The rouble took a pounding of note, losing almost a third of its value as soon as forex markets opened Monday morning. Equity trading was suspended whilst Russian financial authorities pondered the extent of the sanctions imposed over the weekend.
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Markets in Turmoil: President Putin’s ‘Technical Operations’ Upset the Apple Cart
In the early morning of Thursday, Russian missiles rained down on Ukrainian military installations as markets in the far East opened for business and promptly took a beating in a rolling barrage that soon swept Europe and beyond. Stocks went
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