Via The Asia Times, a report on Timor Leste where the Greater Sunrise gas field was supposed to lift the young nation out of poverty but that once hopeful vision is now dissipating: It was a bit rich for a leader who, less than five years ago, was personally stirring up a 10,000-strong crowd in protest […]
Read more »Via Future Directions International, a report on Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste: With the COVID-19 pandemic causing havoc in economies across the globe, smaller countries that were already struggling before the crisis now face looming obstacles. While both Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste have been relatively untouched by the pandemic itself, the virus has had […]
Read more »Via Project Syndicate, commentary on how Africa – without more advanced logistics and infrastructure – will struggle to deliver essential supplies safely: As the COVID-19 crisis has escalated, stay-at-home orders have led to a surge in online purchases – of everything from groceries to medicines to household essentials – by consumers in the advanced economies. […]
Read more »Via The Economist, a look at the ranking of 66 countries shows which are in distress, and which are relatively safe: What to wear? The question puzzles many people shaken out of their routines by the pandemic. It also troubles investors. The world is full of “dirty shirts”, as Bill Gross, a legendary bond trader, once […]
Read more »Via Project Syndicate, a report on Africa’s potential which - if the continent sustains and accelerates structural reforms over the next half-century – some believe can emulate China’s rapid rise of the last 50 years: Africa today accounts for around 17% of the world’s population, but only about 3% of global GDP. These statistics not only […]
Read more »Via The Visual Capitalist, a look at how Chinese financing is fueling large scale projects worldwide: On a mountaintop a few miles north of the bustling streets of Harare, Zimbabwe, a curving, modern complex is beginning to take shape. This building, once completed, will be the home of the African country’s parliament, and the centerpiece […]
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