Anyone following the US ‘War on Terror’ will probably be aware that America is increasingly using drones – unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – to carry out airstrikes. They may also be aware that remote-controlled robots are being used for the purposes of bomb disposal in places such as Iraq. The growing use of unmanned platforms [Read more...]

Regular readers of this blog will know that my colleagues and I have recently been discussing the growing possibility of Israeli military action against Iran’s nuclear programme (I highly recommend listening to Business Monitor’s Podcast on this subject). However, let us now do a little thought experiment: flash forward five years, and imagine that Iran [Read more...]

On this week’s Business Monitor Podcast, BMI’s Head of Middle East Analysis Elizabeth Martins and Middle East Analyst Andrew Fargus discuss rising political risks in Iran concerning the nuclear situation. With diplomatic tensions escalating, Fargus assesses the implications of a potential Israeli strike on Iran, and discusses the latter’s retaliatory options. At home, the Iranian [Read more...]

 

 Standard Podcast [10:43m]
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With the announcement on February 11 by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that Iran has produced its first batch of uranium enriched to 20%, the Islamic Republic has moved a step closer to being able to produce a nuclear weapon. Tehran insists that its nuclear programme has no military applications, and that the 20% enriched uranium will [Read more...]

On this week’s podcast, Business Monitor Chief Economist Tim Cooper, Head of Europe Analysis Justin Patrie and Senior Europe Analyst Bruce Jeffery discuss European investment strategy on the back of the Greek fiscal crisis and news of an EU support package for Athens. In addition to providing analysis on the most recent market developments in [Read more...]

 

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When global stock markets were rising in 2009, and government co-operation was thought to have saved the world from economic catastrophe, the continued deterioration of trade ties between the US and China went largely unnoticed. However, rising protectionism is now here, and I think this issue will rise in significance over the coming months.

BMI’s Africa team cautions that political risk in Sub-Saharan Africa may be on the rise as a full-blown leadership crisis continues to escalate in Nigeria. Alan Cameron and Lisa Lewin provide some insight into an increasingly tense political situation, sharing their views on potential outcomes from the ongoing crisis. The next couple of weeks and [Read more...]

 

 Standard Podcast [09:40m]
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