Earlier today, I attended a panel discussion on the political crisis in Syria at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Although the event had been planned in advance, today’s meeting took place with Russia’s and China’s weekend veto of a UN Security Council resolution on Syria fresh in everyone’s minds. Below, I summarise the main… [Read more]
As the first anniversary of the start of the Arab Spring passes by, attention is naturally focused on the political transitions in Egypt, Libya, and Yemen, and the quasi-civil war in Syria. Iraq hasn’t attracted too much attention of late, and even the United States’ withdrawal of its troops in December 2011 was a low-key… [Read more]
Following the release of two recent reports on Business Monitor Online, on the geopolitical implications of the souring diplomatic relationship between Turkey and Israel, Mark Schaltuper, Head of Europe Country Risk and Financial Markets hosts a panel of Europe, Middle East and North Africa analysts, as well as Business Monitor’s Head of Political Risk Analysis,… [Read more]
Libyan rebels appear to have taken control of the capital Tripoli. However, Business Monitor’s Head of Political Risk Yoel Sano cautions against premature optimism. While stability remains far from assured at the present juncture, we also speak with Saket Vemprala, Oil & Gas analyst, about the outlook for the all-important energy sector and when Libyan… [Read more]
Regular readers will be familiar with our increasing concerns about the eurozone, as outlined in Monday’s blog post. Following an extraordinary session of Business Monitor International’s Politburo Standing Committee (in this case our Europe and Global Analysts), we outline our core views on the eurozone debt crisis: Policymakers will take the necessary steps to prevent… [Read more]
While investors’ attentions are naturally focused on the meltdown in global financial markets, there are several other noteworthy developments taking place around the world that could add to the sense of global risks. The following are in no particular order: Tensions are once again rising on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea is conducting military exercises,… [Read more]
Syrian President Bashar Assad is facing the biggest challenge to his 11-year rule, with mass protests taking place across the country. The government has cracked down violently, but this has failed to restore stability. My colleagues and I now see a growing possibility that the Assad regime will eventually collapse under the strain, possibly resulting… [Read more]
