Via The BBC, a report on the possibility of Russia piping gas to Seoul via North Korea. As the article notes: “…Looking at the map, it is a no-brainer. Less than 700km (435 miles) separate one of the world’s biggest energy producers and one of its neediest consumers. Russia sells natural gas; South Korea wants […]
Read more »Courtesy of The Financial Times, an interesting article on Nigeria’s growing middle class and the likely impact it will have on economic growth in that country: Nigeria may be a country plagued by corruption, violence and pockets of deep poverty but it’s also home to the largest middle class in Africa. And that middle class, […]
Read more »In the CFA Institute’s September/October 2011 issue, Patrick Mutimba, CFA – Director of investments at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda – looks at Africa’s potential to join the BRICs as an alternative investment destination, especially that of AAEMNS (Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, and South Africa): “…I believe Africa will be the next big destination […]
Read more »Courtesy of STRATFOR (subscription required), an interesting look at Laos and how – in recent years as China and Vietnam have jockeyed for influence in Indochina and as countries in the region have increased their cooperation – Laos has envisioned itself becoming a “corridor country,” tying into a Chinese high-speed rail network and exporting hydro-powered […]
Read more »Courtesy of McKinsey Quarterly, an interesting graphic that forecasts more than 20 of the world’s top 50 cities ranked by GDP will be located in Asia by the year 2025, up from 8 in 2007. During that same time period, our research suggests, more than half of Europe’s top 50 cities will drop off the […]
Read more »Via Afghan Lord, a detailed review of Afghan-Chinese relations: “…It is said that the Afghan-Chinese relationship goes back to the seventh century when Chinese monks traveled through Silk Road to visit the Buddha statues in Bamyian, blown up by Taliban in 2001. The Silk Road was not only used for a pilgrimage purpose, but also […]
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