Via Quartz, an article on the Taliban’s preference for Toyota products: When the Taliban rode into Kabul and captured the presidential palace on Aug. 15, it marked the return to power of one of Toyota’s most loyal—and most regrettable—customers. For more than a quarter-century, Toyota’s sturdiest pickups and SUVs have been the Taliban’s vehicles of choice. They’re […]
Read more »Via the Asia Times, an article on the potential impact of COVID on Vietnam’s economic growth: Vietnam risks giving the old investment adage “buy the rumor, sell the fact” a bad name as the delta variant upends an economy rumored to have beaten Covid-19. Up until last month, the Southeast Asian growth star was on […]
Read more »Via Silk Road Briefing, a report on the potential for Chabahar to scale Bangladesh’s west Asian reconnections: For decades now India has made requests to Pakistan concerning the provision of overland transit facilities to markets in Iran and beyond, in return for the millions of dollars Islamabad would earn in transit fees. Pakistan has never agreed. […]
Read more »Via The Telegraph, an article on efforts to restore Africa’s third-largest train network – in Sudan – to its former glory which could throw a vital lifeline to millions: Sitting next to the colonial British railway director’s old residence on the banks of the Nile River, the general manager of the Sudanese Railways Corporation chuckles to […]
Read more »Via Reuters, an article on how Taliban gains give investors cause for concern beyond Afghanistan: The Taliban’s rapid advance towards Kabul is not only causing concern about Afghanistan’s future but also about the impact on other countries in the region and their economies. Iran and then Iraq lie to the west of Afghanistan. Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are […]
Read more »Via the Asia Times, an article on a new venture that counts Gates, Bloomberg and Bezos among investors in a major nickel, copper and cobalt mining project: What do deep-pocket billionaires Bill Gates, Michael Bloomberg and Jeff Bezos have in common? Would you believe, a battery minerals joint venture with Bluejay Mining to develop a major nickel, […]
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