Archive for August, 2023

Navigating China – U.S. Subsea Cable Competition

Via The Diplomat, an article on the continuing China-U.S. subsea cable competition: In July, there was a notable surge in attempts from both the United States and China to establish a more stable relationship. Following U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Beijing in late June, there was a subsequent series of visits to China by […]

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Niger Tensions Threaten Chinese Pipeline and Dam Projects

Courtesy of Nikkei Asia, a report on how current turmoil in Niger has impacted Chinese investment projects: Rising tensions in Niger are casting a shadow over Chinese interests there, following reports that the construction of a dam has been suspended, adding to worries that a PetroChina-backed export pipeline set to be completed at the end […]

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Kyrgyzstan at the Crossroads: Climate and Economic Challenges in a Warming World

Via Central Asian Bureau for Analytical Reporting (CABAR), a look at the impact that climate change – both environmentally and economically – will have upon Kyrgyzstan: In the shadow of towering mountains, Kyrgyzstan faces a landscape as volatile as its climate. A nation grappling with escalating temperatures, dwindling water supplies, and the spectre of energy […]

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Mexico’s Army-Run Airline Is Almost Ready For Takeoff

Via Quartz, a look at Mexicana, an airline that was put under military control as part of the country’s increasing tendency to place transport and infrastructure projects under armed forces’ control: The Mexican government will be ready to launch its military-run airline by the end of this year, government officials said on Thursday, reviving Mexicana de […]

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TikTok Takes on Shopee and Others in ASEAN e-Commerce Race

Courtesy of NikkeiAsia, a report on TikTok’s aggressive emergence into ASEAN’s e-commerce marketplace: TikTok is emerging as one of Southeast Asia’s most prominent e-commerce platforms, with sales growing sevenfold in one year as it attracts a wave of young, tech-savvy users with shopping and entertainment features. The rapid rise of the world’s most popular short […]

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IIT: The Exclusive Network Behind India’s Global Tech Success

What ‘s harder to get into than Harvard? Try IIT, the elite group of Indian engineering schools that accepts just 1.8% of applicants. (Harvard’s rate? 4%) Not only has IIT produced Silicon Valley leaders like Google’s Sundar Pichai and VC Vinod Khosla, more than *half* of India’s 100+ unicorns were founded by IIT alums. Courtesy […]

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WILDCATS AND BLACK SHEEP
Wildcats & Black Sheep is a personal interest blog dedicated to the identification and evaluation of maverick investment opportunities arising in frontier - and, what some may consider to be, “rogue” or “black sheep” - markets around the world.

Focusing primarily on The New Seven Sisters - the largely state owned petroleum companies from the emerging world that have become key players in the oil & gas industry as identified by Carola Hoyos, Chief Energy Correspondent for The Financial Times - but spanning other nascent opportunities around the globe that may hold potential in the years ahead, Wildcats & Black Sheep is a place for the adventurous to contemplate & evaluate the emerging markets of tomorrow.