Courtesy of The Diplomat, a look at how – a decade on – Montenegro faces crippling economic challenges and environmental degradation from the ambitious (and still incomplete) highway project: Conceived and planned a decade ago under a near billion dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) loan by the Export-Import Bank of China, and built by […]
Read more »Courtesy of Semafor, an article on Africa’s growth prospects in 2024: Sub-Saharan Africa’s economy is expected to grow by 3.8% in 2024, the World Bank said in a new report. Growth in the region slowed to 2.9% in 2023, from 3.7% and 4.4% in 2022 and 2021, respectively. All but two of the 48 economies in […]
Read more »Via East Asia Forum, commentary on the Philippines’ economic forecast: Philippine aspirations to hit upper-middle-income country status were derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but economic planners remain optimistic that this target can be achieved by 2025. If a new era of global political and economic rebalancing is taking place, there are clear internal challenges and […]
Read more »Via South China Morning Post, an article on revived hopes for a Bay of Bengal deep water port: Renewed push for Citic-led project in Rakhine state comes amid continued clashes between ethnic rebel groups and the ruling Myanmar junta Port expected to allow Beijing to bypass South China Sea for oil imports is cited as […]
Read more »Via New African, a look at Ghana’s extraordinary digitalization makeover: For decades, the haphazard system of property addresses in Ghana verged on the ridiculous. Despite several attempts to have a formalised structure in place, finding directions often required using local landmarks or specific vendors. Thus, the joke went, if the woman selling waakye (a local delicacy) had […]
Read more »Courtesy of Stratfor RANE’s Worldview, analysis of the drivers and risks of Ethiopia’s historic pact with Somaliland: Ethiopia’s historical deal with Somaliland granting it commercial and military access to the port of Berbera is part of Addis Ababa’s ambition to reestablish a green-water navy, but the deal’s implementation will likely reshape the politics of the […]
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