Brunei: Oil in the Imperial Periphery
February 15th, 2025
Via Phenomenal World, an article on Brunei’s unlikely path to independence: The majority of the nearly two hundred sovereign states that exist today were born through decolonization following the end of the Second World War. With the colonial metropole fearing the emergence of unstable and unviable states, smaller territories were often included in larger entities […]
Read more »Geonomics, Not Geopolitics is Driving Pakistan’s Courting of Bangladesh
February 15th, 2025
Via The Diplomat, a report on Islamabad’s efforts to enhance and diversify economic relations in its immediate neighborhood, focusing on trade and connectivity: The recent regime change in Bangladesh has triggered a Pakistan-Bangladesh rapprochement. Since Muhammad Yunus took charge as leader of Bangladesh’s interim government on August 8, several high-level meetings have been held between […]
Read more »China Set To Extend Reach in South Pacific with Cook Islands Deal
February 14th, 2025
Via The Washington Post, commentary on the recent agreement between China and the Cook Islands: China and the South Pacific nation of the Cook Islands are poised to sign a comprehensive strategic partnership deal on Friday, raising alarm that Beijing is extending its reach into the region in ways that could have security and environmental consequences. […]
Read more »‘It Risks Becoming a Venice in the Desert’: The Dark Side of Uzbekistan’s Tourism Boom
February 14th, 2025
Via BBC, a report on Uzbekistan’s ambitious tourism drive: The Uzbekistan government is on an ambitious tourism drive – but is sparring with heritage experts over how to protect its historical sites. The sound of a jackhammer rattles through the air. In Bukhara, a former trading hub on the ancient Silk Road in what is […]
Read more »Tired of Spotty Internet, Bolivians Smuggle In Starlink
February 14th, 2025
Via Rest of World, a report on Bolivia, which relies on a Chinese-built satellite for some of its connectivity, banned Starlink — but that hasn’t stopped people from smuggling the device into the country: Bolivia’s internet comes from a Chinese-built satellite, and connectivity is patchy. Demand for contraband Starlink kits has grown since the company […]
Read more »Indonesia’s Risky Gamble With Sea Sand Exports
February 14th, 2025
Via Dialogue Earth, a look at Indonesia’s risky decision to restart sea sand exports to neighboring countries: Unregulated sand dredging in the early 2000s pushed Nipah to the brink of submersion, eroding its shores and threatening its existence. This small Indonesian island near Singapore, measuring just 0.62 hectares at high tide and 60 hectares at […]
Read more »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.