As Afghan Economy Struggles, Taliban Increasingly Looks To Go It Alone
December 22nd, 2023
Courtesy of The Washington Post, an article on the Afghan economy: More than two years after the Taliban’s takeover, its internationally isolated government is pushing ahead with a plan to make the Afghan economy more self-sustaining, if not outright self-sufficient. Afghan officials are overseeing the construction of dams and canals to boost agriculture, and tunnels […]
Read more »Developing Djibouti as a Sustainable Maritime Hub
December 22nd, 2023
Courtesy of Forbes, a report on plans to develop Djibouti as a sustainable maritime hub: Gulf of Aden area, political map. Deepwater gulf between Yemen, Djibouti, the Guardafui Channel, … [+] This week, the war between Israel and Hamas had an unexpected impact on maritime traffic in one of the world’s busiest shipping routes through […]
Read more »North Korean Exports Hit Record High Since UN Sanctions Took Full Effect
December 22nd, 2023
Via The Diplomat, a look at North Korea’s exports, which overwhelmingly go to China – and rely on a single (and surprising) export category: After years of disruption from United Nations sanctions and the pandemic, North Korean exports to China surged through the first 11 months of 2023. However, North Korea’s export recovery is potentially […]
Read more »TechSafari: Four African Countries To Watch In 2024
December 21st, 2023
Via TechSafari, a look at Africa’s up and coming tech ecosystems in Ghana, Senegal, Morocco, and Zambia: It’s been a few wild years of funding in Africa, with ups and downs. But mostly ups. Last year, African startups raised about $5.4 billion – nearly a billion more than in 2021, and four times what they raised […]
Read more »Papua New Guinea Will Not Be ‘Reckless’ With China Loans: PM
December 21st, 2023
Via France24, an article on Papua New Guinea’s use of BRI funding: Papua New Guinea’s prime minister has promised to tread carefully with Belt and Road funding from China, telling AFP on Monday he would not be “reckless” with foreign loans. China and the United States have been jockeying for influence in the South Pacific state, […]
Read more »Pakistan: How Energy Traders Left A Country In The Cold
December 20th, 2023
Courtesy of Bloomberg, a look at how commodity traders switched off Pakistan’s electricity: Toward the end of 2021, in an office block above the luxury boutiques of Geneva’s Rue du Rhône, Ksenia Alleyne called her team into a meeting. Alleyne is the co-head of liquefied natural gas trading at Gunvor Group Ltd.—a Swiss-based commodities firm with customers around […]
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.