The past five years have been a minefield for insurance. First, there was the increased wave of cyber-attacks and hacks that tore up what traditional policies meant. Then, there was the coronavirus pandemic which steered the market into genuinely uncharted waters. And now, the war in Ukraine which has caused an exodus of international companies […]
The third age of insurance? Read More »
The war in Ukraine continues to cause ripple effects around the world. In purely business terms (although not to diminish the humanitarian atrocities), the biggest ‘story’ has been the world’s pivot away from Russian oil & gas and the search for alternatives. While this has led to curious rapprochements, such as a potential thawing of
Strange Bedfellows Read More »
As the season of election campaigning begins again in the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte’s time draws to a close. However, while he might spend some of the last weeks in office reflecting on his term and what the consequences of it will mean for the country going forward, he is far more invested in, and
Philippines Election Read More »
While the war in Ukraine rages through expressions of military dominance, elsewhere a far wider conflict is being waged by Russia against, basically, the entire world. As the shutters come down on Russian cultural, economic and political partnerships, Moscow is retaliating by fighting back. While Putin has escalated the war of words with his remark
Unrestricted Economic Warfare Read More »
As the eyes of the world are fixed on Ukraine, the obvious question would be: where next? But not necessarily in a sense of the continuation of Putin’s war further into the former Soviet states. His invasion is proof that no number of international systems and repercussions will ultimately stop one country invading another if
The Grains of Time Read More »
Just as the Covid-19 pandemic imposed the phrase ‘the new normal’ into peoples’ vocabularies, Putin’s war may yet reinforce it. An iron curtain of cultural boycotts and political opprobrium has already descended on Russia, with economic sanctions already being among the strongest, and most unified, in history. The operating environment – not only within Russia
The images, stories and eventualities coming out of Ukraine are almost too horrific to contemplate. Rocket strikes against non-military targets, indiscriminate bombings across business and residential districts of major cities, and the creation of almost half a million refugees in just one week make the picture clear. This is a nation in the midst of
Russia and Ukraine: Back To The USSR Read More »
Turkey is now officially known as ‘Turkiye’, in an extensive rebranding operation that will see the new name used in diplomacy, commerce and (ultimately) everyday life. From one side, this can be seen as the nation further embracing its cultural heritage and refusing to be constrained by Western naming conventions. From the other, it is
A Tale of Two Turkeys Read More »
France is to withdraw its troops from Mali, in the enforced culmination of a nine-year mission to help preserve security in the porous and febrile West African nation. Parallels can perhaps be drawn with last year’s international retreat from Afghanistan, in terms of a sudden and unexpected change in authority that hastened the departure and
Mali: The Imbalance of Power Read More »
The UK government is to scrap the ‘golden visa’ scheme, which permits foreign investors to make a substantial financial donation in return for access to a paperwork fast lane, in response to concerns that Russians are exploiting this. This is presumably ahead of announcing a new coat of arms, which will consist of a stable