Iran Conflict Highlights Vietnam’s Energy Security and Foreign Policy Vulnerabilities
The Iran‑Israel war has shut the Strait of Hormuz, driving global oil and LNG prices to record highs and exposing Vietnam’s reliance on imported fuels. Since February, gasoline prices have jumped 50% and diesel 70%, prompting fuel shortages and longer queues at stations. Hanoi responded by creating a Task Force on Energy Security, accelerating electric‑vehicle adoption, bio‑ethanol rollout, and a nuclear partnership with Russia. The crisis is forcing Vietnam to diversify imports and rethink costly LNG projects, reshaping its energy strategy and foreign‑policy calculus.
Saudi Arabia Eyes African Critical Minerals
Saudi Arabia is pivoting from oil to critical minerals to meet Vision 2030 goals, targeting 30% electric‑vehicle sales and 50% renewable electricity by 2030. Africa, which holds about 30% of global critical‑mineral reserves, is becoming a key supply source. Riyadh has...
East Africa Crowds Out Businesses as Debt Costs Bite
East African economies are slipping toward a debt trap as governments replace concessional aid with costly commercial loans and Eurobonds, pushing debt‑service costs to record levels. In Kenya, roughly 68% of revenue now funds debt repayments, crowding out credit for...
Militias, Corrupt Officers Man 24 Roadblocks on Key DRC Trade Route
Twenty‑four roadblocks staffed by militias and corrupt officials line the Goli–Mahagi–Kisangani route, a vital segment of the Northern Corridor linking Uganda to eastern DRC. Unofficial fees of up to $300 per vehicle are inflating transport costs and delaying deliveries. The...
From World War Trade to Domino Regionalism: The Emergent Global Trading Order
In April 2025 the United States unleashed sweeping tariffs and China responded with export controls, creating a “World War Trade” that shattered the post‑World‑II rules‑based system. While the US‑China clash intensified, the other 75 % of global trade—countries responsible for three‑quarters of...
Malaysia’s Economy Expanded by 5.2% in 2025, Supported by Broad-Based Growth Across All Major Sectors
Malaysia's economy expanded 5.2% in 2025, slightly above the 5.1% pace of 2024, driven by a 5.5% rise in services, 4.5% manufacturing growth and a 12.2% construction surge, supporting a GDP of roughly $400 bn. Early 2026 data show the Industrial...
Jordan’s Regional Connectivity Begins in Riyadh
Jordan is positioning itself as a regional trade hub by leveraging deepening Saudi investment, which now exceeds $15 billion, and a series of bilateral agreements signed in Riyadh. Trade between the two countries grew 19% in the first half of 2025,...
Iran Threatens Major US Companies in the Middle East Creating New Risk for Crypto
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that, starting April 1, it will target a list of U.S. multinationals operating in the Middle East, including Microsoft, Google, Apple, Intel, IBM, Tesla, Boeing, JPMorgan, Oracle, Nvidia and others. Many of these firms form...
Why Manufacturing Remains Indonesia’s Key Growth Driver, Accelerating Downstream...
Indonesia’s 2025‑2029 economic roadmap hinges on manufacturing, which posted a 5.3% growth rate in 2025—slightly above the nation’s 5.0% GDP expansion. The sector now accounts for 19.07% of GDP and over 80% of exports, employing more than 20 million workers. Government...
UK-Nigeria Economic Ties Deepening with Rising CBN Credibility
UK High Commissioner Jonny Baxter praised the Central Bank of Nigeria’s growing credibility and highlighted the United Kingdom’s position as Nigeria’s largest single source of foreign capital, accounting for roughly half of recent inflows. He noted that Nigeria’s macro‑economic reforms...
Positioning the Phl in Asia’s Growth Story
At the Boao Forum for Asia’s 25th conference, leaders reaffirmed Asia’s role as the world’s primary growth engine, with its share of global GDP projected to reach 49.7% in 2026. The Philippines, positioned at the heart of Southeast Asia, is...
Helios Towers to Expand Mobile Connectivity Across DRC
Helios Towers has secured a $110 million investment agreement with DRC’s ANAPI to expand its mobile tower infrastructure. The deal will fund new sites in urban and rural areas, improve network resilience, and incorporate sustainable energy and local skill programs. Helios,...
Helios Towers to Invest $110m on Telecoms Infrastructure in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Helios Towers announced a $110 million investment to expand telecom tower infrastructure in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The deal, signed with the government’s ANAPI agency, will fund new sites across urban and rural areas and improve energy resilience. Helios already...
Attacks Persist in Iran and Across the Mideast as Trump Threatens Escalation
President Donald Trump’s statements on the Iran conflict have swung from pledging a quick exit to threatening to bomb Iran “back to the Stone Ages” if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. Meanwhile, Iran has intensified missile and drone strikes...
Markets Bet Big on a Quick End to the Iran War
President Trump signaled he may end U.S. strikes on Iran within two to three weeks, prompting a wave of market optimism. Brent crude briefly slipped below $100 a barrel, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures turned positive and 10‑year Treasury yields...
US Secures Rare Earths Supply as Part of $565mn Loan to Brazil Mining Group
The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) approved a $565 million loan to Brazil’s Serra Verde, granting the United States off‑take rights to rare earths from the company’s Pela Ema mine. The agreement ensures that heavy rare earths, critical for magnets...
Iraqi Civilians Are Paying the Price of the Iran War
The U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran is spilling into Iraq, where rockets and drones have struck near Baghdad and Erbil, disrupting daily life. Oil exports are faltering after Iranian attacks on tankers and a force‑majeure declaration on foreign‑operated fields, threatening the...
Economists, Business Warn Indonesia's Energy Crisis Response May Backfire
Indonesia’s government has rolled out emergency measures to curb a worsening energy crisis, including a push for remote work, reduced subsidies and scaling back free school meals to conserve fiscal resources. Economists and business groups warn that these austerity steps...
Russia Could Emerge as Global South's Partner Amid Iran War, Scholar Says
A Russian scholar argues that the US‑Israel war on Iran is threatening the Global South, especially as oil prices surge. He warns the conflict could normalize forceful interventions, destabilizing developing nations. Russia, he suggests, could step in as an alternative...
Iran War: What African Countries Can Do to Get Through the Crisis and Emerge in a Better Place
The US‑Israel war on Iran is destabilising global oil, gas, fertiliser and food markets and has triggered sharp depreciations of African currencies against the dollar. Rising interest rates and tighter foreign‑financing conditions are compounding debt pressures across the continent. Experts...
India’s Punjab Exporters Propose Barter Deal Between Basmati Rice and Iran’s Crude Oil to Offset War Losses
India’s Punjab Rice Millers Exporters Association has asked the government to negotiate a barter deal with Iran, swapping premium basmati rice for Iranian crude oil with payments in rupees. The proposal follows steep financial losses for exporters after the US‑Israel‑Iran...
PE-VC Exits Down 40 per Cent in FY26
Private equity and venture capital exits in India slumped 40% year‑over‑year, falling to $18.8 billion across 223 deals in FY26. Total PE‑VC funding also dipped 10% to $33.9 billion, with mega deals above $100 million shrinking in both count and value. AI attracted...
Can China Grow From Within?
China’s new 2026‑30 Five‑Year Plan pivots the economy toward a consumption‑led growth model, seeking to anchor expansion domestically amid rising geopolitical volatility. The strategy emphasizes expanding household demand and deepening capital‑market development to reduce reliance on external markets. While Chinese...
War with Iran Could Accelerate Africa’s Oil Revival
The escalating war with Iran is destabilizing Middle‑East oil supplies, prompting global buyers to seek alternatives. African basins—particularly offshore Namibia, Ghana, and Nigeria—are attracting heightened investor attention thanks to favorable geology and lower‑cost drilling technologies. New seismic imaging and digital‑oilfield...
U.S. Military Attacks on Iran Could End in 2–3 Weeks, Trump Says
President Donald Trump told the nation the U.S. could wrap up its Iran offensive within two to three weeks and urged oil‑dependent allies to assume responsibility for keeping the Strait of Hormuz open. He expressed frustration that partners were not...
Inflation Down Despite Oil Price Surge, Idul Fitri Demand Spike
Indonesia's annual consumer price index slowed to 3.48% in March, down from 4.76% in February, bringing inflation back into Bank Indonesia's 2.5% ± 1% target range. The decline reflects a base‑effect from last year's temporary electricity discount rather than sustained price easing....
Nigeria Sharpening Its Growth Strategy Through Policy Alignment and Power-Sector Reform
Nigeria’s leadership is aligning fiscal and monetary policy to stabilise the macroeconomy, a move that has already lowered inflation while sustaining growth. Special Adviser Sanyade Okoli stresses that coordinated policy is essential for attracting investment and creating jobs. The government...
Hong Kong Investment Chief Joins Global Board in First for Chinese Sovereign Funds
Clara Chan Ka‑chai, chief executive of Hong Kong Investment Corporation (HKIC), has been appointed to the board of FCLTGlobal, marking the first Chinese sovereign wealth fund representation on the nonprofit’s 19‑member board. FCLTGlobal, founded in 2016, unites leading long‑term investors...
Qiushi Reaffirms China’s Trade-Rebalance Push, Calls Old Export-Led Growth ‘Unsustainable’
China’s leading Communist Party journal Qiushi reiterated the nation’s trade‑rebalancing agenda, warning that the traditional export‑driven growth model is no longer viable. The editorial cites rising global protectionism, geopolitical tensions, and a record‑high trade surplus as catalysts for a pivot...
Why ‘Billions to Trillions’ Has Failed to Attract Investment in Infrastructure
New research estimates the median social rate of return to building a kilometre of two‑lane highway in emerging markets at 55%, with a mean of 97%, far outpacing the roughly 7% private‑capital return in the United States. Despite this eight‑to‑fourteen‑fold...
Tisza Needs Supermajority Victory in Hungarian Elections to Unlock EU Frozen Funds
Hungary’s opposition Tisza party must secure a two‑thirds parliamentary supermajority in the April 12 election to reverse laws that have frozen roughly €18 bn ($19.44 bn) of EU funding. While polls show Tisza leading, merely ousting Prime Minister Viktor Orban will not suffice;...
The Iran War Hurts China Less than Its Rivals but More than It Admits
The article argues that the war in Iran harms China’s economy, but not as severely as its regional rivals, while China publicly understates the impact. It notes that Chinese officials continue to portray Beijing as a stabilizing force despite disruptions...
AfDB Says Africa’s Growth Risks Were Tilted to Downside Even Before Iran Conflict
The African Development Bank warns that Africa’s growth outlook was already fragile before the Iran‑Israel conflict and could slip further. Chief economist Kevin Urama estimates a 0.2‑percentage‑point slowdown if the war ends within three months, rising to a 1.5‑point decline...
Power Plants, Politics and Profitability: PWM Tea Break
In PWM’s latest Tea Break, a senior executive discusses her investments in energy and water companies across Brazil and the Philippines, emphasizing confidence in developing economies. She notes that emerging markets are projected to generate the majority of global GDP...
Can a Country Get Too Rich?
Norway’s new Edvard Munch Museum in Oslo, a 13‑storey slab of recycled aluminium and glass, opened in 2021 after a ten‑year delay and a $350 million price tag that ballooned by $200 million. The project, financed by the nation’s deep sovereign wealth...
Energy Security versus Geopolitics: ASEAN States Face Tough Choices over Iran’s Strait of Hormuz Passage
As the Middle East conflict drags on, Iran is selectively allowing ships from energy‑import‑dependent Asian nations to transit the Strait of Hormuz, often under a toll‑booth system. Countries such as Malaysia, India, China and Thailand have secured toll‑free or paid...
China Is Helping Build Africa’s Cities, but Its Approach Sidelines Local Urban Planners
Chinese banks have become the leading bilateral financiers of urban infrastructure in Africa’s fastest‑growing cities. Between 2000 and 2021 they committed roughly $37 billion to six major metros, with transport projects receiving over $17 billion and 74% of projects finished within two...
Indonesia Bets on Nickel Levy to Break Its China Habit
Indonesia is preparing a progressive export levy on processed nickel products such as nickel pig iron and ferronickel. The tax starts at about 2% when LME prices sit between $15,000‑$16,000 per ton and can rise to roughly 10% as prices...
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UAE Energy Minister Says World Must Not Be Held 'Hostage' By Iran over Hormuz
UAE Energy Minister Suhail al‑Mazrouei warned that Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz could hold global trade hostage, urging a unified international response. He highlighted the potential economic fallout if safe passage is not guaranteed and stressed the UAE’s...
How Siemens Supports the Green and Digital Transitions
Siemens sees the EU‑Vietnam comprehensive strategic partnership and the EU’s Global Gateway initiative as catalysts for expanding its footprint in Vietnam. The company is focusing on green and digital projects, including renewable‑energy grid upgrades, high‑speed rail with VinSpeed, and digital...
Trump Says He’s Considering Pulling Out of NATO
President Donald Trump told the Telegraph that the United States is "beyond reconsideration" about pulling out of NATO, signaling a possible withdrawal after the Middle East conflict. He criticized NATO allies for refusing to support U.S. and Israeli actions against...
Iran War Pushing India to Edge of a Currency Crisis
India's rupee has slid another 5.5% this year, making it Asia's worst performer in 2025 and hovering around 95 per dollar. Rising Brent crude above $100 a barrel has added roughly $5 billion to India's monthly oil import bill, intensifying pressure...
US-Listed Data Centre Operator Equinix Doubles Down on South Africa
Equinix is investing roughly $405 million to add 160 MW of data‑centre capacity in South Africa, bringing its total under development to 332 MW across Johannesburg and Cape Town. The company acquired about $48 million of land, expanding its footprint beyond Gauteng. All funding...
Tanzania: Tanzania Trumpets Its Favourable Climate, Stable Policies to Lure Mining Investors
Tanzania's Ministry of Minerals announced a stable policy environment to attract mining investors, meeting with China's Liaoning Fangda Group. The government highlighted its commitment to using mineral resources for economic growth and industrial development. Fangda expressed interest in strategic projects...
Shared Energy Stakes Call for Greater China-India Cooperation
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned of severe consequences if energy and nuclear facilities are targeted amid the expanding Middle East conflict, highlighting a shared security concern with India. Both countries, responsible for more than one‑third of global energy‑demand growth,...
America Is Losing the Innovation Race
China has transformed from a manufacturing hub into an innovation powerhouse, outpacing the United States in electric vehicles, batteries, robotics, next‑generation nuclear power and hypersonic missiles. The surge stems from a decade‑long, state‑driven strategy that funds basic research, talent development...
A Post-American Persian Gulf?
The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has slashed oil and LNG flows through the Strait of Hormuz to roughly five percent of normal levels and damaged Qatar's Ras Laffan LNG plant, threatening a $20 billion annual export loss. Gulf states face immediate economic...
RBC BlueBay Asset Management on Tackling Emerging Market Private Credit Misconceptions
RBC BlueBay Asset Management’s credit team, led by Mihai Florian, is urging investors to revisit private credit opportunities in emerging markets, arguing that misconceptions about risk have left attractive yields untapped. The firm highlights its disciplined underwriting, local partnerships, and...
FII Exodus Hits Record Rs 1.6 Lakh Crore in FY26 Despite Strong DII Cushion
Foreign investors withdrew a record $19 billion (≈₹1.6 lakh crore) from Indian equities in FY26, marking the second consecutive year of outflows. Domestic institutions countered the sell‑off with a historic $102 billion (≈₹8.5 lakh crore) inflow, led by mutual funds, pension funds and insurers. The rupee’s 4 %...
Georgian Company Strikes Coal Deal with Russian-Occupied Donetsk
Georgian firm George Oil Ltd signed a contract to import coal, metals and chemical products from the Russian‑occupied Donetsk region, planning domestic use and exports to India and Turkey. The deal arrives despite the EU’s full ban on Russian and...