Venezuela, the country with the largest oil reserves in the world, has been experiencing what is probably the most severe economic crisis in history, ever since President Maduro took over after the passing away of President Chavez in 2013. Although elections have been held twice since Mr. Maduro’s rise in power, endemic corruption and suppression Read more about Monthly Focus Point, Mar19-Apr19: The Venezuelan crisis deepens.[…]
In just five years after its near-bankruptcy in 2014, the French carmaker PSA group reported record earnings for 2018, buoyed by the success of its Peugeot 3008 and 5008 SUV models. The sales of the group jumped by 19%, to EUR74.03b, which translated in a normalized operating income of EUR5.69b, signifying a 43% increase in Read more about Monthly Focus Point, Feb19-Mar19: PSA announced record earnings for 2018.[…]
December and January are traditionally slow months. Most peoples’ attention is drawn by the Christmas and New Year celebrations, as well as the preparations leading up to the festivities. This is a really bad thing for someone who is trying to maintain a monthly news update column, but a good thing for the world: When Read more about Monthly Focus Point, Dec18-Jan19: A rundown of 2018.[…]
US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, met on 30 November 2018, during the G20 summit in Argentina. The purpose of the meeting was to find some common ground and thus ease the tensions that arose between the two superpowers, after the US’s increasing of tariffs on imports from China, and a Read more about Monthly Focus Point, Nov18 -Dec18: US-China trade war: Is China not strong enough yet?[…]
Angela Merkel announced to her CDU party’s committee that she won’t run for another term as party leader in December, but will remain as German Chancellor until the end of her term. A Germany (and Europe) without Merkel… How can this be? I don’t even remember when it was the last time that I was Read more about Monthly Focus Point, Nov18: Merkel steps down from German Chancellorship[…]
Roughly 2,500 years ago, there lived a brilliant, silver-tongued, but by most accounts, ruthless and egomaniac man. A man who betrayed his country twice. (He was pardoned for his first betrayal!) A man who wanted so much to be the center of the world at all times, that when no one had anything to say Read more about Monthly Focus Point: Oct18-Nov18[…]
After spending almost seven years in the junk category, Cyprus returned to an investment-grade credit rating, after a review performed by Standard&Poors, the results of which were published late on September 14th, local time. As is customary, local politicians sent out a real barrage of tweets, celebrating the news. For the most part these are Read more about Monthly Focus Point: Sep18-Oct18[…]
A series of very intense rounds of “negotiations” have been taking place in Cyprus over the last month, between the Government and the teachers’ unions. The objective of the negotiations is the rationalization of spending in education. I used the quotes around the word “negotiations” on purpose. And that is because in my view one Read more about Monthly Focus Point: Aug18-Sep18[…]
The Football World Cup is over. For those of you on the other side of the Atlantic, the Soccer World Cup is over. There, who said that you can’t keep everyone happy? Although I am not very passionate about this particular sport on a clubs level, I have been a regular viewer of both the Read more about Monthly Focus Point: Jul18-Aug18[…]
A deal was reached on the early hours of 22 July between Greece and its international creditors, regarding the former’s request for debt relief, on the occasion of the end of its macroeconomic adjustment program. Both sides issued statements of satisfaction after the deal, with Klaus Regling, the head of the Eurozone’s bailout fund, going Read more about Monthly Focus Point: Jun18-Jul18[…]