The Strait of Hormuz blockade is the second time in the last few years where military conflict is impacting energy security. After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, energy trade relationships were shattered leading many governments to question how to securitise their energy dependency and buffer themselves from future shocks. Renewable energy has increased dramatically, especially in Asian countries, which has helped in the current crisis. Many countries can boast that they are s

Moving money across borders is meant to follow compliance rules and regulations that are set by governments and followed by the financial institutions. This was already a difficult process to enforce with shadowy LLCs and offshore banking. If you do not want to pay high taxes or you do not want to devalue your wealth in exchange for other currencies, moving money behind the scenes was your best bet for a long time. The cost would be a new company name, registering that compan

Most of the current discussions around energy security is centred around the Strait of Hormuz. The conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran has disrupted the Middle East in a way that is incalculable in many sectors but access to black gold has destabilised stock markets and made many countries vulnerable to further economic shocks. A quick result from this conflict is not likely and Wall Street analysts believe that the crude supply will drop  to 12 million barrel

Economic sanctions are utilised to apply pressure on a nation state in a non-violent approach. The idea is to minimise the use of a military force in a way that will politically undermine another government. Most Western states welcome the use of sanctions as this precludes the need to put troops in harm’s way and opens the door to diplomatic discussions. This scenario is especially important when dealing with a state that is in possession of nuclear arms. Russia’s invasion i

From the outset of his presidency, U.S. President Donald Trump made it clear that his goal was to “Make America Great Again” (MAGA), frequently asserting the United States’ dominance through both domestic and international campaigns, thereby exacerbating turbulence in the global geopolitical landscape. Hong Kong based company (registered on Cayman Island) CK Hutchison’s Panama port deal was a prime example of great-power rivalry, in which commercial actors found it difficult

In 1991, the Somali National Movement declared autonomy over Somaliland, which is located in the northern area in the Horn of Africa. The strategic location of this territory is especially significant to maintain sovereignty for the recognised government of Somalia. After many years of democratic unrecognised governance, Somaliland is receiving attention from significant powers throughout the region. Earlier this week, major headlines from news sites announced  that Israel ha

Several countries of Latin America have been at the other end of regime change instigated by the United States. The last time  regime change like this happened was when the United States arrested Manuel Noriega, the former dictator of Panama. Yesterday’s large-scale strike on Caracas as well as the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife has sent shockwaves throughout the world. The reasoning and the seizure of power in the region have become clearer over the last 24

BYD operates its own fleet to support the large-scale export of its EVs. Photo retrieved from the official website of Shenzhen government. Chinese EVs are taking over Europe’s streets. BYD overtakes Tesla  in the European market selling three times as many vehicles as in August 2024 and surpassing Tesla for the second consecutive month, with a market share of 1.3% compared to Tesla’s 1.2%, whose sales fell 36.6%. SAIC Motor, another Chinese brand, saw sales rise 59.4%, reachi

In Edward Fishman’s book Chokepoint: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare , he describes the U.S. dollar to be considered as the “world’s default account and medium of exchange” for states around the world. Being the most powerful currency is a huge responsibility, which should not be taken lightly when it comes to weilding its power. Since the Bretton Woods system was established in 1944, the U.S. pegged the dollar to a gold standard. and became an economic powerhou

I recently travelled back to the US to visit family and the county in Maryland where I spent the majority of my life is fairly rural. The county has developed significantly due to its proximity to Washington, D.C., but my family home is still surrounded by family farms. Some of the nearby homes have enough property to grow their own vegetable gardens, another farm was recently converted into cultivating hemp, but the majority of the farms rotate corn, wheat, and soybeans. Whe