Policy

Can Nuclear Energy Make A Comeback?

Nuclear power has been in decline since the Fukushima disaster in Japan more than a decade ago, but it may be poised for a comeback. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and soaring natural-gas prices have led some to argue that nuclear energy can help solve the twin challenges of energy security and climate change. Is the industry back in business, or will this prove to be another false dawn? Until recently, nuclear power’s prospects seemed poor.

9 June 2022
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China's Retail Sales Lowest In Two Years

China's retail sales slumped to its lowest in two years while factory output plunged, official data showed Monday, capturing the dismal economic fallout from Beijing's zero-COVID policy.The world's second-largest economy has persisted with strict virus measures, choking up global supply chains as dozens of Chinese cities – including key business hub Shanghai – grapple with restrictions.Officials have vowed to support growth, lowering the mortgage rate for first-time homebuyers.

16 May 2022
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Tribute To PRRD & Expectations From BBM

Roughly a month before the end of his term, President Rodrigo Duterte’s presidency continued to amaze the Filipino people. Despite the economic difficulty faced by the country because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the country is on an economic growth trajectory. It was recently reported that the Philippine economy grew by 8.3 percent in the first quarter of 2022.

15 May 2022
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US, China Congratulate Marcos Jr For Election Win

The United States (US) and China have congratulated Ferdinand Marcos Jr on his win in the Philippine presidential election, as the superpowers jostle to have the strongest ties with the Southeast Asian nation.Marcos, the son and namesake of the late Philippine dictator, secured more than half of the votes in Monday's poll to win the presidency by a wide margin and cap a remarkable comeback for his family.He and running mate Sara Duterte, who also won the vice-presidential race in a lands

12 May 2022
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China’s Leadership Sounds Alarm On Economy

When Chinese Premier Li Keqiang called for a “sense of urgency” about growing economic risks during a meeting with provincial officials earlier this week, it was his third such warning in days.“We need to be highly vigilant for unexpected changes in the international and domestic situations, and downward economic pressure has further mounted,” China’s No 2 official told a symposium in Jiangxi province on Monday, according to a report in South China Morning Post, less than a week after drawing

15 April 2022
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Will The Climate Agenda Be Undone?

In a recent survey, 52 percent of French citizens cited their purchasing power as a major concern. Only 29 percent mentioned the environment, putting this issue roughly on a par with the health system (30 percent) and immigration (28 percent).

2 March 2022
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China's Real-Estate Balancing Act

Despite strong global economic headwinds, not least from the COVID-19 pandemic, China managed to achieve 8.1 percent gross domestic product (GDP) growth last year, its highest rate in a decade.

23 February 2022
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Measuring Poverty Properly

The 2019 Oscar-winning film Parasite attracted a global audience for its arresting portrayal of South Korea’s stark income inequality. The movie’s rendering of a low-income household’s acute sense of alienation resonated widely, no doubt because similar sentiments are palpable in many other countries.

16 February 2022
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HK Outbreak Exposes Flaws In Quarantine Policy

Hong Kong's U-turn on its mandatory three-week quarantine for arrivals follows growing scrutiny of the strict policy after a coronavirus outbreak was traced to a woman infected during her hotel stay.Like mainland China, Hong Kong is one of the few places left in the world still pursuing a zero-COVID strategy that has largely kept the virus at bay but left the finance hub internationally isolated.On Thursday, city leader Carrie Lam announced the 21-day quarantine period that most arrivals

29 January 2022
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Victims Of The Unvaccinated

Novak Djokovic, the world’s top-ranking tennis player, has just been granted a medical exemption to take part in the Australian Open. Djokovic, who has won the event nine times (one more victory would give him a record-breaking 21 major titles), refused to show proof of vaccination, which is required to enter Australia.

6 January 2022
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COVID-Powered Challenges Of 2022

After a year in which people longed to get back to “normal,” it is now clear that COVID-19 will not make this possible. The pandemic, now heading into its third year, has profoundly affected individuals, communities, countries, and international cooperation, creating four tough challenges for 2022. Rebuilding trust will be critical to confronting all of them. The first challenge is that people’s relationship to work has changed.

3 January 2022
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Clouds Over 2022

Despite dips and disruptions from new variants of COVID-19, 2021 turned out to be a relatively positive year for economies and markets in most parts of the world.

30 December 2021
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