I saw six sharks being cut up for their fins yesterday. And as monstrous as it was, it won’t make headlines, it isn’t News: currently the fins from between 26 million and 73 million sharks are sold a year, that’s up to 8 000 sharks killed an hour. And the market is booming. I’m currently […]
Asia
Posted inBusiness, News/Politics
Challenges to regional integration and trade in Africa
History and the legacy of colonialism have bequeathed the African continent with a legacy of fragmentation. The African continent geographically is divided into 54 countries, 28 of which have a GDP under $10-billion. In addition, 26 countries have a population under 10-million inhabitants, and 16 nations are landlocked. This fragmentation has traditionally been a significant […]
Posted inGeneral, News/Politics
The state of democracy
There is no consensus on how to measure democracy. Definitions are contested and there is an ongoing debate on the subject. Although the terms “freedom” and “democracy” are often used interchangeably, the two are not synonymous. Democracy can be seen as a set of practices and principles that institutionalise and thus ultimately protect freedom. Even […]
Posted inBusiness, General
The economic week in review: Unsettling
The week began with elections in France and Greece that cast fresh doubts on Europe’s ability to contain its ongoing debt and economic crises. The week drew to a close with a slew of disappointing data in China. In between, the United States sent out mixed signals and South Africa reported a rise in unemployment. […]