In The News

Banks Warn Britain and EU of Chaos: Express

Manon Dark July 6, 2020
The transition period for Britain’s relationship with the European Union and membership privileges end in December, and Brexit talks are at a stalemate. “Any future direct EU access after the transition period is over will be decided by whether Brussels feels the UK regulation is ‘equivalent’ to the standards set in the trade bloc,” reports Manon Dark for the Daily Express. The Association for...

Islamic Finance Confronts Pandemic: Global Finance

Chloe Domat May 24, 2020
The Islamic finance industry, operating in about 80 nations, has a large market share in microfinance, small enterprises and retail lending. The Covid-19 pandemic will hit the industry hard with governments closing stores and ordering social-distancing, along with many borrowers seeking forbearance, restructuring or new loans. Governments hurried to assist corporations, with less support for low-...

Covid-19 Stimulus: South China Morning Post

Nicholas Spiro May 15, 2020
Central banks around the globe organize massive stimulus programs from central banks, but these are not without risk. By reducing interest rates and rapidly investing in a range of assets to prop up prices, central bankers hope to save jobs and prevent a long economic depression. Governments already holding heavy debt extend rescues to a range of businesses, including some that would have failed...

German Court Ruling on ECB Asset Purchases: FT

Martin Wolf May 13, 2020
The German constitutional court ruled against the European Central Bank’s public sector purchase program, launched in 2015. Martin Wolf argues for the Financial Times that the move contributes to EU disintegration: “It is an attack on basic economics, the central bank’s integrity, its independence and the legal order of the EU…. The court “did not argue that the ECB had improperly engaged in...

EU and COVID-19 Economic Crisis: Financial Times

Ben Hall, Martin Arnold and Sam Fleming March 30, 2020
The European Central Bank plans to expand asset purchases by €750 billion over the next nine months, aimed at preventing a profound depression. Such a plan boosted the bond market in Europe, leading to decreased finance costs of EU member governments. Even though the ECB’s monetary interventions can partly alleviate the downward pressure on the economy, deeply divided national leaders focus on...

Central Banks Line Up to Rescue Markets: Asia Times

Umesh Desai March 15, 2020
Financial markets fell sharply during the second week of March, rivaling the 1987 plunge. Central banks try to stabilize economic systems hit by the health crisis of COVID-19. “Expectations of fiscal support measures are rising in addition to the deep rate cuts by various central banks already included in bond prices,” explains Umesh Desai for Asia Times, describing how a new series of liquidity...

Economic Toll of Climate Change: Axios

Courtenay Brown November 12, 2019
Substantial numbers of financiers and politicians are dismiss worries over climate change. Yet, “Top economists say the economic effects of climate change are just starting to be felt – and they're likely to start snowballing,” reports Courtenay Brown for Axios, who goes to explain how increasing wildfires, floods and natural disasters can disrupt the electrical grid, electronic payment and...