South Africa
CITIES IN PERIL: Cities confront the rising tide of climate change
Fast and chaotic urban population growth combined with climate challenges on multiple fronts are putting cities at risk around the world.
COVID is back - a new "NB.1.8.1" strain is spreading across continents
The coronavirus (COVID-19) is back. Reports from health authorities around the world have detected a new highly contagious strain of the virus that has been spreading through Asia and has now reached Russia.
COMMENT: Ranking the top 60 economies’ exposure to US tariffs
US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose a 50% tariff hike on the EU has put the cat amongst the pigeons again. If he follows through then Europe, which is highly dependent on US trade, will be amongst the most damaged economies in the world.
Countdown to disaster: timelines to cross temperature thresholds tabulated
The Climate Crisis is accelerating and all the main players predict that the world will warm by more than the 1.5C Paris Agreement target by next year and the 2C maximum will be broached by 2037 – far earlier than previously forecast.
Sunlight heating effect on earth more than doubles in the last decade
Global warming results from man-made greenhouse gas emissions that have doubled the heating effect from incoming sunlight, which is now more than the heat radiated by earth into space in the last decade, according to a research paper.
Famines kill far fewer people than they used to – OWID
Famines are still a major global problem. From 2020 to 2023 alone, they caused over a million deaths, Our World in Data (OWID) reports.
COMMENT: How Europe can win the digital nomad race
Record levels of immigration are dominating political debate in the world’s wealthiest countries. But there is a latent trend, still bubbling under the surface, which might soon occupy the minds of Western policymakers: emigration.
EVs to account for one in four car sales this year
Global electric vehicle sales are expected to more than triple by 2030, reaching 45mn units annually, driven by expanding markets in China and strengthening policy support in advanced and emerging economies, according to the IEA.
Russia pushes to grow its influence in Africa’s nuclear future
Russia, under sanctions from the West over the war in Ukraine, is using nuclear partnerships to grow its influence in Africa.
The world is getting darker, absorbing more sunlight, which is accelerating the Climate Crisis
The world is getting darker as the ice melts and that means it is absorbing more and more sunlight, which is accelerating the process.
Borsa Istanbul leads world markets in dollar-basis losses
Turkey’s exchange-traded fund down 9.5% in year-to-date. Thai performance second worst at 6.5%.
EBRD2025: African tech is flourishing, but it still has a long way to go
Africa benefits from an incredibly young, tech savvy population; over 60% of the population is under 25 years old and in just Senegal the average age of the population is a mere 19 years old. That makes it a hotbed for tech development.
South Africa must develop its gas industry or face economic regression, says energy minister
South Africa expects a sharp decrease in natural gas supplies to industries in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces as imported gas from Pande and Temane fields in Mozambique runs low.
COMMENT: Trump’s tariff drive hits emerging markets as growth and inflation forecasts slide – Oxford Economics
President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade policies are already casting a long shadow over emerging market economies, with analysts cutting growth forecasts and warning of prolonged investment uncertainty and policy disruption.
Global press freedom indicator slips – Statista
This year's World Press Freedom Index highlights the economic situation of journalists and media organizations being a major risk to press freedom.
Sub-Saharan Africa is home to 16% of the global population but 67% of extreme poverty - OWID
Every twelfth person in the world still lives in extreme poverty. That means surviving on less than $2.15 per day (adjusted for differences in living costs between countries).
BRICS seeks new global alignment at Rio ministerial summit
The expanded BRICS alliance has emerged as a potent diplomatic force at its foreign ministers’ summit in Rio de Janeiro on April 28 ahead of the July meeting.
Global military spending surges to $2.7 trillion – Statista
Global military spending hit $2.7 trillion last year, according to the latest data by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Statista reports.
IMF: Enhancing financial stability for resilience during uncertain times
Capital markets are essential for driving economic activity, providing mechanisms for raising funds and allocating resources efficiently. The stability of these markets and the financial institutions that intermediate them are critical.
IMF: Global debt to exceed pandemic levels soon
Global public debt is set to rise to 95% of GDP this year and will continue to climb in the next years to top 100%, says the IMF.