For centuries, Europeans were the masters of countries in Africa, Asia and the Americas. Countries including Great Britain, Spain, Portugal and France all played their part in colonialism. They split the continent at their whim and exploited copious resou...

Few Americans would pay any attention to such dry data as the monthly statistics for total nonfarm payroll employment. But one certainly does and he’s president Barack Obama. That’s because his re-election will by general agreement depend on how good ...

Just as millions of people will ‘do their bit’  to save energy by switching off their lights during Earth Hour 2012, (March 31, 8.30-9.30 pm local time) the harsh reality for others across the planet will be power blackouts due to energy shortages â€...

When you have a fire raging out of control it seems counterintuitive to try to contain it by setting yet more fire, but fire-fighters know that removing the availability of fuel around its edges will inhibit further growth of the central inferno. Economis...

There is nothing worse than a recession to show companies in the worst light possible. Not only are their balance sheets showing unhealthy returns, but regulators begin circling to uncover corporate wrongdoing. A recent survey shows that companies expect ...

After much political wrangling, US President Barack Obama finally signed into law in October 2011 three separate free trade agreements (FTAs) with South Korea, Colombia and Panama. A signing ceremony announced for the White House Rose Garden was later swi...

Every year the founder of the World Economic Forum, Klaus Schwab, draws up a highly intellectual agenda to focus the minds of the heads of state, Fortune 500 chief executives, billionaires and heads of charities who attend its annual meeting in Davos, hig...

The crisis that has enveloped the world for the last three or so years has resulted in dwindling margins, a lack of alternative investment strategies, and an uncertainty surrounding organisational survival. All of these have resulted in a closer scrutiny ...

So now Venezuela’s President Chavez wants the gold. After twelve years in power, the former paratrooper has decided to repatriate the country’s 211 tonnes of precious metal in what looks like another desperate throw of the dice for arguably South Amer...

Sources and analysts with ties to China’s ruling elite say the political musical chairs among ministers, cabinet officials, agency chiefs and provincial governors is underway and will run its course by early 2013. In the meantime, with officials unsu...