International

Inflation does not originate only from domestic demand or wage pressures. Open economies routinely absorb price pressures originating overseas. Imported inflation occurs when increases in the prices of goods and services from other countries, or shifts in exchange rates and global supply conditions, transmit into domestic prices. Understanding the channels, conditions, and policy implications helps businesses, policymakers, and households manage exposure and respond effectively.Main channels of imported inflationExchange rate pass-through: When the domestic currency depreciates, imported goods become costlier, and retailers, manufacturers, and service providers that rely on foreign inputs frequently shift these elevated expenses to consumers, pushing overall inflation…

The public discourse equates energy storage with lithium-ion batteries, and for good reason: batteries have enabled rapid advances in grid flexibility, electric vehicles, and distributed energy systems. Yet a comprehensive energy transition requires a broad portfolio of storage technologies. Different storage forms deliver varied durations, scales, costs, environmental footprints, and grid services. Treating storage as a single-technology problem risks technical mismatches, economic inefficiencies, and missed opportunities for resilience.What “storage” must deliverEnergy storage is not a single function. Systems are valued for:Duration: milliseconds to seconds (frequency control), minutes to hours (peak shifting), days to seasons (seasonal balancing).Power vs energy capacity: high…

A high-level leadership transition within Israel’s intelligence community is unfolding amid ongoing tensions with Iran. Early expectations about the conflict’s outcome have not materialized, raising questions about strategy, decision-making, and the future direction of regional security policies.A substantial shift is unfolding across Israel’s intelligence network even as the nation remains deeply immersed in its prolonged, intricate standoff with Iran. Central to this evolution is the imminent installation of Roman Gofman as the new director of Mossad, Israel’s foreign intelligence service. His entry follows weeks of persistent hostilities that have failed to produce the rapid political change some officials once expected.…

Global supply chains are larger and more connected than ever, yet they regularly feel brittle. Disruptions that once would have been localized now ripple across continents. That fragility is not just a series of bad events; it is the product of structural choices, changing risk landscapes, and incentives that prioritize cost efficiency over redundancy. Understanding why requires looking at concrete disruptions, systemic drivers, and the realistic trade-offs firms and governments face when trying to harden supply lines.Prominent upheavals that revealed vulnerable pointsCOVID-19 pandemic: Factory shutdowns, labor shortages, and demand swings in 2020–2022 caused shortages across medical supplies, electronics, and consumer…

Debt stands as a potent fiscal limitation, and when nations, institutions, or households shoulder substantial debt loads, their capacity to deploy resources swiftly and effectively in the face of pandemics, climate-related catastrophes, refugee surges, or financial upheavals becomes severely weakened; operating through several channels that include shrinking fiscal room, elevating borrowing costs, imposing austerity via conditional measures, and triggering coordination breakdowns among creditors, debt amplifies these pressures during crises, transforming localized strain into extended global fragility.How debt restricts crisis response capabilities: the underlying mechanismsLoss of fiscal space: Heavy debt service commitments, including interest and principal, siphon government income away from…

Sustainability has moved from niche to mainstream. That shift has spawned both genuine corporate transformation and clever marketing that paints ordinary business as environmentally responsible. Distinguishing authentic sustainability from “green marketing” — often called greenwashing — is essential for consumers, investors, procurement professionals, and regulators. This article gives practical criteria, examples, data-driven checks, and action steps to separate credible claims from spin.How genuine green marketing differs from greenwashingGreen marketing is any communication that suggests an environmental benefit. Greenwashing occurs when those communications mislead about the scale, relevance, or veracity of the benefit.Common forms:Vague or undefined language: Terms like “eco,” “green,”…

Artificial intelligence has moved far beyond a specialized technical niche, becoming a central strategic force that reshapes economic influence, national defense, corporate competitiveness, and societal trajectories. Entities and countries that command cutting‑edge models, immense datasets, and concentrated computing power acquire disproportionate sway. In the AI age, existing advantages in talent, financial resources, and manufacturing are magnified, while new drivers emerge, including the scale of models, the breadth of data ecosystems, and the stance adopted in regulation.Financial implications and overall market sizeAI is a major growth engine. Estimates vary by methodology, but leading forecasts place the potential global economic impact in…

Algorithmic systems increasingly shape or sway decisions in criminal justice, recruitment, healthcare, finance, social media, and public-sector services, and when these tools embed or magnify social bias, they cease to be mere technical glitches and turn into public policy threats that influence civil rights, economic mobility, public confidence, and democratic oversight; this article details how such bias emerges, presents data-backed evidence of its real-world consequences, and describes the policy mechanisms required to address these risks at scale.What is algorithmic bias and how it arisesAlgorithmic bias describes consistent, recurring flaws in automated decision‑making that lead to inequitable outcomes for specific individuals…

Vulnerable countries—those with limited capacity to absorb climate shocks, high exposure to sea-level rise, drought, floods or heat, and constrained fiscal space—require large and sustained financing to adapt and to transition to low-carbon development. Financing for climate action in these settings comes from multiple streams, each designed to address different risks, timelines and types of projects. Below is a practical map of how that financing is structured, who provides it, the instruments used, common barriers, and examples of successful approaches.Why financing matters and what it must coverClimate finance in vulnerable countries must cover both adaptation (protecting lives, livelihoods and infrastructure)…

Nuclear power has re-emerged as a central topic in public and policy debates worldwide. Multiple intersecting forces — climate targets, energy security concerns, technological advances, market signals, and shifting public opinion — have combined to bring nuclear energy back into focus. The discussion is no longer purely ideological; it now centers on practical trade-offs and how to achieve deep decarbonization while maintaining reliable electricity supplies.Main factors fueling the resurgence of interestClimate commitments: Governments and corporations pursuing mid-century net-zero goals increasingly require substantial volumes of dependable, low‑carbon power. With its almost negligible operational CO2 emissions, nuclear is positioned to deliver both…