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Here are 6 big ideas to help the environment

By: EBR | Friday, June 8, 2018

On World Environment Day 2018, it’s time to inject some hope and inspiration into the mix

Social and emotional, or so-called “soft skills”: these include advanced communication and negotiation, empathy, the ability to learn continuously, to manage others and to be adaptable. Business development, programming, emergency response and counselling require these skills.

The 3 key skill sets for the workers of 2030

By: EBR | Friday, June 8, 2018

Humanity has always endeavoured to speed up manual tasks. From the first use of animal bones as tools to the creation of the factory production line, we have always wanted to make things better, faster and cheaper

So far, the tariff war has been just that: a tariff war, limited to the use of import duties on goods. Soon, though, the US is expected to release details of how it plans to restrict Chinese investment in US companies where it deems it a threat to national security. Meanwhile, the Chinese government could make things difficult for US companies operating in China – by imposing regulatory burdens or encouraging consumer boycotts. It could choose to block mergers, such as the one proposed between the US firm Qualcomm and Dutch firm NPX. The EU could consider retaliating against US banking and insurance companies and taxing digital services, hurting US tech companies.

Trade wars won’t fix globalization. Here’s why

By: EBR | Thursday, June 7, 2018

The Trump Administration’s announcement in February of new steel and aluminium tariffs on national security grounds, including on imports from allies like the EU, have set the stage for escalating trade tensions

The internet age in which we already live prefigures some of the questions and issues that AI will only make more acute. The Enlightenment sought to submit traditional verities to a liberated, analytic human reason. The internet’s purpose is to ratify knowledge through the accumulation and manipulation of ever expanding data. Human cognition loses its personal character. Individuals turn into data, and data become regnant.

How the enlightenment ends

By: EBR | Monday, June 4, 2018

Philosophically, intellectually—in every way—human society is unprepared for the rise of artificial intelligence.

“These are the human faces behind the politics and fighting. They show that this war is not just about bombs and politics but about human suffering. It is about the victims, each of whom have a name, a face and a story to tell.”

International community told “not to forget” civilians caught up in bitter Ukraine conflict

By: EBR | Monday, June 4, 2018

Ukraine’s biggest charitable foundation is spearheading efforts to bring relief to the thousands of innocent civilians caught up in the country’s bloody conflict in Donbass

Value has gone from being a category at the core of economic theory, tied to the dynamics of production (the division of labour, changing costs of production), to a subjective category tied to the ‘preferences’ of economic agents. Many ills, such as stagnant real wages, are interpreted in terms of the ‘choices’ that particular agents in the system make, for example unemployment is seen as related to the choice that workers make between working and leisure.

Capitalism's greatest weakness? It confuses price with value

By: EBR | Friday, June 1, 2018

The global financial crisis, which began in 2008 and whose repercussions will continue to echo round the world for years to come, has triggered myriad criticisms of the modern capitalist system: it is too ‘speculative’

So what makes the happiest communities different from all the rest? Aside from fewer people, the authors found that the happiest communities had shorter commute times and less expensive housing, and that a smaller share of the population was foreign-born. They also found that people in the happiest communities are less transient than in the least happy communities, that they are more likely to attend church and that they are significantly more likely to feel a “sense of belonging” in their communities.

Living in a small town could be the key to happiness

By: EBR | Friday, June 1, 2018

Heaven is wide open spaces — at least, it is for most people, according to a massive new data set of happiness in Canada

Since 5 March 2009 (more than nine years ago), when interest rates were lowered to 0.5 percent in the U.K., we have not seen much action despite all the talk and promises of higher interest rates. And inaction of interest rates has come mostly as a surprise as projections on interest rates were always much higher than what was later delivered by the central bank (see image below).

No End in Sight for the “New Normal” in Monetary Policy

By: EBR | Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Getting out of a low inflation environment is proving much harder than what we thought

The group, which includes WRAP, the Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment (INCPEN) and Defra’s Advisory Committee on Packaging (ACP), published its list of agreed recommendations last week, including the call for an introduction of a universal list telling brands what is and what is not deemed recyclable. According to the group, this would allow packaging to be labelled “more clearly and consistently” for the benefit of consumers.

Packaging industry calls for policy reform to boost plastics recycling

By: EBR | Tuesday, May 22, 2018

A host of UK packaging organisations have called for more recycling collection points, tax reliefs for recycled content and a universal list of acceptable materials as part of a desired regulation reform to make it easier for consumers to recycle packaging waste

With key responsibilities such as leading the College of Commissioners; setting, together with the College, the European Union's policy agenda; and representing the EU abroad, the candidate must have previous experience as prime minister or other high-ranking minister with a strategic vision and a strong command of English and preferably other languages. These are the unwritten pre-requisites to be a contender in the so-called Spitzenkandidaten process.

Who wants to be the next President?

By: EBR | Tuesday, May 22, 2018

With one year to go before the 2019 European elections, the race to become the next EU Commission President is on

If everybody in the world consumed as much as the average person in the average high-income country, we would need 3.8 Earths to sustain us. By contrast, if everyone consumed as much as the average person in the rest of the world, we would sit right at the level of sustainability, with a little breathing room.

The great challenge of the 21st century is learning to consume less: this is how we can do it

By: EBR | Friday, May 18, 2018

Ecological collapse is hard to miss in the headlines. From deforestation to soil depletion, species extinction to climate change, the past few years have brought countless troubling reports

Increased regional cooperation on trade, infrastructure and the digital agenda holds significant potential for the Western Balkans. For example, on trade, Western Balkan countries could raise their degree of openness as measured by the share of exports in GDP, from less than 40% to at least 80%, as in other small transition economies in Europe.

3 priorities for the future of the Western Balkans

By: EBR | Thursday, May 17, 2018

As Europe is confronted by different visions about its future, the question remains how these different visions will affect the developments in the Western Balkans. The Balkans remain fragile, and the external pressures and internal divisions could deliver fresh instability in the region

China’s far-reaching Belt and Road initiative to create mega connectivity corridors on land and by sea, including from China to Europe, is made viable with Chinese financing and development of big ticket infrastructure projects in wider Europe’s key strategic transport and energy sectors.

China, the Western Balkans and the EU: Can three tango?

By: EBR | Thursday, May 17, 2018

With China pouring loans into the Western Balkans, the EU must step in to ensure this money benefits the region

The authors say that many of the refugees they interviewed complained about other issues such as difficulties in having their educational qualifications recognised by national authorities. Another challenge cited in the report concerns a lack of awareness among government agencies working with refugees and asylum seekers of organisations which can exploit refugees’ needs and vulnerabilities.

Report recommends "better scrutiny" of publicly-funded NGOs working with refugees

By: EBR | Thursday, May 17, 2018

A new report calls for better scrutiny of publicly-funded NGOs working with refugees

Much could happen in the next twelve months to derail Barnier's Commission chances. As his British interlocutors might put it, taking advantage of his increasingly fluent English, 'there's many a slip twixt the cup and lip'. The intervening period could, however, be put to good use if Barnier were take advantage of his own newsworthiness to promote discussion of reform ideas.

It's not too early for Barnier to throw his hat in the ring

By: EBR | Tuesday, May 15, 2018

This week's column takes up the cudgels by looking at who the next president of the European Commission might be

It is often assumed that countries with majoritarian electoral systems like those in the United States or the United Kingdom are more resilient than countries with PR systems. After all, America and Britain’s democracies are older, with more deeply entrenched cultures of political civility.

10 lessons from 1930s Germany for democracies today

By: EBR | Friday, May 11, 2018

Since the establishment of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949, Germans have looked back anxiously to the collapse of the Weimar Republic in the early 1930s and the rise of Nazism

Total technology investment is set to reach $2.4 trillion by 2020. By then, investment in the Internet of Things -- which brings everything from coffee makers to oil rig drills online -- will become the most favoured investment by far.

Six charts that show how to get the most out of digital investment

By: EBR | Friday, May 11, 2018

Huge investment is going into digital technology. Some fear this won't boost productivity as much as the steam engine, the assembly line, or the computer did in previous waves of technical change

Many of us face decisions on how to best spend our time. It is not always as drastic as a change of career or job, but still very important with regards to how we feel and how much we learn, or other aspects of our professional lives. For example, when you are self-employed, your clients can make a big difference.

Three factors for happiness at work

By: EBR | Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Consider these questions before you embark on a career

Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Iran deal drew comparisons with his move last June to pull out from the Paris climate agreement. Similarly, the European reaction to continue with the Paris deal bears resemblance with the vow to forge ahead with the Iran deal.

Trump slaps Europe in the face with Iran deal pull-out

By: EBR | Wednesday, May 9, 2018

In the aftermath of Donald Trump’s announcement to withdraw from a landmark deal curbing Iran’s nuclear programme, the leaders of Britain, France and Germany who signed the agreement published a joint statement saying they will continue to stick by it

Addressing at the event at ”The House of Cyprus” in Athens, under the title ”The Cypriot foreign policy: thoughts and reflections” Christodoulides spoke thoroughly about the initiatives the government intends to undertake in the foreign policy sector and about the reforms which should be immediately adopted.

Christodoulides outlines Cyprus foreign policy pillars at Athens Lecture

By: EBR | Friday, May 4, 2018

Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides outlined, on Wednesday 2 May, the main pillars of the country’s foreign policy as it has been formed after the presidential elections in the country last February, and Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades' re-election

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EU Actually

An as usual divided EU is looking for a more assertive China strategy

N. Peter KramerBy: N. Peter Kramer

In his weekly column, N. Peter Kramer writes about the laborious efforts of the EU member states to find a more assertive China strategy.

Europe

EU hails Hungary’s ’wind of change’ and unlocks €16.4bn for new PM Magyar

EU hails Hungary’s ’wind of change’ and unlocks €16.4bn for new PM Magyar

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has told Hungary’s new prime minister that billions of euros in EU funding are to be unlocked subject to his government pushing through a raft of "long-overdue reforms".

Business

Hotpot, bubble tea and sportswear: China’s new exports take on the world

Hotpot, bubble tea and sportswear: China’s new exports take on the world

Step into pretty much any shopping mall in Singapore and you’re likely to find queues snaking outside shops with catchy names and bright-coloured branding.

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