Europe

Economics

The European Central Bank's governing council left interest rates unchanged but confirmed previous statements that its bond-buying program, commonly known as quantitative easing, would end in the third quarter, Reuters reported April 14.

Europe: ECB Confirms Third-quarter End of Quantitative Easing

The Fate of the Eurozone

Banking

United States

Russia

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The United States prepared new sanctions on Russia in coordination with the Group of Seven nations and the European Union, and the sanctions will go into effect on April 6, Reuters reported April 5.

U.S.: New Sanctions on Russia's Sberbank and Alfa Bank

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

The U.S. Treasury Department will bar the Russian government from using its dollar reserves in U.S. banks to make debt payments, the AP reported April 5.

Russia, U.S.: Washington to Bar Moscow From Using U.S. Accounts to Make Debt Payments

Japan

Military & Security

A Japanese Awakening

Japan's Tokyo District Public Prosecutor’s Office is set to file charges against SMBC Nikko Securities for market manipulation, Nikkei Asia reported March 22.

Japan: SMBC Nikko Securities to be Charged With Market Manipulation

Security

The European Central Bank (ECB) left interest rates unchanged at zero but announced that it will wind down its asset-purchasing program faster than originally planned, The Guardian reported March 10.

EU: ECB Slows Quantitative Easing Program Faster Than Anticipated

Sri Lanka

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka set the exchange rate limit of rupees at 230 per dollar, which enabled the currency to devalue on March 7, Reuters reported March 8.

Sri Lanka: Central Bank Devalues Currency to Bolster Remittances

S&P Global slashed Russia's credit rating for the second time since the start of its war with Ukraine, as the rating agency argued that recent capital controls are increasingly likely to cause a default, Reuters reported March 4.

Russia: Credit Rating Falls Further Into Junk Rating at Unprecedented Pace

Ukraine

The Fight for Russia’s Borderlands

Instability in Central Asia

Russia paid a 6.5% coupon due on a ruble-denominated OFZ bond maturing in 2024, but the Central Bank of Russia's March 1 ban on coupon payments to foreign holders of OFZ government bonds appears to be blocking foreign investors from accessing their share of the payments, Bloomberg reported March 2.

Russia: Central Bank Bans Coupon Payments to Foreign Holders of OFZ Bonds

The Ukraine Conflict

A world without banks was once impossible to imagine. As recently as 2007 banks were more powerful than they had ever been. But the 2008 financial crisis proved just how dangerous that power could be. Less then a decade later, new fines and regulations have severely curbed the influence of the world’s biggest banks. Low interest rates, meanwhile, have cut into banks’ profits even as advancements in digital currencies have threatened to disrupt the traditional banking model. Put simply, banks will soon play a much smaller role in the global economy.

The 2008 financial crisis proved just how dangerous banks' power could be.

United Kingdom

Beyond Quantitative Easing

Brexit

North America Unrivaled

Globalization

European Disintegration

Media

Podcasts

Environment, Science & Technology

In this RANE Insights podcast, founder David Lawrence speaks to Lisa Shalett, former Goldman Sachs partner, adviser to start-ups, board director, founder and brand-builder about building a collaborative culture of compliance. 

RANE Insights: Elements of a Successful Compliance Program, Part One

Assessments

Sweden

Sweden's central bank, the Riksbank, is expected to raise its main policy rate to zero on Dec. 19, bucking a global trend in a limited way.

Sweden's central bank is set to end its five-year experiment with below-zero rates. The world's major central banks, uncertain how to return monetary policy to "normal," will be watching the results closely.

Coming Back Through the Looking Glass of Negative Interest Rates

Brazil

India

Unlike Bitcoin, Facebook's new Libra currency sacrifices decentralization and anonymity for functionality -- a necessary sacrifice for the coin's success as a global cryptocurrency.

Cyber

The success of the Libra -- and potentially the entire cryptocurrency market -- will hinge on its creator's ability to convince regulators that it's more trustworthy than Facebook and more stable than Bitcoin.

For Facebook’s Cryptocurrency, the Well May Already Be Poisoned

Iran

When President Hassan Rouhani assumed office, he began a campaign of reform to address some of Iran's longstanding economic problems. But an oil price collapse, political opposition and the renewal of U.S. sanctions has prevented many of the reforms from taking hold.

Broken Contracts in the Middle East

Decades of deferred action on needed reforms have left the Islamic republic susceptible to financial crisis – and U.S. sanctions are bearing down.

Iran's Frail Banking Sector Poses a Threat From Within

Iran's Arc of Influence

Snapshots

Saudi Arabia

The EU has outlined the most stringent standards yet to combat money laundering and the funding of extremism, and the U.S. is none too happy.

EU: Brussels Incites Washington's Ire With Strict Anti-Terrorism Financing Standards

The Saudi Survival Strategy

Reflections

China

Germany

Italy

Managing Director Christine Lagarde delivers the International Monetary Fund's outlook for a slowing global economy in 2019.

China in Transition

The world's top three economies are showing signs of declining growth. While the risk of a crisis is low, the consequences of even a slight slowdown would reverberate globally.

Why a Global Economic Downshift, No Matter How Small, Matters

Greece

Greece has come a long way since the worst of its economic crisis, but it's not out of the woods yet.

Greece has survived the worst of its economic tempest, but it will have to face more than a few storms in 2019.

For Greece, Clouds Linger on the Horizon

Columns

On Geopolitics

North Korea

The United States is doing all it can to turn the screws on Iran's economy, leaving the rest of the world to consider what, if anything, it can do in response.

Coping With a Nuclear North Korea

The Trump administration has broadened the scope of economic sanctions like no other U.S. administration in history, and the rest of the world can do little about it -- for now.

The U.S. Supersizes Its Sanctions

France

To what extent could Europe disrupt the international system? 

U.S. President Donald Trump's no-holds-barred approach to trade and sanctions has persuaded European leaders to redouble their efforts to stake out autonomy for the Continent.

In Europe, a Growing Push To Escape the Shadow of the U.S.

Divided EU Foreign Policies

Venezuela

Estonia

A worker passes a bitcoin mining operation in Quebec in March 2018. Following the boom and (partial) bust of private cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin over the last six months, several central banks are seriously considering introducing their own national digital currencies.

The 4th Industrial Revolution

Central banks the world over are taking a long, hard look at the exploding cryptocurrency market with an eye to rolling out new types of digital money that would have far-reaching ramifications.

Why Central Banks Could Mint Their Own Digital Currency

The United States is a much more resilient animal than was the British Empire, and will be harder to dislodge from its pole position anytime soon.

Washington is rolling out tax measures that come just in time to help the United States benefit from changes in the global economy.

How Tax Reform Will Net the U.S. Big Returns

Marshall Islands

By creating its own virtual money, the small country hopes to reduce its economy's reliance on the dollar.

Banking

SITUATION REPORTS

Europe: ECB Confirms Third-quarter End of Quantitative Easing

U.S.: New Sanctions on Russia's Sberbank and Alfa Bank

Russia, U.S.: Washington to Bar Moscow From Using U.S. Accounts to Make Debt Payments

Japan: SMBC Nikko Securities to be Charged With Market Manipulation

EU: ECB Slows Quantitative Easing Program Faster Than Anticipated

Sri Lanka: Central Bank Devalues Currency to Bolster Remittances

Russia: Credit Rating Falls Further Into Junk Rating at Unprecedented Pace

Russia: Central Bank Bans Coupon Payments to Foreign Holders of OFZ Bonds

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