Reflectii

The chart of the week shows how surging energy costs have boosted inflation, especially in Europe, after fossil-fuel prices nearly doubled in the past year. Rising food prices have also helped to boost inflation.

Meanwhile, continuing supply chain disruptions, clogged ports, logistics strains and strong demand for merchandise have broadened these price pressures, especially in the United States. Higher imported goods prices have contributed to inflation in some regions, including Latin America and the Caribbean.

Strategic bottlenecks in US domestic and foreign policy over the last decade sounded the alarm about an imminent world order change in Obama and Trump’s Presidency. The AUKUS Pact seems to be the way out of Washington and London’s strategic impasse of the post-World War II order which should begin the process of paving the way for the emergence of a new Protestant White Anglo-Saxon Order (WASP).

The Biden administration has signaled how it will use its power to designate different groups as terrorists as part of its foreign policy efforts.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken took the Colombian rebel group the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as the FARC, off the U.S. Foreign Terrorist Organizations list at the end of 2021.

I know the importance of this decision because I worked on adding and deleting groups and individuals on multiple lists, including the Foreign Terrorist Organizations.

After the disappointments of 2021, can Venezuela’s government and opposition get negotiations back on track in the year ahead?

Venezuela enters 2022 with persistent challenges but also some tangible opportunities. Left behind are the unrealistic aspirations of the immediate exodus of Chavismo — leaving room for the incremental development of democratic co-existence. But for any positive change to occur, the Maduro government and democratic opposition will need to return to the negotiating table, where they have established a platform for coordination and progress on issues such as restoring democratic institutions, humanitarian relief and, ultimately, elections. The international community, especially the United States, will be a key player and should not fall into a pattern of inertia. In the Venezuela of 2022, small efforts can make a real difference in the lives of ordinary citizens.

The continuing global recovery faces multiple challenges as the pandemic enters its third year. The rapid spread of the Omicron variant has led to renewed mobility restrictions in many countries and increased labor shortages. Supply disruptions still weigh on activity and are contributing to higher inflation, adding to pressures from strong demand and elevated food and energy prices. Moreover, record debt and rising inflation constrain the ability of many countries to address renewed disruptions.

The current crisis of spiraling gas prices in Europe, coupled with a cold snap in the region, highlights the fact that the transition to green energy in any part of the world is not going to be easy. The high gas prices in Europe also bring to the forefront the complexity involved in transitioning to clean energy sources: that energy is not simply about choosing the right technology, and that transitioning to green energy has economic and geopolitical dimensions that need to be taken into consideration as well.

Households of Czech seniors are highly vulnerable to current electricity and heating prices spikes. Up to 60% of them are at risk, and around 40% already suffer from energy poverty. However, the current situation related to high gas prices is not the only factor contributing to this negative trend.

De sute de ani, medieval e ditamai vorba de ocară. Numa și numa atribute negative gravitează în jurul acestei idei. De regulă, cînd zicem medieval, ne gîndim la o atitudine irațională, primitivă, de stagnare ori de decădere, atît morală cît și materială.

In October 2021, we reported that Bitcoin had breached its $64,900 April ceiling, surging past $65,000. The world’s largest digital currency had jumped by 3%, to an initial high of $66,024.99, outclassing the earlier mid-April record. However, things are no longer looking so great for cryptocurrency.

Semi-autonomous and remotely controlled weapons systems are established military tools, and several armed forces are experimenting with quadrupedal robots to carry equipment. But should we be concerned about efforts to arm doglike robots with lethal weapons? Norbert Neumann explores the current state of quadrupedal systems and their capabilities.