Efraim Chalamish

Milestones | New Zealand
In June, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand lowered its key cash interest rate a quarter of a percentage point to 3.25%, the first time the central bank has cut rates cut since 2011, citing a combination of deflationary pressure, plunging commodity prices and a slowdown in key export markets like China.

United States | Verizon, one of the largest wireless providers in the United States, announced on May 12 that it will acquire AOL, a leading Internet pioneer and Web content provider, for $4.4 billion.

Newsmakers | Israel
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s success among center-right political parties, which saw him recently elected for a fourth term, may have provided a stable political platform, but international pressure and recent social unrest could see the country change economic direction.

Global Salon
Global Finance sat down with José Gerardo Morales, Chief Investment Officer of Mirae Asset Global Investments (USA), to discuss challenges and opportunities in emerging markets, and the state of geopolitical risk in 2015.

Trends | US Dollar/Mergers & Acquisitions
The US dollar has climbed some 25% since June to its highest level in the past 12 years, which could have a significant impact on one of America’s biggest economic drivers: foreign direct investment.

Management | Foreign Direct Investment
FDI volumes are declining globally, as some national governments take a stronger stance against foreign ownership of their companies and land.
 

China | Milestones
The Chinese government has followed the US and Western European model by providing deposit insurance for private savers in the Chinese banking system.

Venture Capital | Trends
Start-up companies and innovators in the Arab World have suffered from underinvestment and lack of technology infrastructure in recent years.

It is easy to dismiss the Yukos case as a temporary political and legal hurdle. But clearly the reality is more complex.

NEWSMAKERS: SOUTH AFRICA
Zuma fights back despite public dissatisfaction with his presidency.
 

The People’s Bank of China and the African Development Bank agreed last week to establish a $2 billion co-financing fund.

Recent economic reforms in Mexico and upgrades by rating agencies have strengthened Mexico’s position in global markets. The country’s economic performance is improving as well.

When president Obama shared with the American public his policy vision for the next year in his State of the Union address, it was a unique opportunity to educate the nation on its international trade challenges, including the current trade ...

Global energy markets are attending closely to recent natural gas discoveries in the eastern Mediterranean and their implications for the availability and pricing of energy resources.

A welcome sign (Photo: Aaron Pruzaniec) The Great Recession, along with a changing global economic landscape, has led leaders in the US to reassess the country’s relationships with foreign markets and companies. The rethink is laudable—but means nothing if not ...

MILESTONES | GLOBAL
World Bank Group president Jim Yong Kim announced the launch of a Global Infrastructure Facility during the World Bank–IMF fall meeting in Washington, DC, in October.