Guest Columns
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Getty/Carsten Koall/picture alliance
How Germany is managing its coronavirus epidemic, and reacting with disdain to Trump’s policies
A recent work visit to Germany, where I grew up, stretched from one week to three. Those weeks coincided with the spread of the coronavirus in Germany as well as across Europe. Read more
1 Apr 2020
EPA/ Salvatore Di Nolfi
Coronavirus: what philosopher Immanuel Kant can teach us about panic buying and isolation dodging
The coronavirus crisis has forced us to look at our behaviour in a way that we’re not used to. We are being asked to act in the collective good rather than our individual preservation and interest. Even for those of us with the best of intentions... Read more
28 Mar 2020
sirtravelalot/Shutterstock
Four ways the coronavirus pandemic could now unfold
The COVID-19 pandemic has already caused several thousand deaths, widespread health problems, massive anxiety and economic losses. Most people are concerned with what happens day by day as we wait for control measures to work. Read more
26 Mar 2020
Miniature by Pierart dou Tielt
What can the Black Death tell us about the global economic consequences of a pandemic?
Concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus have translated into an economic slowdown. Stock markets have taken a hit: the UK’s FTSE 100 has seen its worst days of trading for many years and so have the Dow Jones and S&P in the US. Money has... Read more
4 Mar 2020
Armando Babani/EPA
E-scooters – cities should embrace them
Large ungainly versions of the childhood microscooter have started to populate cities around the world. These electric scooters can be seen dotting streets, parks, pavements all over. Many people own them individually, and hire schemes in some... Read more
18 Feb 2020
PA/Gareth Fuller
Brexit: here’s what happens next
Anyone imagining that the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union on January 31 might mean things will go quiet on the Brexit front, they are likely to be disappointed. It looks like 2020 will be just as packed as the past three rollercoaster years. Read more
3 Feb 2020
BF.direkt AG
Red tape in Berlin is becoming more and more absurd – what kind of influence does Berlin politics have on the federal government?
The rent ceiling remains a hotly disputed topic, although finding someone who thinks the cap will stick around for long is quite a difficult task. Even Berlin Senator Katrin Lompscher, from the leftwing party Die Linke, is advising tenants not to... Read more
24 Jan 2020
ivankmit
Who’s afraid of liquidity?
No investor likes to leave their money lying around for long. Large cash holdings reduce total returns and can even cost money because of negative interest rates. This leads to investment targets being missed, much to the chagrin... Read more
20 Dec 2019
Wit Olszewski
More than 1,000 cryptocurrencies have already failed – here’s what will affect successes in future
Many cryptocurrencies have been launched in the past few years, often to great fanfare and celebration, only to fade and fail as the public and investors shun them. According to Coinopsy, which tracks such failures, there are some 1,085 dead coins... Read more
22 Nov 2019
Hanohiki/Shutterstock.
In Berlin, hyper-gentrification has proved just how fast conflict-torn cities can change
Modern day Kreuzberg is one of Berlin’s most trendy and multicultural neighbourhoods. Its central location, dynamic mix of cafes, shops and nightlife, alongside residential streets and lucrative river views all fuse to embody a vibrant urban... Read more
15 Nov 2019
