Dilma Rousseff may not be a good president, writes Brian Caplen, but impeaching her will lead to years of uncertainty and bitterness in Brazil.

Germany could not help out Italy and its lenders should the country suffer a similar fate to that of Greece. 

German chancellor Angela Merkel and Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras are happy with a short-term fudge, IMF managing director Christine Lagarde wants a longer term solution. Brian Caplen assesses the dilemma facing the troubled southern European country. 

Out of ideas, out of money, the world's central bankers and governments are now caught in a low inflation rate trap after the failure of quantitative easing. What's more, few are showing an appetite to take the tough decisions to get out of this rut.

Had a bank behaved in the manner in which Apple has recently regarding its refusal to unlock the smartphone of a terrorist, the criticism and fines would have been both swift and sizeable. Brian Caplen argues that tech companies should be as accountable as their financial counterparts when it comes to the war on terrorism.

The global structure of trade and production is changing at a rapid pace, with 3D printing and increasing digitisation at the forefront of this transition. This means that factors such as cheap labour – one of the key elements behind the rise of China, for example – are becoming less and less important, as Brian Caplen describes.

As Donald Trump edges ever closer to winning the Republican nomination for the US presidency, Brian Caplen looks at what a President Trump would mean for the country's banks. And it isn't pretty.

Barclays has a rich history in Africa, which makes its recent announcement of a retreat from the continent all the more surprising. While new CEO Jes Staley has been diplomatic in explaining the reasons behind this exit, the topic of over-zealous regulation dragging down global banks is again coming under the spotlight. 

As the UK announces a June referendum on the country's EU membership, banks based in the City of London are looking on nervously. Brian Caplen assesses at the potential impact of a Brexit on the Square Mile.

The current volatility in markets stems from the policies brought in in the immediate aftermath of the financial crisis. These have now served their purpose, says Brian Caplen, and it is the time for the banking world to move on, unencumbered by red tape, QE and low interest rates, much as it could before 2009.