You are at: Home > News/Analysis, Page 9 ('08) | Previous | Next Posted: 14-18 Apr 08 The silent tsunami: Food prices are causing misery and strife around the world. Radical solutions are needed, Economist, 17 Apr 08 Ian Bremmer: Take a big chance on us, say Africa's markets--Zim- babwe's elections appear to confirm a truism: Africa only seems to make intl headlines when disasters strike--a drought, a genocide, or a grossly incompetent govt, says Eurasia Grp pres, Proj Synd (cour- tesy New Straits Times/Msia), 16 Apr 08 (IMF--Reg.Econ Outlook) Financial Markets Cmte calls for fundamental reform of fin. markets: There is a widespread view among private market participants that outlook for fin. markets remains uncertain, & they estimate that the time for markets to recover would take 12-18 mos., OECD, 15 Apr 08 (More info [pdf] | IMF--Fin. turmoil's policy lessons) Kimberly Elliott: Yank the subsidies on biofuels--US & Europe have responded to rising oil prices, Mideast instability, and climate change by promoting biofuels. But these are now getting much of blame for soaring food prices, says Ctr senior fellow, Ctr Glob Dev, 14 Apr 08 Pain for a staple of Mexico: Corn prices pull everything higher, Chicago Tribune, 13 Apr 08 (Yakima Herald--Wheat market on a wild ride) Forum recommends actions to enhance market & institutional resili- ence: The findings in a report presented to G7 fin. ministers & cen- tral bank heads are the product of a collaborative effort of main intl bodies & natl authorities in key financial centers, Financial Stability Forum, 12 Apr 08 Poorest countries' cereal bill continues to soar, govts try to limit im- pact: The cereal import bill of world's poorest nations is forecast to rise by 56%. Intl cereal prices continued to rise sharply over the past 2 mos. due to steady demand and depleted world reserves, Food & Agric Org, 11 Apr 08 (Graphic-Rising prices of staple grains [scroll]) Food price surge could mean '7 lost years' in poverty fight, Zoellick says: While many are worrying about filling their gas tanks, many others around the world are struggling to fill their stomachs, acc to Bank pres, World Bank, 11 Apr 08 (Rising food prices--Policy optiions) The quest for rules: Having a concept named after you is as much a mark of honor in economics as it is in other sciences. By this stand- ard, Stanford's John Taylor ('Taylor rule') is among the most hon- ored macroeconomists of his generation, Fin.& Devel, Mar-May '08 Nook & cranny: Joel Waldfogel--Master of the island: Which country is the best colonizer?, asks U Pennsylvania economist, Slate Magazine, 19 Oct 06 Posted: 7-11 Apr 08 Rice forum examines key policy issues: Increasing rice productivity is the only long-term solution that can provide high returns to farm- ers while keeping the price of rice low for consumers, Intl Rice Res Inst, Apr-Jun '08 [pdf] Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland lead the rankings in networked readiness: The latest Global Information Technology Report puts the 3 nations on top, followed by US and Singapore, World Economic Forum-INSEAD, 9 Apr 08 Flight of the black swan: Nassim Taleb's '07 best-seller on improb- able events (whose title describes a bird once thought not to exist, until it was found in Australia in 17th cen.) looks prescient to a Wall Street battered by subprime, Bloomberg Markets, May '08 IMF predicts slower world growth amid serious market crisis: World growth will slow to 3.7% in '08--0.5% lower than forecast in Jan, with US & other industrial economies leading the slowdown. Emerg- ing markets, while not insulated, are likely to weather storm better, acc to latest World Economic Outlook, IMF Survey, 9 Apr 08 Progress toward nutrition, health, education, and other development goals off track: Climate change, high food and oil prices complicate prospects, acc to latest Global Monitoring Report, World Bank-IMF, 8 Apr 08 Era of cheap rice is ending: The makings of market strain are all over: Exporting nations ration sales to satisfy home demand and to curb inflation; farmers hold on to stocks for raised bids; shopkeepers hoard supplies to extract a premium from consumers, who in turn buy more than they need to, Straits Times/Spore (courtesy China Daily), 8 Apr 08 Credit crisis is broadening, IMF warns: The credit deterioration is spreading to other mortgage & corporate debt markets, acc to lastest Global Financial Stability Report. But emerging markets have so far been relatively insulated from the effects, IMF Survey, 8 Apr 08 A Vines & E Sidiropolous: 'Quiet' India could offer lessons to Africa-This week's summit is a modest effort compared with Beijing's Afr jamboree in Nov '06: 14 Afr heads of state & heads of all 8 regional groups, acc to Chatham Hse prog head & S Afr Inst Intl Aff dir, all- Africa, 7 Apr 08 (India-Africa Summit) Joachim von Braun: Rising food prices--What should be done?: In the short run, developing-nation govts should expand safety net pro- grams (like food or income transfers and nutrition programs focused on early childhood) for poorest, writes Inst dir-gen, IFPRI, Apr '08 On markets and complexity: Today's financial crisis is often blamed on a system so complex as to be beyond the comprehension of even its practitioners. We asked Nobel laureate Robert Merton what he thinks of complexity - and whether he thinks markets have too much of it, MIT Technology Review, 2 Apr 08 Competitive Alternatives survey shows Mexico with lowest intl biz costs: The survey, covering 136 cities in 10 nations in N America, Europe, Japan & Australia, shows 5 Mexican cities & San Juan (Puerto Rico) with lowest biz costs. Mexico is the only emerging market in survey, KPMG, 27 Mar 08 [pdf] (Exec sum | Webcast) Andrew Fischer: Reaping Tibet's whirlwind--The mechanisms by which Beijing has been attempting to resolve the 'Tibet Question' through rapid growth has been reinforcing underlying polit. & social tensions due to marginalization of Tibetans, writes LSE economist, Far Eastern Econ Rev, Mar '08 (State Growth and Social Exclusion) Seven questions-What Tibetans want: Columbia U Tibet expert Rob- ert Barnett explains why the most significant action is taking place outside Lhasa & what we can expect the Chinese to do next, Foreign Policy, Mar '08 (Streets with Memories | NPR--Tibet's economy | New rail link) What global price rises mean for food aid: Soaring food prices mean that the world's poorest people will be forced to buy less food or buy cheaper, less nutritious food, resulting in more hunger & less chance of a healthy future, World Food Program, 20 Mar 08 Robert Frank: Income & happiness--An imperfect link: While every- one concedes income is an imperfect measure of well-being, conser- vatives tend to emphasize its virtues while liberals are more likely to stress its shortcomings, says Cornell economist, NYT (free registr reqd), 9 Mar 08 Posted: 31 Mar-4 Apr 08 UK promises new Zimbabwe president �1 bln: UK is working on an unprecedented �1 bln annual intl emergency aid package to rescue the ruined economy. But it would be contingent on a new democrat- ic govt coming to power, Mail & Guardian/S Africa, 4 Apr 08 Long-term, flexible climate policies can cut mitigation costs: An analytic chapter in the World Economic Outlook just out examines the macroeconomic and financial consequences of policies aimed at mitigating climate change, IMF Survey, 3 Apr 08 Lawrence Lindsey: The KISS rule for markets--Just about every politician is demanding an overhaul of financial regulation. But they should remember - keep it simple, and don't foreclose alternatives, says fmr Fed Board member & CEA chair, Wall Street J, 2 Apr 08 Developing Asia to post solid growth in '08 even as major industrial economies slow down: A new report forecasts 7.6% growth, but warns that the risk of an inflation spiral is palpable, AsDB, 2 Apr 08 (World Bank--East Asia & Pacific Update) What goes down must come up -- Global food prices reach new heights: Prices are surging for food commodities worldwide, posing a tough policy challenge for developing nations. Can they protect poor consumers without squelching new opportunities for farmers?, Intl Food Policy Res Inst, Mar '08 Forum discusses current challenges in financial markets: Fin. institu- tions should continue enhancing their disclosures of risk exposures & refining valuation judgements concerning poorly performing assets, acc to senior fin. authorities, Financial Stability Forum, 29 Mar 08 Zimbabwe's inflation rate at 200,000%: The largest currency note - 10 mln dollars - can't buy more than a couple of sodas. Foreign cur- rency runs the economy now, mainly US dollar and S African rand traded on the black market, Miami Herald, 27 Mar 08 (World Bank | UN OCHA) Fighting food inflation in Eastern Europe: Moves are needed now to unlock unused agricultural potential in the region, EBRD, 14 Mar 08 (Conference with FAO | Region & financial turbulence) Study finds cos. adopting China as both growth market & manufac- turing hub are more profitable than others: The era of China as low-cost, manufacturing-for-export base has come to an end, says study by consulting firm and AmCham/Shanghai, Booz Allen Hamilton, 4 Mar 08 Ernesto Zedillo: Carbon prices, not quotas--Govts will have to grap- ple with tough choices under any global emissions reduction strategy, says Yale Globalization Ctr dir., Forbes, 17 Mar 08 Emission impossible?--Putting a price on carbon: Lawmakers are considering laws to control carbon emission through cap-and-trade systems in which govts set emission limits but let firms buy and sell emission rights. Economists tend to prefer emission taxes, which im- pose a levy on fossil fuels based on carbon content, Fed Minneapo- lis, Dec '07 Tricks of the trade: In Asia, the question of whether of not to liber- alize rice trade is a vexing one. If liberalization is to occur at all, it needs to happen gradually & with an understanding of how people -esp the poor - will be affected, Intl Rice Res Inst, Jul-Sep '06 [pdf] Posted: 24-28 Mar 08 Cynics snigger, but Sydney is all set to dim lights at Earth Hour: It's easy to poke fun at a 60-min pause this Sat night when Aust.'s big- gest city and more than 24 cites worldwide are to dim a little. But backers are honest about it being a symbolic gesture, News agencies (courtesy Econ Times/India), 28 Mar 08 (Earth Hour) Asia stability threatened as rice dwindles: World rice supplies are reaching dangerously tight levels as stores of Asia's staple food fall to 25-year lows & govts strive to stabilize domestic markets, London Times, 25 Mar 08 (Monday Morning/Leb.--Soaring cost) Somalia crisis deteriorates, aid agencies warn: Somali and intl aid agencies are unable to respond adequately to the needs, says a joint statement of 39 NGOs, as UN Security Council members meet to discuss crisis, World Vision, 25 Mar 08 Major donors failing Afghanistan due to $10 bln aid shortfall: .Forty percent of aid spending returns to rich nations in corporate profits & consultant costs, acc.to a report from Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief of 94 aid groups, Oxfam, 25 Mar 08 (ACBAR mem-bers) Leonardo Sta. Romana: From 9/11 to Bali to 11-M to 7/7 to...--We started our very first tutorial exercise of what was to become this site on 5 Sep 01. Six days later came 9/11 and the rest, as they say, is history, says its proprietor-publisher, 24 Mar 08 Coping with food price increases in sub-Saharan Africa: The increase in food prices in the region & elsewhere reflects a mixture of tempo- rary and longer-term factors, which will have adverse effects on the poor, IMF Survey, 20 Mar 08 Alan Blinder: The Fed can't do it alone--Psychology has now over- whelmed economics. What started as a serious problem in a little-known corner of the US mortgage market has blossomed into a worldwide financial panic, acc to fmr Fed vice-chair, WashPost (free registr reqd), 18 Mar 08 Martin Feldstein: EU must accept dollar weakness--Europe needs to take steps to stimulate domestic demand to replace the loss of sales and jobs that will otherwise accompany the more competitive dollar. But this is not an easy task, says fmr CEA chair, Project Syndicate (courtesy Taipei Times), 17 Mar 08 China to overtake US by 2025, but Vietnam may be fastest growing emerging market: A new report looks for the first time at 13 more emerging economies that also have the potential to grow significantly faster than industrial nations, PwC, 4 Mar 08 Carmen Reinhart: Monetary policy & state of US economy--Across nations & over the centuries, econ crises of all types follow a similar pattern, says fmr IMF Res Dept No.2, Testimony - House Fin Svcs Cmte, 24 Feb 08 (And Rogoff: Is US subprime fin. crisis so differ- ent?--Summary | Paper [courtesy Harvard]) [pdf] Graft paper: One of the most exciting young economists looks into the econ consequences of tyrannicide, the damaging effects of televi- sion on social cohesion, & the byzantine system of bribery in Indo- nesia, by M Moynihan, American, Jan/Feb '08 A model prophet: Nobel laureate Robert Merton's influence on fi- nance is profound. A profile of the Long-Term Capital Mgmt co-founder and chief science officer of a boutique investment firm, by N Patel, Risk (courtesy Harvard), Jul '07 [pdf] Nook & cranny: Tibetans--Moving forward, holding on: Although today China considers the Dalai Lama to be a troublesome and dis- ruptive figure, there was a time when it saw him as the key to the union of the two nations, National Geographic, Apr '02 Posted: 17-19 Mar 08 J Stiglitz & L Bilmes: The $3 trillion war--After wildly lowballing the cost of the Iraq conflict at a mere $50-60 bln, the administration has been concealing the full economic toll. In an excerpt from their new book, Nobel laureate & budget expert calculate the grim bottom line, Vanity Fair, Apr '08 ; Tunku Varadarajan: A war appraisal too vast to swallow-The book's authors assert knowledge not merely of the cost of the Iraq war but its "true" cost. Of the war's "value", they utter barely a peep, says NYU prof, FT(courtesy Columbia), 3 Mar 08 [pdf] (Bilmes/Stiglitz's reply); and S Davis, K Murphy & R Topel: War in Iraq vs containment--The argument of the Iraq intervention's high cost is deficient because it ignores costs of alternative responses to natl security & humanitarian concerns presented by pre-war Iraqi regime, say U Chicago econo- mists, Amer Enterprise Inst, 21 Feb 06 New technology triggers battle for information from Tibet: Blogs, chatrooms & mobile phones help info about protests to stream out faster, but China is also harnessing tech, as well as fear, to stem the flow, Ag. France-Presse (courtesy ChNewsAsia/Spore), 18 Mar 08 (EuroNews--Tibet's struggle) Paul Krugman: The B word--As the unthinkable becomes the inevit- able, what will the feds do to ensure that they aren't also bailing out the people who got us into this mess?, asks Princeton economist, NYT (via IHTrib), 17 Mar 08 Jeffrey Sachs: Common wealth--One of 10 ideas that are changing the world: The defining challenge of the 21st century will be to face the reality that humanity shares a common fate on a crowded planet, acc to Columbia's Earth Inst dir., Time, 14 Mar 08 Monitoring Iraq oil money: Concerned about the lack of transpar- ency & accountability in Iraq's oil industry, the UN Security Council established the Intl Advisory and Monitoring Board in '03 to oversee the industry, IMF Survey, 10 Mar 08 Nancy Birdsall: Forbes billionaire list, inequality, & intl fin. institu- tions--The Forbes list is a powerful sign of how fast the world is changing in 2 worrying respects: growing inequality in the world, and failure of intl fin institutions to adjust to the increased importance of emerging markets, says Ctr pres, Ctr Global Devel, 7 Mar 08 Resilient emerging markets attract record private capital flows: A new report estimates rise of over $200 bln to $780 bln in '07 & fore- casts flows to remain strong, but with moderation to $730 bln in '08, Inst Intl Finance, 6 Mar 08 (Capital Flows to Emerging Markets) << Previous Home Next >> Copyright (c) 2001-2009 Leonardo L. 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