You are at: Home > News and Analysis > Page 2 > Page 3 of 83 Posted: 27-31 Jul 09 Verdict's delay suggests junta's indecision on Suu Kyi: A Myanmar court's decision today to postpone its verdict on pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi suggests the ruling military junta is still pondering how to deal w/ her sensitive case, a cause celebre for the intl community, analysts say, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (courtesy M&C), 31 Jul 09 Fund works to plug data gaps exposed by crisis: The IMF & the Financial Stability Board are working together to help identify the info gaps exposed by the global crisis & to come up w/ appropriate responses. The 2 orgs called a conference w/ central banks & fin- ance ministries to discuss ways to plug the gaps, IMF Survey Mag, 29 Jul 09 (Principal Global Indicators site for G20) Building up Jerusalem's economy: One of the world's great historic cities & a crucible for Jewish, Muslim & Christian religions is now looking to market itself to the world. Working with Harvard prof Michael Porter, Jerusalem's new mayor is developing a strategy to boost its struggling economy, Boston Globe, 27 Mar 09 (Harv Gazette--Helping Jerusalem develop its 'competitive advantages' | TCI Network--Innovative tourism initiative unites 3 religions) What next in Iran's post-election turmoil?-Q&A: More cracks have emerged among Iran's conservatives w/ renewed opposition clamor over a disputed 12 June election. Both sides are mauling hardline Pres Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the eve of his second term. Here are some questions & answers on what direction the political storm might take, Reuters, 29 Jul 09 Paul Samuelson: Happy economic recovery vs an anemic one --The number-one question preoccupying economists, policy agents of govt and Main Street families is this: Will 'recovery' from the current US financial meltdown arrive before the end of '09? Or, failing that, will it at least arrive early in '10?, says Nobel laureate '70, Tribune Media Svcs (courtesy iHaveNet), Jul '09 Suu Kyi named ambassador of conscience: Imprisoned Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was today named Amnesty Intl's Ambassador of Conscience. U2, who have used their world tour to spotlight calls for her release, will formally make the an- nouncement tonight at a Dublin concert, Irish News, 27 Jul 09 (News release | Ambassador of Conscience award) Posted: 20-24 Jul 09 Allan Meltzer: Close down the World Bank--The World Bank has been marginal at best and a bust all along at worst, says fmr chair of the Intl Financial Institution Advisory Commission set up by Congress, which was in existence in 1999-2000; and Katherine Marshall: Mend the World Bank, don't end it -- The World Bank is the fittest, most experienced institution we have to address the problems of development, replies Georgetown U senior fellow, Amer Interest Mag, Jan-Feb '09 IMF plans to inject $250B into world economy: The IMF's Exec Board on Mon backed an allocation of Special Drawing Rights, or SDRs - an IMF reserve asset - equiv. to $250B to provide liquidity to the world economy by supplementing its 186 member nations' forex reserves. Nearly $100B will go to developing nations, of which low-income nations will receive over $18B. The proposal will now go to the Board of Governors for final approval, IMF Survey Mag, 20 Jul 09 (Q&A SDR allocation | SDR allocations to individual member nations); and Bretton Woods 65th anniversary: The Bretton Woods (BW) con- ference, formally the UN Monetary & Financial Conf, was a gath- ering of delegates from 44 Allied nations at the Mt Washington Ho- tel in BW, New Hampshire, 1-22 Jul 44, during WW2 to make fin- ancial arrangements for the postwar world. As a result, the 'BW in- stitutions' were set up (World Bank, IMF & World Trade Org's precursor), as well as the 'BW system' of fixed exchange rates which remained in place until the early '70s, WB-IMF Archives, Jul '08 (60th anniversary) St. Louis Fed launches enhanced online Financial Crisis timeline: In an effort to increase the level of understanding of issues related to the ongoing financ crisis, the St. Louis Fed has launched an en- hanced version of the Financial Crisis Web site. This version of the timeline adds additional features and functions to what is the most extensive in the Federal Reserve system, St. Louis Fed, Jul '09 (updated); and Congress leadership announces appointments to Financial Crisis In- quiry Commission: Congressional leaders named the 10 members of the commission set up to examine the domestic & global causes of the financ crisis. The House Speaker & Senate Majority Leader each appointed 3 members, while House & Senate minority leaders each appointed 2. The comm will provide its findings in a final re- port to Congress by Dec '10, US Congress, 15 Jul 09 Arias bows out as mediator in Honduran crisis: After a series of mediation sessions with delegations of both sides of the conflict, Costa Rican Pres Arias decided to leave the problem in the hands of the Hondurans. He told the reporters Wed night, 'I completed my work � And if it's not accepted, my recommendation is that they look for other forums.' Before stepping aisde, he left a docu- ment on the table, which he called the 'San Jose Agreement', w/ a 12-step peace accord that would return Honduras to normalcy, Ti- co Times/Costa Rica, 24 Jul 09 S Haggard & M Noland: What to do about N Korea-Will sanctions work?: An unintended consequence of the nuclear crisis has been to push N Korea into closer econ relations w/ China, Iran, Syria & Egypt, which show little interest in cooperating with intl efforts to pressure N Korea, say UC-San Diego economist & Inst senior fel- low, Oriental Economist/US (courtesy Peterson Inst), 3 Jul 09 Howard Davies: Finance agonistes--Why was the past 20-year ex- perience so unusual for the financial sector, with returns so much higher than at any time in the last century? The straightforward an- swer seems to be leverage. Banks geared up dramatically, in a race to generate higher returns. One study describes this as resorting to the roulette wheel. Perhaps that analogy is rather insulting to those who play roulette, says UK Financ Svcs Auth found. chair and fmr Bank of Engl. dep gov, Proj Syndicate (courtesy Khaleej Times/ UAE), 22 Jul 09 The world's 20 cheapest cities -- Where the dollar rules: If you wanted to visit or work in another city or nation, which would you pick - the one that was the most or least expensive? A recent sur- vey aimed at corporations can be useful also for cost-conscious travelers . The least expensive? Johannesburg/S Africa, followed by Monterrey/Mexico, Asuncion/Paraguay, Karachi/Pakistan and Wellington/New Zealand, Business Week, 17 Jul 04; and New worldwide cost of living survey puts Johannesburg as cheap- est: The S African city has replaced Asunci�n in Paraguay as the world's least expensive city for expats due to the sharp fall of the S African rand vs the US dollar. Tokyo is the most expensive, acc to the survey, followed by Osaka, Moscow, Geneva and Hong Kong. The annual survey covers 143 cities across 6 continents and meas- ures the comparative cost of over 200 items in each location, Mer- cer, 7 Jul 09 Seth Jones: Mullah sprung from Gitmo jail now leads foe in Af- ghan campaign--The face of the Taliban may not be new (as in the case of an ex-Gitmo detainee), but defeating the Taliban and other insurgent groups requires taking advantage of their vulnerabilities and better understanding of Afghan local politics, says veteran Af- ghanistan expert, New York Post (courtesy Rand), 5 Jul 09 (In the Graveyard of Empires | Finish the job in Afghanistan) Anil Kashyap: A sound funeral plan can prolong a bank's life--Buried w/in the Obama admin proposal to overhaul financial regu- lation is an overlooked option called a 'rapid resolution plan'. It mandates that systematically important financ cos. be required to file a 'funeral plan', a set of instructions on how it could be quickly dismantled should the need arise, says U Chicago economist, Fin- ancial Times (courtesy U Chic), 29 Jun 09 (Put out the fire before fixing the sprinkler) [pdf] Coffee/tea room: Mandela Day concert--Nelson Mandela Day isn't on any official calendars at this point in time, but the organizers of this year's concert in honor of the nonagenarian civil rights giant are working overtime to ensure that state of affairs changes soon, Variety, 19 Jul 09 (Witness--Stars come out in NY for Madiba) Posted: 13-17 Jul 09 N Ismail & C Ungerer: Jemaah Islamiah jihadis still plot terrorism --JI is not the group that it once was. Many of its leaders are in jail or under supervision, but it could be making a comeback. The re- cent release of fmr JI members, incl some who reject police efforts to rehabilitate them, might now re-energize the group towards vio- lent attacks, though that possibility remains low, say Jakarta Intl Inst Peacebuild exec dir & Aust Strat Pol Inst proj dir, Australian, 17 Jul 09 (JI, A renewed struggle? | The evolving terrorist threat in SEAsia) Paul Collier: Development in dangerous places -- If richer states provide security, the poorest can finally grow. The world's poorest nations have diverged from the rest of mankind. They will never tap their vast reservoir of frustrated human potential unless the intl community provides basic public goods that go beyond the typical aid agenda, says Oxford economist; and William Easterly: The burden of proof should be on intervention- ists--If being a professional skeptic means putting a large burden of proof on those who want to invade poor nations, run poor people's societies for them, and deny poor people their own democratic rights, I plead twice guilty, says NYU economist, Boston Review, Jul-Aug '09 (Comments by S Krasner, L Diamond, E Miguel, M McGovern, N Birdsall, and Collier's reply) Boardroom: Business looks in mirror & winces--U Toronto's man- agement faculty selected Harvard's Michael Porter, a leading biz theorist, as the recipient of its honorary doctorate. But before con- ferring the degree, the dean put him to work on the topic of 'Tack- ling wicked problems' - complex, multi-faceted challenges that defy both logic and conventional mgmt theories. The 1st problem on the list: Restoring the credibility of biz, Toronto Star, 17 Jun 09 Todd Moss: Will oil spoil Ghana? -- Pres Obama's visit to Ghana shines the spotlight on a US ally that has been a model of political & economic success in Africa. But there are potential storm clouds on the horizon: prospectors have discovered oil off Ghana's coast & production is set to begin next year. Ctr senior fellow explains why this could be more bust than boon, Ctr Global Dev, 6 Jul 09 From our archive: Resistance and remembrance--Inhuman traffic: On 25 Mar 1807, Britain abolished the Slave Trade, in which an est. 3 mln people from Africa were enslaved and transported to its colonies, Unesco (Triangular trade and UN resolution | British Mu- seum); and 'No question' Ivy League univ founded by money from slave trade, says panel: 'We cannot change the past, but an institution can hold itself accountable,' AP (via DiversityInc), 18 Oct 06 (Brown Univ pres. and full report | Yale Daily | Dartmouth) China's economic growth accelerates amid stimulus: The nation's growth accelerated in the 2nd-qtr amid a stimulus-fueled surge in consumer spending & factory output, putting the govt's 8% target for �09 within reach. The world's 3rd-largest economy expanded in the qtr by 7.9% year-on-year, up from 6.1% in the 1st qtr. Many analysts expect China to be the 1st major nation to emerge from the worst global downturn since the '30s, AP (courtesy Khaleej Times/UAE), 16 Jul 09 Remittance flows to developing nations to decline by 7.3% in '09, Bank predicts: The predicted decline in remittances this year is far smaller than that for private capital flows to developing nations. Acc to the Bank, remittances are relatively resilient because, while new migration flows have declined, the no. of migrants living over- seas has been relatively unaffected by the crisis, World Bank, 13 Jul 09 (Remittances brief) Global crisis dominates developing world summit: More than 50 heads of state from the developing world are gathering today in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt to discuss the impact of the global econo- mic crisis on their nations. Founded in '55 during the Cold War & now w/ 118 member states, the Non-Aligned Movement sought to distance itself from both the Western & Soviet blocs, but today its raison d'etre is questioned after the latter's collapse, Ag. France-Presse (courtesy Jakarta Globe), 15 Jul 09 (Summit Web site) Singapore GDP boosts hopes of Asian 2nd-qtr revival: Singapore's gross domestic product rose by 20.4% quarter-on-quarter, the fast- est rate in nearly 6 years & after 4 qtrs of contraction. Since it's the 1st in Asia to report 2nd-qtr data, this is raising hopes Asia will lead a broader global recovery in the 2nd half of '09. But analysts warn that doubts remain over the rebound's sustainability since demand in major export markets is still weak, Reuters (courtesy Nanyang 100/Spore), 14 Jul 09 Bob Shiller didn't kill the housing market: He just predicted its de- mise. Now, 2 years into the housing bust, he finally sees some faint rays of sunshine (that's just light, not green shoots yet), Fortune, 7 Jul 09 Keep doors open to migrant workers to meet long-term labor needs, report says: The economic crisis is likely to cause the first major fall in the no. of migrants coming to work in OECD nations since the '80s, acc to the latest Intl Migration Outlook. The effects of the crisis coupled with more restrictive govt policies are behind the decline, OECD, 30 Jun 09 (Policy brief--Intl migration: Chart- ing a course through the crisis [pdf]) Posted: 6-10 Jul 09 UN expert puts forward measures to regulate 'land grabbing': The UN special rapporteur on the right to food has identified the prac- tice of intl investors buying or leasing large amounts of farmland in developing nations as one of the new trends to emerge out of last year's global food crisis which needs to be addressed, UN News, 11 Jun 09 (Bridges Trade Weekly--NGOs cry foul over rich-nation 'land grab' in developing world | Intl Food Policy Res Inst--'Land grabbing' by foreign investors in dev nations | Intl Inst Sustain Dev --A thirst for distant lands) Is the World Bank biting off more than it can chew?--Does Robert McNamara really help to reduce the gap between rich and poor nations if he pushes the Bank into overreaching?, Forbes Classic, 6 Jul 09 (Bank pays tribute to McNamara in '06 | UC-Berkeley--Lessons learned from 'Fog of War' | Sony Pictures--Fog of War) Robert Skidelsky: The world finance crisis and the American mis- sion--Fixing Global Finance, by Martin Wolf: The true roots of the current econ crisis lie in the privileging of the US dollar as the chief reserve currency during the Cold War - an arrangement that al- lowed the US to pursue an imperial mission that was greatly to the satisfaction of its partners and allies, but also led to huge macro- economic imbalances. Until the US renounces this mission, it may be impossible to end them, says Keynes's biographer, New York Rev of Books, 16 Jul 09 (Johns Hopkins U Pr) Crisis facing Africa can be turned into an opportunity: A panel of world leaders states that clear-sighted African leadership and intl partnership are needed to contain the crisis and to pioneer a new development model. Panelists Kofi Annan, Gra�a Machel and Lin- ah Mohohlo launched the annual report on behalf of the group, Africa Progress Panel, 10 Jun 09 Key climate meeting looms at G8: G8 industrial nations' leaders are set to meet emerging nation leaders to try to push through a new deal on climate change. The G8 said Wed it had agreed new targets for limiting global warming, but reporters say emerging na- tions appear reluctant to sign up and tough negotiations lie ahead. The summit's 2nd day has begun, including in its discussions the so-called G5 (Brazil, China, India, Mexico and S Africa), w/ Egypt a special invitee, BBC News, 9 Jul 09 (G8 summit in L'Aquila, Italy) Recession loosens grip but weak recovery ahead: The global econ- omy is beginning to pull out of a recession unprecedented in the post-WW2 era, but stabilization is uneven and the recovery is ex- pected to be sluggish, acc to the World Economc Outlook Update released 8 July. A separate Market Update (to the Global Financial Stability Report) says that financial conditions have improved, as forceful policy intervention has reduced the risk of systemic col- lapse. But vulnerabilities remain and complacency must be avoid- ed, IMF Survey Mag, 8 Jul 09 East Asian economies top the Enabling Trade Index: Singapore & Hong Kong are the top 2 in a new trade ranking, followed by Swit- zerland, Denmark & Sweden, acc to the Global Enabling Trade Report. Canada, Norway, Finland, Austria & the Netherlands com- plete the top 10. First published in '08, the revised index covers 121 economies. Harvard's Robert Lawrence is academic adviser & co-editor, World Economic Forum, 7 Jul 09 (Rankings [pdf]) Yudhoyono set for outright victory in Indonesia poll: The incum- bent Indonesian pres is set to win a 2nd-term with a clear majority in today's election, avoiding a Sept 2nd-round run-off, acc to pro- jections by pollsters. Quick counts of early voting conducted by 3 survey institutions all showed him leading with around 60% of the vote, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (courtesy M&C), 8 Jul 09 Jeffrey Sachs: Where are the global problem solvers?-- One odd & disturbing aspect of global politics today is the confusion bet. nego- tiations & problem-solving. In the talks toward a global agreement on climate change, each nation asks itself, 'How do I do the least & get the other nations to do the most?,' when they should be asking instead, 'How do we cooperate to achieve our shared goals at mini- mum cost & maximum benefit?,' says Columbia U Earth Inst dir, Proj Syndicate (courtesy Mmegi/Botswana), 22 Jun 09 Research network launches 'Global Trade Alert' vs protectionism: The Web site provides real-time info on state measures taken dur- ing the current global downturn that are likely to affect foreign commerce. It goes beyond other monitoring initiatives by identify- ing the trading partners likely to be harmed by these measures. Launched in London on 8 Jun, the next launch meetings are 10 Jul in Brussels and 10 Aug in Beijing, Ctr Econ Policy Res, 9 Jun 09 New research ranks 65 cities in Emerging Markets Index: The study provides insights into the 65 leading cities driving growth in more than 30 emerging markets. The index, which looks at 8 di- mensions of cities, was developed by a panel of 9 external experts. China leads the ranking, w/ Shanghai & Beijing as the top 2, fol- lowed by Budapest, Kuala Lumpur & Santiago. S Africa has more cities on the list outside of the BRICs, Worldwide Centers of Com- merce, 22 Oct 08 [pdf] Paul Samuelson: Why no one can guess when Main St. recovery will occur--In the '30s, Pres Kennedy's father made 2 fortunes bet- ting that stocks would keep falling & unemployment would keep rising. By contrast, the leading US economist, Irving Fisher, after marrying a fortune & earning a 2nd one by inventing a visual filing system, ended up losing no less than 3 fortunes. The story of these 2 opposites shows how & why economics can never be an exact science, says Nobel laureate '70, Tribune Media Svcs (courtesy iHaveNet), May '09 Zelaya, allies plan Honduras return after plane turned away: Man- uel Zelaya, the deposed Honduran pres, flew to El Salvador to plan his return with allied presidents after the acting govt prevented his plane from landing & several of his supporters were shot at a rally. He met with leaders of Argentina, Ecuador, Paraguay & Org Amer States to regroup & make another attempt to return. Earlier, govts in the region condemned the coup,voting 33-0 to suspend founding member Honduras from the OAS, Bloomberg, 6 Jul 09 Posted: 29 Jun-3 Jul 09 Marcus Noland: Pyongyang ratchets up the tension--From North Korea's standpoint, it has paid virtually no price for multiple missile and nuclear tests in defiance of the UN. US, Japan, S Korea, and others may well begin to take action outside the UN framework, says Inst senior fellow, National/UAE, 28 May 09 (Asia Survey, Jan '09--Twilight of the god? [pdf, courtesy Peterson Inst]) Geography of offshoring is shifting, study says: While India, China and Malaysia retain the top 3 spots in the latest Global Services Location Index, a ranking of the 50 most attractive offshoring des- tinations, a fundamental shift has taken place as once strong Cen- tral European nations have yielded ground to nations in Asia, Mid- east and North Africa, AT Kearney, 18 May 09 UN chief to lobby Myanmar for Suu Kyi's release: The UN sec-gen says he would lobby Myanmar's junta chief directly today for the release of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, ac- knowledging that his mission will be 'very difficult'. Shortly after his arrival in Myanmar, the court presiding over her widely criti- cized trial announced an adjournment until 10 July. The trial had been due to resume today after a monthlong delay, AP (courtesy China Post/Taiwan), 3 Jul 09 Barry Eichengreen: Can Asia free itself from the IMF?--There has never been a question about the real aim of the Chiang Mai Initia- tive, the system of Asian financial supports created in 2000 in that Thai city. That aim is to create an Asian Monetary Fund, ie, a re- gional alternative to the IMF, whose tender ministrations during the '97-'98 financ crisis have not been forgotten or forgiven, says UC-Berkeley economist, Proj Syndicate (courtesy Gulf Times/ Qatar), 26 Jun 09 Fund launches 'Fourth Pillar' site for civil society input into IMF governance reform: The IMF has developed a Web site where civil society orgs (CSO) can submit materials and offer feedback. But it is not part of the IMF site. The admin of this site is a CSO; IMF and the CSO admin will have admin rights, but the CSO ad- min will be the sole content editor, New Rules for Global Finance, 26 Jun 09 (IMF invites civil society) Financial consulting firms release World Wealth Report: With the econ downturn in �08, the world's no. of millionaires was down 15%, acc to a new report.China�s no. of millionaires surpassed that of the UK, to become the 4th largest after US, Germany & Japan. Hong Kong�s millionaire pop. shrank the most, down 61%, Merrill Lynch/Capgemini, 24 Jun 09 [pdf] Fund releases Failed States Index: The study, which has been done yearly since '05, is focused on providing snapshots of state vulnerability or risk of violence during a window in time. 12 social, economic and political indicators of state vulnerability are used covering 177 states for '09, Fund for Peace/US, 22 Jun 09 (FAQ) UN financial summit '1st step' on new path towards solidarity, Gen Assembly pres says: The UN summit on the global crisis has end- ed w/ the approval of an outcome document that represents the 1st step in a long process, says the Assembly pres. The Assembly - the 'G-192'- has now been established as the forum for the discussion of world financ/econ issues. When pointed out that the US said in its statement that the UN was not the proper forum, he said he had not been deterred, since 'this is about building for the future,' UN News, 26 Jun 09 (Conf outcome | Proposals adopted by consen- sus) Book value: John Ikenberry -- What's wrong with the United Na- tions and how to fix it, by Thomas Weiss: In this engaging and sweeping critique of the United Nations, Bunche Inst Intl Studies director argues that the global body has never been more troubled - nor more needed, Foreign Affairs, Mar-Apr '09 (Book site) Ahmadinejad's trip to African Union summit cancelled: Iran's pres has cancelled a visit to Libya scheduled for today, the pres.'s office said w/o giving a reason for the decision.He had been invited to ad- dress an African Union summit that is being held there.The cancel- lation comes on the heels of the pres election, of which he was de- clared winner amid opposition charges of fraud, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (courtesy Earth Times), 1 Jul 09 UK's BP, Chinese oil firm win Iraq deals: UK's energy giant BP & China's CNPC Intl Ltd were unveiled today as the 1st foreign firms in decades to win contracts to invest/develop in Iraq's war-battered energy sector.The cos. succeeded in their bid for the giant Rumaila oil field, w/ known reserves of 17.7B barrels. The contract is the 1st to be awarded in open tendering for 6 major oil fields & 2 gas fields, Ag. France-Presse (courtesy Zawya/UAE), 30 Jun 09 Bank releases Worldwide Governance Indicators: The 8th release of the WGI highlights the serious challenges that remain for rich & poor nations alike, & draws attention to the link bet. better govern- ance & improved development results. It measures 6 dimensions: voice & accountability; polit. stability & absence of violence; govt effectiveness; regulatory quality; rule of law; & control of corrupt- ion.The indicators cover 212 territories, drawing together hundreds of variables from 35 sources, World Bank, 29 Jun 09 (Web site) Honduras isolated over Zelaya ouster: The Obama admin called for Zelaya's return to office as legitimate pres of Honduras, placing itself in the same camp as a group of leftist govts that are at logger- heads with the US. The Org. of Amer States demanded the ousted pres.'s immediate return,saying no other govt would be recognized. An impoverished coffee, textile and banana exporter with a pop. of 7m, the nation had been politically stable since the end of military rule in the early '80s, Reuters (courtesy WO[hio]S[tate]U[niv]), 29 Jun 09 A systemic regulator for financial markets: Financ regulations in almost all nations are designed to ensure the soundness of individ- ual firms, mainly comm. banks, vs the risk of loss on their assets. This focus on individual firms ignores critical interactions bet. insti- tutions. But the solution to this narrow institutional focus is simple, says a nonpartisan group of 15 financ economists who first got to- gether Nov '08 in New Hampshire to help guide financ reform, Squam Lake Working Group-US Coun.Foreign Relations, May '09 << Previous Home Next >> Copyright (c) 2001-2009 Leonardo L. Sta. Romana All rights reserved. |
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