You are at: Home > News and Analysis > Page 2 of 83 Posted: 24-28 Aug 09 US envoy 'in angry Karzai talks': The US special envoy to Afghan- istan has held an 'explosive' meeting w/ Afghan Pres Karzai over the recent election. Richard Holbrooke raised concerns about bal- lot stuffing and fraud by a no. of candidates' teams. The US envoy also said a 2nd-round run-off could make the election more cred- ible. A no. of senior sources have confirmed the details of a meet- ing bet. the 2 held on 21 Aug, the day after the election, BBC News, 27 Aug 09 IMF, Financial Stability Board working together on identifying sys- temic risks: The expanded Financial Stability Forum was recently reestablished as the Financial Stability Board w/ a broadened man- date to promote financ stability, IMF Survey Mag, 6 Aug 09 (FSF reestablished as FSB | Broadens its membership [pdf]) Q&A with U Chicago economist Kevin Murphy: The 1st thing you notice about Murphy is the baseball cap. Amid the soaring intellects of the U Chicago, the cap is disarming - on one of the world's finest economists. As the cap might suggest, he has always focused more on work than reputation. And that work--research on inequal- ity, addiction, unemployment & economic growth--is proof of the power of investing in human capital, from a man who worked full time in a grocery store to put himself through college, The Region (Minneapolis Fed), Jun '09 (U Chic Mag '06--Murphy's law) World remembers 'Lion of the Senate': The longtime Democratic senator from Massachusetts will be mourned on 'every continent', said UK PM Gordon Brown. In SAfrica, Nelson Mandela paid trib- ute to a 'champion of democracy' for supporting the antiapartheid struggle, CSMonitor, 26 Aug 09 (Congress directory bio | Sen- ator's Web site | At Arlington's JFK site) Paul Samuelson: Past stormy weather and what may follow--The latest word from the Fed is that already or soon, the US economy will cease to be falling. Instead, it will stabilize. Once upon a time, when US produced almost half of total global output, it was appro- priate to concentrate mostly on US's role vis-a-vis the rest of the world. Those days are gone forever, says Nobel laureate '70, Trib- une Media Svcs, 17 Aug 09 Bernanke to be reappointed as Fed chairman: Pres Obama will re- appoint Bernanke as Fed chair, admin officials said Mon night, electing to maintain continuity in a time of crisis in the country's most powerful econ policymaking job. The decision, expected to be announced Tue, ends speculation about the fate of the top cen- tral banker. The reappointment requires Senate confirmation, Washington Post, 24 Aug 09 Seminar room: WIPO launches online tool to facilitate access to targeted scientific information -- A new public-private partnership was launched recently which aims to provide industrial property of- fices, univs and research institutes in low income nations w/ free or low cost access to selected online scientific/technical journals, World Intellectual Property Org, 23 Jul 09 (Ed.'s note: There are similar programs in these fields: agriculture | environment | health | social sciences) Testing times for intl tourism: Tourism is being seriously impacted, given the sharp reduction in biz activity, decreasing disposable in- come & associated increased unemployment, esp in key tourism source markets. Acc to the latest available global data (Jun), intl tourism declined by 8% bet. Jan & Apr yr-on-yr.With those results, intl tourism is now forecast to fall by bet. 4-6% in '09, as the pace of decline is expected to ease for the rest of '09, UN World Tour- ism Org, 2 Jul 09 Nouriel Roubini: A phantom recovery?--Where is the US & global economy headed? Today's consensus among economists is that the recession is already over,that the US & global economy will rapidly return to growth, & that there is no risk of a relapse.Unfortunately, this new consensus could be as wrong now as the defenders of the V-shaped scenario were for the past 3 years, says NYU economist, Proj Syndicate (courtesy Business Standard/India), 19 Aug 09 Oslo, Copenhagen, Zurich, Geneva named most expensive cities; wages highest in Switzerland, Denmark, US: An intl comparison of purchasing power in 73 cities around the globe shows Oslo, Zurich, Copenhagen, Geneva, Tokyo & New York as the world's most ex- pensive cities based on a standardized basket of 122 goods and ser- vices. The basket costs the least in Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Delhi and Mumbai.The study is done every 3 yrs & is based on data col- lected bet. Mar & Apr, UBS/Switz., 19 Aug 09 (More info) Posted: 17-21 Aug 09 Central bankers to mull crisis lessons at retreat: The Kansas City Fed Reserve's yearly conference at a mountain retreat in Jackson Hole, Wyo. will draw central bankers & top economists at a time when the global crisis appears to be easing. It will be a showcase for Fed chair Bernanke to reflect on the lessons learned & assess whether signs of recovery are lasting, Reuters (courtesy KU[niv] A[rkansas]R), 19 Aug 09 (Jackson Hole symposium '09 | Bernan- ke's opening remarks) Karzai, Abdullah both claim supremacy: The 2 top contenders to be Afghanistan's pres are both claiming they have won the election in the 1st round, & will not need a run-off. The campaign chief for the incumbent Pres Karzai, who is favoured to win, says initial re- sults show that Karzai has an outright majority. The election com- mission will announce the official results, expected to be in at least 2 weeks, EuroNews, 21 Aug 09 Olivier Blanchard: Sustaining a global recovery--Since the world is not in a run-of-the mill recession, the turnaround will not be simple. The crisis has left deep scars, which will affect both supply and demand for many years to come, says IMF chief economist, Fin- ance & Development, Sep-Nov '09 Editorial: Sen.Webb's mission--Hostage diplomacy succeeds again, in Myanmar: Sen.Webb has rendered his nation, & one of its citi- zens, a great service through a trip to Myanmar.His successful visit may be a hopeful sign of opening steps in a new US effort to estab- lish dialogue w/ Myanmar on other, broader topics, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 19 Aug 09 Pro-democracy camp to Sen. Webb: What success?--The highpoint of Webb's visit was the success of securing the release of a US citi- zen on humanitarian grounds. The Nobel Peace laureate Suu Kyi was not as fortunate, Inter Press Service, 19 Aug 09 IMF governors formally approve $250B 'general' SDR allocation: The Fund's Board of Gov. has approved a general allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) equiv. to $250B to provide liquid- ity to the world economy by adding to member nations' forex re- serves. It will be made on 28 Aug to all 186 members. Separately, a 'special' one-time allocation of SDR 21.5B will be made to mem- bers on 9 Sep,which will correct for the fact that nations that joined the IMF after '81 - more than 1/5 of current members - have never received an SDR allocation, IMF, 13 Aug 09 (SDR allocations--Q&A | By recepient nation) SKorea mourns Nobel laureate Kim Dae Jung's death: SKorea today mourns the death of its ex-pres & Nobel Peace laureate, who died at 83 after battling pneumonia and 'related complications'. As pres ('98-'03), he was crucial in promoting the nation's "Sunshine Policy" aimed at a detente w/ NKorea. He received the Nobel Prize for his work for democracy, human rights and reconciliation w/ N Korea, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (courtesy Daily Times/India), 18 Aug 09 (Nobel Peace Prize 2000) Joseph Stiglitz: The anatomy of a murder -- Who killed America's economy?: The search is on for whom to blame for the global cri- sis. It is not just a matter of vindictiveness; it is important to know who or what caused the crisis if one is to figure out how to prevent another, or perhaps even to fix this one.And there are many parties to this crime - both people and institutions, says Nobel laureate '01, Critical Review (courtesy Columbia U), Jul' 09 [pdf, extended] Japan limps out of recession: Japan today became the latest major economy to escape from recession, lifting hopes that a fledgling global recovery is taking hold thanks to massive pump-priming ef- forts. The world's 2nd-largest economy rebounded for the 1st time in 5 qtrs, Ag. France-Presse, 17 Aug 09 (Hong Kong emerges from recession) [courtesy CapitalFM/Kenya & ChNewsAsia/Singa- pore] Coffee/tea room: Bethel, NY, event celebrates 40 years since Woodstock -- The concert on 15-18 Aug 69 was an event that helped define the '60s. It drew more than 400,000 people to rural Bethel, providing a psychedelic party for peace & anarchic release for flower children during a time of unrest over the Vietnam War. It has left an indelible mark on not just US, but world history, simi- lar to the moon landing earlier that year, Newsday, 14 Aug 09 (Jamaica Observer--Taking 'stock' at 40 | MyJournalCourier/US--It still rocks the memory bank) Forecasters see improved prospects for growth, but a more sluggish labor market: Upward revisions to the growth rate in real GDP characterize the current US outlook, acc to 34 f'casters in the latest Survey of Professional F'casters, the oldest quarterly survey of macroecon f'casts in US. They project growth at an annual rate of 2.4% this qtr,up from their previous estimate, & they expect steady growth for the next 4 qtrs. But upward revisions to unemployment & downward revisions to job growth accompany the current out- look, Fed Res Bank of Phila., 14 Aug 09 Posted: 10-14 Aug 09 Fed says economy leveling out; rates stay at lows: Fed chair Ber- nanke & his colleagues say the economy appeared to be 'leveling out' - a considerable upgrade from their last meeting in June, when the Fed observed only that the economy's contraction was slowing. The central bank also held interest rates steady at record lows, w/ a closely watched bank lending rate near zero, AP (courtesy Khaleej Times/United Arab Emirates), 13 Aug 09 (Der Spiegel--Economic freefall ends in Germany & France) Regions are the more relevant economic unit than the nation--Q&A with Michael Porter: He is one of the world's most influential think- er on competitiveness. Here, he talks about the processes that will help an emerging market like India in its journey towards becoming more competitive, Outlook Business/India (courtesy Harvard), Oct '08 [pdf] 14 Nobel Laureates: Open letter to UN Security Council on Burma --We are writing to urge you to act now for the people of Burma. Today, we see yet another example of gross injustice committed by the regime. We call on the Council to pass a Resolution creating a Commission of Inquiry into the crimes against humanity in Burma, Nobel Women's Initiative, 11 Aug 09 [pdf] (The Elders--Gross travesty of justice | Harvard Law School report--Crimes in Burma) Burma court finds Suu Kyi guilty: Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been sentenced to 18 more mos. of house arrest by a court in Yangon. She was initially sentenced to 3 yrs in prison w/ hard labor. But the home minister read out a special order from the nation's military ruler that reduced it to 18 mos. of house arrest. The regime's critics say the verdict is designed to prevent her from taking part in the May '10 elections, BBC News, 11 Aug 09 Michael Boskin: Of banks and bailouts--Early signs of a manufac- turing rebound, already strong in Asia, lend hope for some modest recovery from the deep global recession. But a durable econ expan- sion is unlikely until progress is made in dealing w/ the toxic assets poisoning the balance sheets of financial institutions and bedeviling policymakers almost everywhere, says Stanford economist and ex-Coun Econ Adv chair, Proj Syndicate (courtesy Kosovo Times), 23 Jul 09 Jeffrey Frankel: The first 200 days of Obama economics--Obama is like a Houdini who has been thrown in the river in a straitjacket, w/ chains wrapped around him. Or he is like the captain of a ship with a rotting hull, while the ship is under attack in a hurricane. Or perhaps the best metaphor is that he took over as pilot of an air- plane in the middle of a steep dive, says Harvard prof and member of the Natl Bur Econ Res cmte which officially declares recessions, Author's Weblog, 5 Aug 09 Olive Room: The Geneva Conventions at 60--On 12 Aug, the Gen- eva Conventions will turn 60. In '49, states met in Geneva to revise the existing Geneva Conventions & add a 4th one dedicated to the protection of civilians.Even wars have limits. Intl humanitarian law, whose bedrock is the Geneva Conventions, is a set of rules which seek to protect people who are not, or are no longer, participating in the hostilities, & to restrict the means & methods of warfare, Intl Cmte Red Cross, 6 Aug 09 (The essential rules | The core of intl humanitarian law) Notice from the Publisher about Yahoo's decision to close GeoCit- ies: You may have heard from media reports about Yahoo's recent decision to close GeoCities, which, as it happens, is the Web host of this site, Emerging Markets: The Unofficial Field Guide, 27 Jul 09 The saint of democracy--Special report: With People Power, Cor- azon Aquino inspired the world.Today,the surge of political change during that momentous era, from Eastern Europe to East Asia, seems like an inevitability. Back then, it felt like an impossibility, Time, 10 Aug 09 (Fulbright Prize '96--Lugar on Aquino | Martin Luther King, Jr. Nonviolent Peace Prize '87) Vanda Felbab-Brown: Target the drug lords in Afghanistan, not the farmers--The new counternarcotics strategy represents a cour- ageous & welcome shift in policy. Instead of focusing on eradica- tion, the new strategy promotes legal alternatives for farmers by emphasizing rural development & the interdiction of drug traffick- ers. But as always, the angel & the devil are in the details, & the new strategy is not w/o potential pitfalls, says Inst fellow, National Post/Can. (courtesy Brookings), 15 Jul 09 Coffers: Broker-dealers & investment advisers--Biz practices & in- vestor understanding: The financial service industry is becoming increasingly complex & more difficult to regulate. This describes broker-dealers & investment advisers & examines whether individ- ual investors understand the differences bet. them. It finds that the industry is increasingly heterogeneous. As a result, the average in- vestor is confused about financ professionals' titles, duties & fees, Rand Policy Insight, Feb '09 (Research brief) Posted: 3-7 Aug 09 To Hillary Clinton from 4 African presidents: Just 3 weeks after Pres Obama's triumphant return from Africa, the real challenge to achieving strategic change lies in Secy of State Clinton's own visit to Africa. Left unsaid as the pres boarded Air Force One is the fact that Africa seeks not patrons but collaborators,who will work 'with' rather than 'for' the Continent, say the pres of Liberia, Rwanda, Botswana & Senegal, Ghana News Agency, 5 Aug 09 (Ed.'s note: Clinton is visiting Kenya, S Africa, Angola, Dem. Rep. of Congo, Nigeria, Liberia & Cape Verde) Paul Collier: Send in the accountants -- Why has the selection of African leadership been so disastrous? Poor leadership is not intrin- sic to African leadership; it is intrinsic only to the people who have jostled their way into presidencies.The problem lies not w/ Africans but w/ the structure of the polities in which they live. Around the world the chance of a stolen election soars if the society is poor, small & resource-rich, says Oxford Ctr Study Afr Econ dir, Guard- ian, 14 July 09 (WB--50 things you didn't know about [sub-Sa- haran] Africa) Obama rockets to top of poll on global leaders: US Pres Obama inspires far more confidence than any other world leader, acc to a poll of 20 nations, w/ 19,224 respondents from these nations that comprise 62% of the world's pop. UN Sec-Gen Ban places 2nd, below Obama but slightly above German Chancellor Merkel. Putin and Ahmadinejad receive the lowest marks among 8 global leaders studied, WorldPublicOpinion.org, 29 Jun 09 U Chicago's Austan Goolsbee looks to infuse economic adviser's job with edgy wit: The onetime improv comic and former college debate champ takes a few punches and throws back one-liners in support of Pres Obama and White House policy, aiming to be the 'Muhammad Ali' of econ advisers, Chicago Tribune, 15 Jun 09 William Pesek: Woman who ousted dictator offers economy les- son--There are many things the present Philippine pres and other leaders should learn from Aquino's life - things that would make Asia's 13th-biggest economy a more attractive place to invest. Here are three, Bloomberg, 5 Aug 09 (Ed.'s note: A concise profile of Corazon Aquino is available from the Columbia Encyc. and Ox- ford's World Encyc.) Kenneth Rogoff: The confidence game-Next month marks the one year anniversary of the collapse of the venerable US investment bank, Lehman Bros. After one year, trillions of dollars in public monies, and much soul searching in the world's policy community, have we learned the right lessons?, asks ex-IMF chief economist, Proj Syndicate (courtesy Guatemala Times), 3 Aug 09 Paul Wolfowitz: The Aquino legacy is peaceful regime change --Corazon Aquino will be remembered as the surprisingly tough 'housewife' who forced a dictator to leave office after his attempt to steal an election. But she also deserves to be remembered as the leader of the 1st 'People Power' revolution, says Amer Enterprise Inst visiting scholar & fmr World Bank pres, who was asst secy of state for EAsian affairs in '86, Wall Street Journal, 4 Aug 09 Up close & personal with economist Kenneth Rogoff: "We're not just going to see mid-sized banks go under in the next few months. We're going to see a whopper, we�re going to see a big one, one of the big investment banks or big banks," said Harvard's Rogoff in Aug '08. After less than a mo., Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac were nationalized, & Lehman collapsed. And Rogoff, who predicted the financial sector's fallout, went into hiding for 2 weeks, Star/Malay- sia, 1 Aug 09 An interview with Kenneth Arrow, Nobel laureate '72, Atlantic Mag, 27 Jul 09 (Ed.'s note: The Sen article below mentions the 'social choice theory' under Arrow's leadership, hence this link. There is an earlier Q&A with Arrow in The Region; and How to grow in Washington Monthly. For economists, see his 'Some dev- elopments in economic theory since '40: An eyewitness account,' Annual Rev Econ, Jun '09 [w/ pdf link]); and Amartya Sen: Pip was right: nothing is so finely felt as injustice. And there the search begins -- "In the little world in which children have their existence,' says Pip in 'Great Expectations', "there is nothing so finely perceived, and finely felt, as injustice." In fact, the strong perception of manifest injustice applies to adults as well, notes Nobel laureate '98 and prof of econ & philosophy, Guardian, 13 Jul 09 (Harvard U Pr--The Idea of Justice [2009]) Editorial: Cory Aquino's gift--Democracy for the Philippines - and an example of peaceful protest for the world's oppressed, Wall Street Journal, 2 Aug 09 Richard Lugar: Strong voice for development needed--We have increased funds for development and elevated its priority, while allowing the US Agency for Intl Development - the agency housing most of our development expertise - to atrophy, says US Senate For Relations Cmte minority leader, Ctr Global Dev, 23 Jul 09 (Ed.'s note: Among Lugar's experiences in the developing world is the pivotal role he played as For Rel Cmte chair in the '86 Philip- pine election that brought Cory Aquino to power. As the US elect- ion observer team leader,he recognized her as the legitimate winner and spotlighted corrupt activities of ex-Pres Marcos's supporters - ultimately convincing world leaders to back her) Technology industry shows signs of recovery: A sudden upturn in global sales of information & communications technology (ICT) goods in May & June suggests the ICT industry may have reached a turning point & be on the road to recovery, acc to a new report, OECD, 29 Jul 09 In memoriam: Philippine Pres Corazon Aquino ('86-'92) -- "The most powerful symbols are simple ones. As news of the popular Philippine movement to unseat the dictator Marcos swept through the global village in early '86, one image outshone the others: a brave woman in a yellow dress. Up till now her image lingers brightly as a symbol of nonviolent democratic aspiration the world over," Ramon Magsaysay Award for Intl Understanding '98 (Ed.'s note: Pres Aquino, an icon of democracy and the 'people power revolution', passed away today, 1 Aug, after a 16-mo. battle vs cancer. She was 76. An updated bio from the Magsaysay Found. is in her Web site) << Previous Home Next >> Copyright (c) 2001-2009 Leonardo L. Sta. Romana All rights reserved. |
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