2015 was another disappointing year for the global economy, mainly reflecting a slowdown in economic activity in emerging and developing countries amid low commodity prices and diminished flows of trade and capital, the World Bank Group’s January 2016 Global Economic Prospects report says. Global growth should accelerate modestly in 2016 at a slower pace than previously envisioned and will face substantial risks, says Ayhan Kose, director of Development Prospects.
Published on Jan 13, 2016
This animated video tells the story of a young family living in a region impacted by natural disasters. It shows how Disaster Risk Finance initiatives help this family and other stakeholders across the globe.
Published on Jan 13, 2016
Chemical giant DuPont is still trying to merge with Monsanto, a move that would create one of the largest corporate criminal empire in the world. But behind the merger headlines are larger issues facing DuPont, specifically, their behavior where it comes to poisoning communities.
Published on Aug 24, 2015
When looking at the 2016 election, many Republicans may be staring at a lost cause. The Democratic surge is rising, and the GOP candidates continue to bury themselves. To combat this, Republicans are going to take the long game by keeping and capturing as many Senate and House seats as they possibly can. And who better to fund that quest than the slimy Koch brothers?
Published on Jan 13, 2016
The National Guard arrived in Flint, Michigan Wednesday to help with water and filter distribution amid a crisis with the city’s water system. (Jan. 13)
In this special edition of Counting the Cost, we are looking at stories we expect to dominate the world of business in 2016.
The jury is still out on whether the world is heading for steady growth or if we could slip back into recession. Counting the Cost assembled an expert pannel to preview and analyse the year 2016: Professor Steve Tsang, the head of the Contemporary Chinese Studies School at Nottingham University; Razia Khan, a chief economist for Africa Global Research at Standard Chartered Bank; and Marc Pierini, a visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe and former EU ambassador to Turkey.
For the second time in a week stocks have fallen on China’s stock exchanges, causing an emergency shutdown and intensifying concerns about the health of the world’s second largest economy.
Trading was frozen on both the Shanghai and the Shenzhen stock exchanges on Monday and Thursday after stocks plunged by more than 7 percent.
The drop, which is being linked to poor economic figures, tensions after North Korea’s nuclear test and the spat between the Arab world and Iran, comes amid further data showing that China’s economy is slowing down.
But what is heightening fears is that markets have continued to fall despite government intervention.
The feeze in trading, also known as a “circuit breaker” was introduced last summer after more than $3.2 trillion was wiped off China’s markets in three weeks – an amount more than 10 times the size of the entire Greek economy.
In theory the circuit breaker should curb volatility, but it seems this week’s losses may have been triggered by a depreciation in the Chinese currency, the Yuan.
Charles Horne, an economy portfolio manager with consultancy firm China Policy, joins Counting the Cost to discuss the currency devaluation and the general lack of confidence in the Chinese economy.
Saudi-Iran and the coming ‘Oil Wars’
Relations between Saudi Arabia and its regional rival Iran have reached an all-time low after Riyadh severed diplomatic ties with Tehran.
The escalation in tensions came just a few days after the kingdom controversially executed a prominent Shia cleric.
Regional heavyweights, both countries hold one-quarter of the world’s proven oil reserves, but have been battling over regional influence.
Mamdouh Salameh, an international oil economist and a World Bank consultant on energy, joins the programme to discuss the Saudi-Iran crisis and whether oil could become the frontline in a new Cold War.
Sri Lanka opens doors to foreign investors
Twenty-five years after a brutal civil war, Sri Lanka is beginning to see a big increase in tourism numbers.
In 2015, almost 1.8 million people came to the formerly troubled island, up nearly 18 percent on 2014.
Elected a year ago, the government is now trying to turn Sri Lanka into a destination for foreign investors – the most important being foreigners. Individuals and companies will now be allowed to own Sri Lankan land.
Anushka Wijesinha, the chief economist at the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, joins the programme to discuss the new investment drive.
The number of people living in countries where they weren’t born continues to rise. The UN says in last 15 years there’s been a 41 percent increase in the number of migrants, to reach 244 million last year. Victoria Gatenby reports.
Welcome to Transition Studies. To prosper for very much longer on the changing Earth humankind will need to move beyond its current fossil-fueled civilization toward one that is sustained on recycled materials and renewable energy. This is not a trivial shift. It will require a major transition in all aspects of our lives.
This weblog explores the transition to a sustainable future on our finite planet. It provides links to current news, key documents from government sources and non-governmental organizations, as well as video documentaries about climate change, environmental ethics and environmental justice concerns.
The links are listed here to be used in whatever manner they may be helpful in public information campaigns, course preparation, teaching, letter-writing, lectures, class presentations, policy discussions, article writing, civic or Congressional hearings and citizen action campaigns, etc. For further information on this blog see: About this weblog. and How to use this weblog.
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