G8 SUMMIT: US Groups Prod Bush over Poverty and Africa

As Pres. George W. Bush heads to a meeting of the world's richest nations in Scotland, dozens of anti-poverty groups and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) called on Washington Tuesday to offer more than token aid to help African nations and fight poverty around the world.

TRADE: US Senate Green-lights Regional Pact

A controversial trade deal between the United States and six Latin American nations cleared a major hurdle late on Thursday when the U.S. Senate passed the agreement against opposition from labour groups, environmentalists and anti-poverty campaigners.

DEVELOPMENT: Oil Booms End Up a Bust, Study Shows

The U.S. strategy to increase oil production from non-Middle Eastern nations in the least developed countries may serve consumers in Western nations, but is likely to add to those poor nations' burdens of debt and economic hardship, according to a new study released Thursday.

DEVELOPMENT: Plant a Tree Today, Save a Dollar Tomorrow

Putting money into projects that conserve the environment is a smart investment that could lift millions of people around the world out of poverty while giving governments healthy economic returns, a new study finds.

ENERGY-US: Nuclear Industry Poised to Win Big

Incentives for nuclear energy in a new U.S. energy bill have come under attack from environmentalists and consumer groups who say the legislation will make the United States reliant on expensive and dangerous commercial nuclear plants.

TRADE: Chinese Currency Blamed For Burgeoning US Trade Gap

Four influential Republican members of Congress introduced legislation Tuesday to force China to revalue its currency or face higher tariffs on its exports to the United States.

FINANCE: Shape Up or Lose Funding, Congress Tells Int’l Banks

The U.S. Congress is considering a new bill that would condition its funding of the world's multilateral development banks on reforms, transparency, anti-corruption measures and future oversight.

DEVELOPMENT: "Middlemen" Banks Lack Accountability, Report Finds

Intermediary banks and financial institutions that borrow from multilateral international banks to lend to local projects pose a threat to environmental and social standards around the world and should be monitored more closely, says a new report from the World Resources Institute in Washington.

TRADE: African Leaders Complain of Red Tape in Deal With U.S.

Five African presidents have criticised the economic criteria they must meet before their nations can qualify for a preferential trade deal that gives Africa greater access to the U.S. market.

FINANCE: Washington Moves to Pre-empt "Asian IMF"

The United States is pushing the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to change its voting system to include rising economic powers in Asia, in what some observers say is a U.S. bid to keep increasingly independent Asian nations tied to the public lending institution, where Washington has the dominant voice.

DEVELOPMENT-AFRICA: Groups Say UK-US Aid Falls Woefully Short

A U.S. promise to disperse 674 million dollars for famine relief in Africa has disappointed independent development groups, who decried the proposal as a sham that offers too little in face of the continent's mounting crises.

DEVELOPMENT-AFRICA: Groups Say UK-US Aid Falls Woefully Short

A U.S. promise to disperse 674 million dollars for famine relief in Africa has disappointed independent development groups, who decried the proposal as a sham that offers too little in face of the continent's mounting crises.

FINANCE: Gold Industry, Activists Face Off Over Debt Relief

Anti-poverty groups are accusing the U.S. gold industry of seeking to block a sale of the precious metal from International Monetary Fund (IMF) reserves as part of an effort to cancel wealthy nations' claims against the world's poorest and most heavily-indebted countries.

DEVELOPMENT: New World Bank Chief Seen Hawking Bush Agenda

Paul Wolfowitz, the former U.S. deputy defence secretary, becomes the World Bank's 10th president Wednesday amid expectations he will lead the global lender down an increasingly politicised path.

DEVELOPMENT: World Bank Chief’s Send-off Stirs Conflict Among His Critics

A party Thursday night to honour outgoing World Bank President James Wolfensohn for 10 years at the helm of one of the world's most powerful financial institutions has ignited disagreement among some of his critics over how to deal with the public lending agency.

DEVELOPMENT: Latin America’s Indigenous People Marginalised – World Bank

More than 40 million indigenous people in Latin America suffer persistent disadvantages compared with non-indigenous people on almost every human development indicator from education to health and poverty despite gains in political representation, the World Bank said Wednesday.

TRADE: U.S. Officials, Firms Rebuff Calls to Withdraw from WTO

U.S. officials and companies are rallying around the World Trade Organisation (WTO), against reviews critical of the 10-year-old body's record of helping developing nations reap the rewards of liberalised global commerce.

TRADE: Lobbying Intensifies For, Against U.S.-Central American Trade Deal

Leaders of the United States and six Central American and Caribbean nations are stepping up efforts to overcome lawmakers' opposition to the U.S.-Central American-Dominican Republic free trade agreement (CAFTA-DR).

TRADE: New U.S. Trade Czar Faces Tests at Home and Abroad

U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman, now in his second week on the job, faces numerous challenges as he seeks to build support at home and abroad for an ambitious U.S. trade agenda, observers say.

DEVELOPMENT: World Bank Says Openness Aids Investment

The World Bank called on governments Monday to release more information about their economies, saying this would help to create a ''sound investment climate'' in nations seeking foreign capital for commercial development.

DEVELOPMENT: Sudan Dam Draws Fresh Fears of Social Unrest

One of Africa's largest dams, now under construction in Sudan, carries a hefty price for the environment and threatens intensified social unrest, project critics say.