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Tuesday, May 19, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
BIODIVERSITY: Privatisation Making Seeds Themselves Infertile
Seeds were once for ever. After harvest, a few from the crop would be planted for the following year, and so it went on.ENVIRONMENT: Trapped Between Economy and Ecology
One of the most frequent arguments against environmental protection is an alleged economic imperative. Humankind must progress economically, and the environment is only an input in the overall economic process, this argument goes.ENVIRONMENT: Not Enough Done to Protect Biodiversity
The UN conference on biodiversity opened in the former German capital Bonn this week in the face of new evidence that many countries, particularly the industrialised ones, are not complying with their declared goal of "substantially reducing the loss of biological diversity."ENVIRONMENT: Only the Cover Is Green
Notice how green the public relations campaigns of multinational corporations have become.EUROPE: New Safety Concerns Raised Over Nuclear Plants
Some international organisations and governments in industrialised countries are pushing for further development of nuclear power, but amidst growing doubts over the safety of several nuclear installations.EUROPE: The Newspaper World Suffers Another Blow
The financial crisis in the French newspaper Le Monde, that led to an unprecedented two-day strike in mid-April, is symptom of a growing crisis in the print media in France, and in several other European countries.EUROPE: Subsidies Feeding Food Scarcity
European subsidies for agriculture are contributing to rapidly rising food prices and the destruction of small-scale farming in the South, experts say.ENVIRONMENT: But What Is Good About Biofuels?
The German government decision two weeks back against increased use of biofuels was based on technical reasons - more than three millions vehicles cannot burn biofuels without risking engine breakdown.GLOBALISATION: New Curbs on Investment From the South
Germany's decision to introduce controls on investments from the South in strategic domestic sectors is yet another indicator of growing protectionism in European and other industrialised countries against the neo-liberal globalisation they once masterminded.CLIMATE CHANGE: European Mountain Top Vanishes
The peak of the Stubai Mountains in the Austrian Alps has vanished. It was around a couple of months back, but since then no one can say exactly when it disappeared.GLOBALISATION: So, Back to Regulation, Then
The financial crisis around the world marks the end of neo-liberal globalisation and the beginning of a new era of regulation of the global economy, political leaders and economists say.GERMANY: Corruption Feeds the New Market
The revelation that hundreds of wealthy Germans have made illegal investments in Liechtenstein to avoid taxes, and the unearthing of new cases of corruption in top enterprises, raise new questions about the way the market economy is going.HEALTH-GERMANY: Smoking Ban Getting Stubbed Out
The future of a ban on smoking in public places in Germany is in doubt following a court order limiting application of any ban.RIGHTS-FRANCE: New Rescue Plan May Save Few
The French government's new plan for reconstruction of the poorest neighbourhoods has sparked criticism, both within the government and among the opposition.TRADE: EU Stands to Increase Market Share in Africa With EPAs
While the real impact of the economic partnership agreements (EPAs) on the economies of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries will be ‘‘small’’, the pace of negotiations and of the liberalisation of their markets is too fast and will damage their economies, according to numerous French economists and development experts.
ENERGY: German Biodiesel Forced to Compete
Until a few months ago, the production of crop-based fuels was the best energy business imaginable in Germany, thanks to growing demand supported by the government. That's no longer the case.HEALTH: Nuclear Plants Raise Leukaemia Threat
It has been a miserable month for the Brosowskys, a German family in the small city of Marschacht.
German Biodiesel Forced to Compete
The imminent elimination of government subsidies for German biofuels threatens an industry that was just beginning to take off.CHALLENGES 2007-2008: EU Rich in Events, Poor on Results
For the European Union, 2007 was a year rich in events, but poor on results. Next year promises to be as turbulent as this one, and probably as unremarkable in its outcome.HELSINKI PROCESS: More Development and Security in Exchange For Small Arms
Increasing international co-operation in exchange for guns and improving the sense of domestic security are promising strategies for reducing the number of small weapons in the hands of civilians in developing countries, a leading expert on the matter says.DEVELOPMENT: Helsinki Follow-Up to Stress Inclusive Governance
Government and civil society representatives from Africa, Europe, and other regions of the world are meeting here beginning Nov. 27 to examine issues of globalisation - from peace and security, environment and energy policy, to respect for human rights, and financing for development.« Previous Page — Next Page »
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