WORLD-ECONOMY: New Directions or Just New Directors?

The business and political leadership of the world's strongest emerging economies meet this week in Brazil. Are these gatherings of the champions of a new and fairer global economy, or of new pretenders to the old throne?

ECONOMY: Get the Cab From Shanghai to London

The black, curvy London cab is so much more than just a taxi. It is an icon without which the picture of London can never be complete.

ECONOMY: Voluntary Simplicity – Answer to Financial Meltdown

The global financial crisis offered an opportunity to reform the economic system and participants in a conference on ‘degrowth’ in Barcelona, last week, appeared determined not to lose it.

AFRICA: Growth Down; Unemployment Up

Due to the global economic and financial crisis, growth on the African continent dropped to an average of 1.6 percent in 2009, compared to 4.5 percent in 2008.

DEVELOPMENT: Recovery Could Leave Behind World’s Poorest

The world's 49 least developed countries (LDCs), described as the poorest of the poor, could feel the effects of the global economic crisis for decades, a senior U.N. official warned this week.

EAST EUROPE: “Inevitable” Budget Cuts Anger Unions

Trade unions in Romania and Bulgaria are embarking on a spring of protests in response to the governments’ anti-crisis measures involving considerable cuts in budget expenditure.

Q&A: EPAs Are Still Not Developmental, Despite EU Promises

The contentious trade deals known as the economic partnership agreements (EPAs) will in their current form not do African countries any good as they still do not take those countries’ development needs into consideration, despite such an undertaking by the European Union (EU).

POLITICS: G20 Big Powers Under Scrutiny by Smaller Nations

When the G20, representing some of world's politically and economically powerful developing and industrial nations, suddenly gained a higher profile with the onset of the global financial crisis two years ago, there was apprehension the group would sooner or later try to upstage the United Nations and its key decision-making role.

ECONOMY: Greek Crisis Impacts the Balkans

Serious concerns are being raised about the impact of the ongoing recession in Greece on the political and economic situation in the neighbouring Balkans.

DEVELOPMENT: Political Will the Missing Link for MDGs

Despite numerous factors that threaten the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 - a global financial crisis, a food crisis, climate change, natural disasters – U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said this week that his main concern is "political will".

SOUTHERN AFRICA: Unexpected Low Custom Revenue Causes Budget Shortfalls

Plummeting revenues from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) could cause severe financial difficulties in the region, economic experts warn. To make matters worse, the organisation is split over the future of its tariff pool that largely bankrolls the national budgets of its poorer members.

SWAZILAND: Budget Cuts Ahead but More Money for Education and Health

Her swollen feet are a constant reminder to Sanele Matsebula that she needs to take her medication.

BALKANS: Farming Prospers as Farmers Suffer

Official statistics put Serbian agriculture as the single most productive branch of the economy and one that not only survived the financial meltdown but chalked up a record trade surplus of almost a billion US dollars in 2009.

DISARMAMENT: Despite Recession, Global Arms Race Spirals

The global financial crisis has not deterred some of the world's developed and developing nations from bolstering their military arsenals with expensive new weapons systems, including sophisticated fighter planes, combat helicopters, submarines, armoured vehicles and air defence systems.

Q&A: Wanted in Latin America: Responsible Credit

Improving access to financial services and achieving "responsible credit" require ongoing dialogue on the part of companies, states and consumers, Juan Trímboli, regional coordinator of the Consumers International office in Latin America and the Caribbean, told IPS.

RIGHTS: Fewer Jobs, Less Money, Same Old Story

"What do I get from them? Nothing but bullsh*t," says Nupur Acharya, reflecting about how she is treated by her husband and two grown sons on daily basis.

EUROPE: Economists Blame Germany for Mediterranean Crisis

Germany’s obsession with maintaining a trade surplus, in line with its mercantilist traditions, is one cause for the severe economic crisis that has gripped several Euro-Mediterranean countries, say economists.

ECONOMY-GREECE: Austerity Measures Unsettle Public

Xristos Kiriakou, 30, joined the Feb. 24 strike against the austerity measures announced by the Panhellenic Socialist Party (Pasok), although he has never been involved in public protests before.

AFRICA: “Women’s Decade”: Greater Attention to Implementation

Fears that the impact of the global economic meltdown would affect funding to various development areas have been rife. Already, several governments have cut their budgets for HIV and AIDS and bilateral and multilateral funding partners have done likewise.

DEVELOPMENT: Grassroots Aid Groups Struggle to Stay Afloat

The Holy Child Integrated Agricultural Centre, an organic farm near Abeokuta in southwestern Nigeria, was looking forward to having running water. An industrial borehole had already been already installed, and a pump and piping to various buildings were in place.

ECONOMY: Euro not for Europe’s Poor

For 329 million, people shopping with the euro is a part of everyday life. Since its notes and coins were introduced on New Year's Day 2002, this single currency has made it possible to travel across a 16-country zone stretching from Cyprus to Ireland without having to change the money in one's pocket or handbag.