Globalisation

Argentina Seeks to Ward Off “Paradoxical” Default

By Diana Cariboni
Argentina finds itself in a strange position since the U.S. Supreme Court rejected its appeal Monday to take a case in which a small group of creditors is suing this country for full repayment: it is on the brink of default even though it is one of the countries in the world that has done the most to dig itself out of debt.

U.S. Supreme Court “Validates” Vulture Fund Activities

By Carey L. Biron
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to reject an appeal by the Argentine government will embolden aggressive “holdout” creditors, anti-poverty groups say, and make it far more difficult to arrive at debt-relief agreements for poor countries.

Obama’s Free Trade Strategy Falters in Asia

By Richard Heydarian
Amid simmering territorial conflicts across the Western Pacific, specifically between China and its neighbours in the South and East China Seas, coupled with China rising to the rank of top trading partner with Japan, South Korea, Australia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Obama administration has been hard-pressed to re-assert its strategic footprint in the region.

FIFA World Cup – Where the Spectacle Is the Champion

By Mario Osava
The seven-year-old got bored after running here and there for five minutes, amidst a group of a dozen classmates. He eventually stomped off the field because he hadn’t managed to kick the ball even once.

Q&A: “Some Individuals Are Now as Wealthy as Entire Countries”

By Gustavo Capdevila
As it turns 50, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) finds itself engaged in an ongoing struggle to reduce economic and social inequalities in the world.

Donors to Assist Developing Countries Negotiate Extractives Contracts

By Carey L. Biron
Major donor countries will unveil next week a new initiative aimed at strengthening the ability of developing countries’ governments to negotiate complex contracts, particularly around the extractives sector.

Latin America’s Forests Need Laws – and Much More

By Emilio Godoy
Latin America’s parliaments have failed to protect the forests and to guarantee their sustainable use, despite the fact that a number of countries have laws on forests, legislators from the region said at a global summit in the Mexican capital.

A Strange Tale of Morality: Banks, Financial Institutions and Citizens

By Roberto Savio
It is a great pity that, beside opening the doors to ethics, social justice and peace, Pope Francis does not also give indications of updating  traditional theology. The most urgent task is to update the Seven Deadly Sins.

International Cooperation on Key Issues Fell in 2013

By Jim Lobe
International cooperation on key global challenges declined in 2013, according to a new “report card” released here Friday by the influential Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).

Arab Publics Prefer Light U.S. Footprint, Even in Syria

By Jim Lobe
In contrast to some of their leaders, people across the Arab world prefer President Barack Obama’s efforts to reduce Washington’s military footprint in the Middle East to the approach favoured by neo-conservatives and other U.S. hawks, according to the latest in a series of surveys of Arab public opinion released here Tuesday.

Defending European Consumers and Public Services Against International Corporations

By Julio Godoy
For many months, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) debates between the European Commission (EC) and the U.S. government were a matter for insiders.

U.S. Pledges to Reduce Child Stunting by Two Million Globally

By Michelle Tullo
The U.S. government has pledged to reduce the number of chronically malnourished children around the world by at least two million over the next half decade, receiving an initial positive response from the development community.

Tracking the Democratic “Alternative from the South”

By Michelle Tullo
Democratic governance offers a viable option for developing countries to achieve economic growth and inclusion, yet this doesn’t need to follow the Western model, new research released here this week suggests.

The Biggest Mideast Crisis You Probably Don’t Know Enough About

By Thomas W. Lippman
The Middle East’s seemingly endless conflicts are diverting attention and resources from a graver long-term threat that looms over the whole region: the growing scarcity of water. And the situation will get worse before it gets better — if it ever does get better.

U.N. Decries Water as Weapon of War in Military Conflicts

By Thalif Deen
The United Nations, which is trying to help resolve the widespread shortage of water in the developing world, is faced with a growing new problem: the use of water as a weapon of war in ongoing conflicts.

Kremlin’s International Policies Could Mean Russian Brain Drain

By Pavol Stracansky
As Russia faces harsh sanctions and growing international isolation over its annexation of Crimea and support of separatists in eastern Ukraine, economists and sociologists are warning that the Kremlin’s international policies may fuel a potentially devastating brain drain.

UAE Diplomatic Offensive in Latin America

By IPS Correspondents
The visit by United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Uruguay, Paraguay and Peru brings to an end 10 days of unusually intense diplomatic activity by the Gulf nation in Latin America.

Why Are We Entering the Cold War Again?

By Roberto Savio
For weeks now, the mainstream media have been unanimously engaged in denouncing Vladimir Putin’s action in Crimea first and Ukraine now. The latest cover of The Economist depicts a bear swallowing Ukraine, with the title “Insatiable”.

Brazil Assumes Leadership in Future of Internet Governance

By Marcia Pinheiro
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff signed into law an Internet bill of rights just before her opening speech at an international conference on Internet reform in the southern city of São Paulo Wednesday.

Japan Seeks Foreign Workers, Uneasily

By Suvendrini Kakuchi
Desperate for more workers to support a construction boom, Japan has proposed to expand its controversial foreign trainee programme to permit more unskilled labour from Asia to work in Japanese companies for five years from the current three years.

Civil Society Wants More Influence in New Development Agenda

By Emilio Godoy
Making international cooperation more effective requires a civil society with greater influence in the negotiations of the development agenda that the world’s governments are to adopt in 2015, civil society representatives said at an international meeting in Mexico.
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