Issue
No. 556, 1-15 Nov 2013
US
debt ceiling dispute sparks calls for financial reform
*Click on cover to download (PDF)
Seeking
a de-Americanized world?
It
happened again in October – at the last minute the United States avoided
debt default. But the world is losing patience with this latest
episode of dysfunctional leadership.
by
Martin Khor
The
uncertain future of the world economy
The
global economy faces uncertain longer-term prospects, writes Yilmaz
Akyüz, not least because of question marks over the trajectory
of US economic policy.
WTO
DG voices concerns over divergences on Bali issues
Despite
advances in talks to craft an outcome for the WTO’s upcoming Ministerial
Conference in Bali, significant gaps remain among member states’ negotiating
positions, the WTO Director-General has reported.
by
Kanaga Raja
Azevedo
cites “significant progress” on Bali issues
A
week before the 1 November General Council session, the WTO head had
expressed guarded optimism that the Ministerial Conference could deliver
concrete results, pointing to “significant progress” in the negotiations
on the Bali package.
by
Kanaga Raja
Trade
unions, civil society deeply concerned over ITA-II talks
Ongoing
talks to widen the scope of a WTO agreement to free up trade in information
technology products could hurt domestic manufacturing and growth potential
in developing countries, civil society critics warn.
by
Kanaga Raja
G24
endorses IMF-WB status quo, but calls for some specific measures
Convening
ahead of the recent IMF-World Bank annual meetings, the G24 developing-country
grouping on international monetary affairs and development voiced
concern over, among other issues, adverse impacts of developed-country
monetary policies, the global growth outlook and the lack of IMF governance
reform.
by
Bhumika Muchhala
The
man who won a Nobel for helping create a global financial crisis
James
R. Crotty questions the wisdom of awarding a Nobel Prize
to the developer of a highly flawed theory that makes the case for
unfettered financial markets.
Walking
an economic tightrope with no safety net
Rising
inequality is undermining global development efforts.
by
Thalif Deen
How
to steer our Rolls-Royce world onto a smoother road
In
this deeply unequal world, stark maldistributions of wealth – which
allow Rolls-Royce dealerships to thrive amid pervasive poverty – are
commonplace, but it need not always be so.
by
Sam Pizzigati
