By Jacob Goldstein1 March 2011 China holds about $1.2 trillion in U.S. government debt, according to the Treasury Department’s latest figures. That’s about 30 percent higher than the previous estimate. This is part of those global imbalances we keep talking about. China exports more than it imports; the U.S. imports more than it exports. So […]
Nairobi — Rising inflation is threatening East Africa Community’s economic growth. From Nairobi to Dar es Salaam and Kampala, all signs point to surging inflation in the region in the coming days. An array of issues from drought to food scarcity to escalating oil prices continue to pile pressure on households’ expenditure. Political crises in […]
February 21, 2011 (World Meteorological Organization) — Since November, East African countries have registered serious drought conditions that are likely to worsen in coming months. According to data recently released by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the La Niña weather effect is largely responsible. WMO said the phenomenon might last up to four more months […]
By Fran LowryMarch 1, 2011 The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig and subsequent spill, which gushed uncontrollably into the Gulf of Mexico for 3 months in 2010, has left those who live along the environmentally fragile Gulf Coast with increased rates of depression and anxiety and feelings of anger, hopelessness, and despair. The […]
Al Jazeera’s Prerna Suri reports from New Delhi. 28 Feb 2011 (Al Jazeera) – Pranab Mukherjee, India’s finance minister, has presented his annual budget, acknowledging that food inflation is still a major concern for the second most populous country in the world. On Monday, Mukherjee announced a food security bill for 2011 – 2012, a […]
The FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) rose for the seventh consecutive month, averaging 231 points in January 2011, up 3.4 percent from December 2010 and the highest (in both real and nominal terms) since the index has been backtracked in 1990. Prices of all the commodity groups monitored registered strong gains in January compared to […]
By Jan KhaskheliSunday, February 27, 2011 Karachi (thenews.com.pk) – Residents of 16 small villages located near Hyderabad city and comprising a population of 20,000, are living an uncertain life after the recent flood wrought havoc, depriving them of their livelihood and basic facilities of life. In the absence of government assistance to rehabilitate the flood-affected […]
Enough supply, but price is a question: Al Ghurair By VM SathishFebruary 27, 2011 Food supply and food stocks in the region will remain tight for the rest of 2011 as the unexpected bush fire in Russia, flood in Australia, and climatic problems in other producing countries have caused a shortage in the supply of […]
By Fidelis Zvomuya 23 Feb 2011 UPINGTON, South Africa (AlertNet) – Temba Mduli’s fields resemble a vast lake, studded with treetops and half-submerged buildings. Once-green corn, soya beans, potatoes and sunflowers have been turned yellow by some of the worst flooding to cut through northern South Africa in years. “I will be lucky just to […]
Source: Congressional Budget Office [pdf] A huge share of the nation’s economic growth over the past 30 years has gone to the top one-hundredth of one percent, who now make an average of $27 million per household. The average income for the bottom 90 percent of us? $31,244. Note: The 2007 data (the most current) […]
