Africa:Africa Needs to Invest Much More in Its People - Wed, 17 Oct 2018
[allAfrica] Progress in the fight against extreme poverty in Africa has been way too slow. Although the poverty rate has declined from 54 percent in 1990 to 41 percent in 2015, a rapid population growth of 2.6 percent per year has offset these gains, resulting in 130 million more poor people. Today more than half of the world's 725 million people living in extreme poverty are in Africa. The war against poverty will be won or lost in Africa. And it must be won.

Africa:'Erotic Capital' - a New Way for Uganda to Get Economic Growth? - Thu, 18 Oct 2018
[Monitor] On the weekend, I was at a retreat of diverse African intellectuals, tinkerers, and policy folks, at the Kenyan coastal town of Malindi. It was to discuss anything under the sun that might have significant impact on Africa in the years ahead.

Rwanda:Upgrade on Mount Kigali Substation to Reduce Power Losses - Thu, 18 Oct 2018
[New Times] Households which get electricity from Mount Kigali substation are set to start enjoying quality and stable electricity supply following an upgrade on the facility.

Southern Africa:Zimbabwe Railways Fails to Deliver Wheat From Mozambique Port - Thu, 18 Oct 2018
[New Zimbabwe] Struggling rail transporter, National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) is reportedly failing to deliver 179 wagons of wheat currently stuck at Mozambique's Beira Port, a situation feared could force bakers to further raise bread prices due to flour shortages.

Nigeria:Senate Warns On Debt Trap, Okays $2.9b Foreign Loan - Thu, 18 Oct 2018
[Guardian] The Senate yesterday warned the Federal Government to stop taking external loans, urging it to find other means of generating revenue internally, rather than throw the country into a debt trap.

Adrift in Afghanistan - Wed, 03 May 2017

As the war in Afghanistan drifts back into the public spotlight, Senior Fellow Gayle Tzemach Lemmon argues that five “urgent questions must be answered about the near- and long-term future of the fight.” The United States must clarify its definition of stability and success in Afghanistan, determine whether the Taliban, ISIS, or both is the enemy, discuss how many troops are needed on the ground, and create plans for stemming the loss of life among Afghan forces and for bringing an end to the war.�

Making Chile Great Again - Wed, 03 May 2017

Since its return to democracy in 1990, Chile has been heralded as Latin America’s exception, writes Shannon O’Neil. But in the present, “this tranquillity has come to an end, and the economic and social consensus of the postauthoritarian years has crumbled.”

A Vision of Trump at War - Wed, 22 Mar 2017

Writing in Foreign Affairs, Philip Gordon offers a vision of how�President Trump could stumble—through bluster, wishful thinking, and miscalculation—into war with Iran, China, and North Korea.�

World Order 2.0 - Wed, 15 Feb 2017

There is growing tension between President Trump’s America First doctrine and building order in an interconnected world, writes CFR President Richard N. Haass.

Egypt’s Nightmare - Mon, 13 Feb 2017

The single-minded pursuit of the Muslim Brotherhood has become the guiding principle of Egypt’s foreign and domestic policies, writes CFR’s Steven A. Cook. These policies, however, are proving counterproductive and destabilizing to the lives of Egyptians as well as Gazans, Libyans, and Syrians.

Issue Guide: Fidel Castro - Sat, 26 Nov 2016

Fidel Castro, who died on November 25, was one of the most prominent figures of the Cold War and an adversary of ten consecutive U.S. presidential administrations. This reading list considers the legacy of his nearly fifty years in power, including the Cuban Missle Crisis, the U.S. economic embargo, and the years following the Cold War.

Iran Nuclear Deal’s ‘Implementation Day’ - Sun, 17 Jan 2016

The confirmation by UN monitors that Iran has complied with the deal to dismantle large parts of its nuclear program lifts major sanctions and ushers in a new era for the Middle East. This issue guide offers analysis and background.

Issue Guide: 2016 State of the Union Address - Mon, 11 Jan 2016

Catch up on the issues President Obama will focus on in his final year with this State of the Union reading list.

Issue Guide: Iran Nuclear Talks - Fri, 26 Jun 2015

As the deadline looms for the completion of a deal to limit Iran's nuclear program, this issue guide provides background on the diplomatic progress and stumbling blocks, and possible consequences of an agreement.

Issue Guide: Greece's Debt Crisis - Mon, 15 Jun 2015

Five years after the onset of its sovereign debt crisis, Greece once again finds itself on the precipice of default and a departure from the nineteen-member eurozone. This reading list provides expert background and analysis of the crisis.�

Latin American voters: ‘Throw the bums out’ - Fri, 12 Oct 2018
Rejection of mainstream politicians crosses ideologies, but will it lead to salvation?

Brazilian bankers warm towards Bolsonaro - Wed, 10 Oct 2018
Business leaders find much to like in front-runner’s economic agenda

Bank of Mexico nominee declares his independence - Tue, 09 Oct 2018
Jonathan Heath says Banxico will not slavishly follow either Fed or López Obrador

Forecasts for emerging market growth slashed - Tue, 09 Oct 2018
Outlook for Turkey, Argentina and Iran leads IMF to abandons hope for acceleration

Brazil's front-runner Jair Bolsonaro — 10 key facts - Mon, 08 Oct 2018
Far-right candidate's had resounding victory in first round of voting

UK retail sales in steepest drop since March - Thu, 18 Oct 2018
Sales volumes fell by 0.8% in September as customers spent less on food after the hot summer.

Firms defy pressure over Saudi conference - Wed, 17 Oct 2018
Company executives still plan to attend the Riyadh business event despite concerns over missing journalist.

Cypriot budget airline Cobalt has suspended operations - Thu, 18 Oct 2018
The low-cost carrier, which flew to several UK destinations, cancelled all flights from midnight.

John Lewis trials £10,000 experience to lure in shoppers - Wed, 17 Oct 2018
The department store will give high-spending customers a chance to shop privately at its new outlet.

US shies away from calling China a currency manipulator - Thu, 18 Oct 2018
The US Treasury held back from blaming Beijing for holding down the value of China's currency.

France Should Face up to Azerbaijan’s Rights Record - Tuesday, March 1

In Paris this week on an official visit, Azerbaijan’s autocratic President Ilham Aliyev has already scored one photo op. Anyone reading yesterday’s Azeri media could see dozens of photos of Aliyev posing with leaders of top French companies, including Airbus, Suez, and Credit Agricole.

Expand

Today, President Hollande will receive President Aliyev and host an official dinner at Palais de l’Elysee. Again, Parisian photo ops abound. But amid the flashing cameras, one has to wonder where Azerbaijan’s repression of critics and the jailing of opponents fits in the new relationship between Paris and Baku?

In the past few years, Azerbaijani authorities have aggressively gone after the country’s once vibrant civil society, jailing dozens of activists, journalists, and political opponents. It also adopted draconian legislation making it virtually impossible for independent non-governmental organizations to operate.

One year ago, as Azerbaijan’s economy started to suffer from falling oil prices, several of those detained on political grounds were released. That was an important first step, but hopes for progress were short-lived.

Many of those released face travel bans or obstacles to their activities. Dozens are still locked up on political grounds, including opposition activist Ilgar Mammadov, despite repeated calls by the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe for his immediate release. And more activists have been thrown in jail. Recently, one of the country’s most popular journalists and bloggers, Mehman Huseynov, was sentenced to two years in prison for allegedly defaming the police, in response to his brave public denouncement of the police abuses he suffered.

When visiting Paris, Brussels, or other European capitals, President Aliyev hopes to get more business opportunities and investment in Azerbaijan. But he prefers to ignore that the people of Azerbaijan want human rights protections, transparency, and good governance. Those standing up for these values are routinely exposed to attacks and harassment.

Yet what more clear message that Azerbaijan’s crackdown cannot be ignored by potential investors than last week’s decision by the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), an international coalition promoting better governance of resource-rich countries, to suspend Azerbaijan – precisely because of its actions against civil society.

President Hollande should reject a narrative that only finance and economy matter in Azerbaijan. Human rights should be as central to France’s foreign policy as other topics.

Hollande should publicly call for the release of Ilgar Mammadov and all those detained in retaliation for their activism and criticism. A failure to explicitly support human rights principles would be the worst message to those unjustly waiting behind bars.

Arvind Ganesan - Monday, May 25,

Arvind Ganesan is the director of Human Rights Watch’s Business and Human Rights Division. He leads the organization’s work to expose human rights abuses linked to business and other economic activity, hold institutions accountable, and develop standards to prevent future abuses. This work has included research and advocacy on awide range of issues includingthe extractive industries; public and private security providers; international financial institutions; freedom of expression and information through the internet; labor rights; supply chain monitoring and due diligence regimes; corruption; sanctions; and predatory practices against the poor. Ganesan’s work has covered countries such as Angola, Azerbaijan, Burma, China, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, India, Indonesia, the United States, and Nigeria. His recent research has focused on predatory lending practices and governance issues on Native American reservations in the United States. He has written numerous reports, op-eds, and other articles and is widely cited by the media.

Ganesan has also worked to develop industry standards to ensure companies and other institutions respect human rights. He is a founder of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights for the oil, gas, and mining industries and is a founding member of the Global Network Initiative (GNI) for the internet and telecommunications industries, where he also serves on the board. Ganesan has helped to develop standards for international financial institutions such as the World Bank, and regularly engages governments in an effort to develop mandatory rules or strengthen existing standards such as the Kimberley Process. He serves on the board of EGJustice, a nongovernmental organization that promotes good governance in Equatorial Guinea, and is a member of the International Corporate Accountability Roundtable (ICAR)’s steering committee.

Before joining Human Rights Watch, Ganesan worked as a medical researcher. He attended the University of Oklahoma.

Germany Paved the Way for Revamping “Social Audits,” Italy Should Follow - Monday, October

Garment workers are leading a global fight against poor factory inspections. A couple of weeks ago, Pakistani worker representatives and European rights groups filed a complaint with Italian authorities against RINA. RINA, an auditing firm, issued a report certifying the Ali Enterprises factory. Weeks after they issued an SA8000 certificate—a standard for labor and social compliance in the industry—the factory burned down killing more than 250 workers.

So how can a factory that is certified burn down? And are “social audits” and certifications working?

A couple of months ago, Andrew S. and I sat at a roadside eatery in one of Asia’s apparel hubs. A plateful of starters, a pot of rice, and some iced coffee, and three hours flew by as he described his experiences inspecting garment factories for labor conditions and treatment of workers.  The process is known as “social audits” and it is a huge industry.  

Andrew (not his real name) had spent more than 15 years conducting these audits across five countries, first visiting garment factories for an apparel company and later as a freelance auditor. Apparel companies or factories hire auditing firms or freelance auditors to inspect social and labor conditions and report back with their findings and how to fix problems they identify.

Expand

That’s why a recent case brought before German authorities is so important and why it’s so troubling to know that these audits are riddled with problems. The German authorities’ findings in a June 26 report came at the end of a two-year process in response to complaints about a social audit conducted by TUV India and its parent company, TUV Rhineland, in a factory in Bangladesh.  

It brought me back to my conversation with Andrew. I would have expected him to defend the social audit process. But the frank conversation I had with him provided an in-depth look at just how bad the problems are, and how urgent the need for change.

In 2016, survivors of the Rana Plaza disaster and human rights groups filed a complaint against these companies with the German National Contact Point for the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). National Contact Points for OECD members hear disputes about the application of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, a key set of standards defining rights-respecting business conduct.

The complainants questioned TUV India’s social audit methods and findings for Phantom Apparel Ltd., saying that its social audit had failed to detect the illegal use of child labor and violations of workers’ freedom of association.

Phantom Apparel Ltd. was one of the five factories housed in the eight-story Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh. The building collapsed in 2013, killing 1,135 workers and injuring more than 2,000 others. Among other things, TUV said after the disaster that it used audit tools and procedures from the Business and Social Compliance Initiative, a leading business association, but that its system did not cover fire and building safety.

Over the last few months, I’ve spoken to a good number of people in the auditing industry and other industry experts. Some of the most scathing criticism and candid insights about the “social audit” industry has come from experienced auditors themselves. Andrew minced no words. He had repeatedly seen the system fail workers.

German authorities have identified numerous concerns with the auditing industry. These include auditors’ technical expertise, the methodology for audits, and how the audits are paid for. The authorities also expressed concerns about whether factories actually fix the problems and what brands do to monitor the process, and whether workers have ways of raising grievances after the auditors leave the premises. The German report identified many of the challenges that auditors like Andrew themselves have raised in my conversations with them.

Social compliance auditing is a multi-billion dollar industry. At one end of the spectrum are huge corporate behemoths, including TUV Rheinland, TUV Nord, TUV SUD, SGS, UL, BV, and Intertek. These companies provide a range of services, including product and quality testing, and social audits. At the other end of the spectrum are smaller firms, many of them providing specialized services. Social audits are conducted across various industries and not just the apparel industry.

Germany, with its Partnership for Sustainable Textiles, which includes apparel companies and nongovernmental organizations, and aims to improve garment industry policies and accountability for factories they source from, is well placed to lead a dialogue that would fundamentally alter the social audits business. Italian authorities too should come out strongly pushing for a rehaul of the system. Consumers should be able to feel confident that the workers who make their clothing work in safe conditions and are treated with decency and respect.

Investors Call on Jewelry Industry for Stronger Human Rights Practices - Thursday, Septem

More than 60 institutional investors urged jewelry manufacturers and retailers to address human rights risks in their supply chains this week, showing that environmental and human rights advocates aren’t the only ones concerned about abuses in gold and diamond mining.

The investors – which include asset managers, pension funds, and faith-based institutions – expressed concern about child and forced labor in mining, environmental damage, and displacement of indigenous peoples. They called for stronger action from the jewelry industry to ensure their products do not contribute to human rights abuses, saying that responsible sourcing is not only the ethical thing to do, but also good business practice. When businesses fail to respect human rights, they risk reputational harm and expensive litigation.          

The investors are part of the Investors Alliance for Human Rights. Launched in May of this year, the Alliance promotes coordinated investor action on human rights and business risks. Collectively, its members have more than US$2 trillion in assets.

“Precious metals and gems are often used to commemorate the most sacred and momentous events in the human experience,” an Alliance spokesperson said. “It is unconscionable that these gifts are built on human suffering and injustice. As investors, we need to see greater action—including improved standards and certifications—from the manufacturers and retailers in this space.”

The investors recognized that some companies in the jewelry industry are taking important steps to address human rights risks in their supply chains, but that most fall short of meeting international standards. In February, Human Rights Watch released a report scrutinizing the practices of over a dozen jewelry and watch brands.

The investor statement was sent directly to 32 individual companies, including jewelry and watch companies as well as large department stores and other retailers. It urged these companies to conduct robust due diligence over their supply chains, ensure full chain of custody over gold and diamonds, report publicly on their efforts, and take other steps to set a high bar for responsible sourcing. The statement also urged the Responsible Jewellery Council, an industry body, to strengthen its certification standards, make its audit process more transparent, and include civil society in its governance structure. 

Indonesia Pledges Accelerated Agrarian Reform - Thursday, Septem

Expand

Last week, Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo announced a moratorium on the issuance of permits for new development of state forests into oil palm plantations until 2021. The timing of the moratorium created a buzz at the launch of Global Land Forum in Indonesia this week and renewed focus on the country’s reform efforts on land and agriculture.

Indonesia has made numerous reform commitments in recent years. These reforms, if implemented well, would add political weight to the government’s long-standing agrarian reform agenda.

In 2015, the government set a target to acquire and redistribute 9 million hectares of land as a mid-term development goal for 2015-2019. This was aimed at land that was previously granted for cultivation but not used, where the grant had expired or was not renewed. According to Moeldoko, the head of the president’s Executive Office, the government issued 5 million land certificates to small holder farmers in 2017 and will grant more by 2019.

The government also announced a target guaranteeing small-holder farmers the right to use 12.7 million hectares of state forests. President Jokowi has made similar pledges stating that indigenous peoples will get certificates over lands they live on and their customary forests. But the process has been slow, with critics calling for reform that is fair and just.

In February, Jokowi launched a program to accelerate land registration with a goal to register all land in Indonesia by 2025. And this week, the president signed another decree that would provide guidance on how government’s big targets on land redistribution and certification will be implemented.

Taken together, these new measures could breath new life into the Indonesian government’s decades-long agrarian reform agenda. The national agrarian reform, which began as far back as 1950s to address problematic land ownership during the Dutch Indies colonial rule, aims to redistribute agricultural land to close the economic gap and reduce the country’s inequality.

Implementing these policies will be a challenge given the complexities around land rights in Indonesia. Land disputes between peasants, indigenous peoples, companies and government are widespread, due to legal uncertainty over ownership, use, and procurement.

Fighting inequality means addressing these land disputes. Fair and just reforms would secure rights to land for the most marginalized and protect indigenous peoples’ right to their customary forests.

Error: It's not possible to reach RSS file...

Error: It's not possible to reach RSS file...

Educator's Letter to Oprah -- 'Ask teachers.' - Thu, 14 Oct 2010

Without Senate Relief, Jobs Picture Grim - Wed, 07 Apr 2010

NEA President: Mass Teacher Firings Not the Answer - Fri, 26 Mar 2010

Higher Ed Members Push Ahead in Unpredictable Times - Fri, 26 Mar 2010

MetLife Survey: Resources, Collaboration Keys to Success - Wed, 24 Mar 2010

White House Lawyer Quits After Helping Trump Put His Mark On The Federal Bench - Wed, 17 Oct 2018
As White House counsel, Don McGahn led the president's successful push to reshape the federal courts, culminating with the explosive fight over Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Beto O'Rourke Goes On The Attack Against Ted Cruz - Wed, 17 Oct 2018
Lagging in the polls, the Democratic Senate candidate has entered a new phase in his attempt to pull off a big upset in the Texas race for U.S. Senate. Attack ads followed a fiery debate on Tuesday.

The Latest On Where The Texas Senate Race Stands - Wed, 17 Oct 2018
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has been gaining in polls, with more attacks on his Democratic opponent. Meanwhile, Rep. Beto O'Rourke has accumulated record fundraising. They met in a debate Tuesday night.

Chief Justice Roberts Delivers Civics Lesson On Role Of Supreme Court - Wed, 17 Oct 2018
Chief Justice John Roberts gave remarks at University of Minnesota Law School, in which he stressed the importance of an independent judiciary

How The U.S. Could Sanction Saudi Arabia - Wed, 17 Oct 2018
There are several avenues to sanction Saudi Arabia, politically, economically, militarily. All would be difficult to implement without White House support.

http://feeds.politico.com/politico/rss/politicopicks

US Bank Grows Mortgage Assets, Lifts Originations - Thu 18 Oct 2018
U.S. Bancorp increased home lending activity and expanded the size of its residential investment portfolio. But mortgage earnings deteriorated, while servicing was reduced.

Income before income taxes during the three months ended Sept. 30 at the Minneapolis-based bank-holding company was $2.3 billion, according to its third-quarter earnings report.

Results at the parent of U.S. Bank, N.A., inched up from $2.2 billion earned in the same quarter last year and also in the preceding three-month period.

Mortgage Credit Conditions Tighten - Wed 17 Oct 2018
Average credit scores increased on last month's mortgage production, while averaged debt-to-income ratios declined. The tighter credit conditions came as refinances continued to make up a diminishing share of mortgage production.

The share of loans originated in September that were conventional transactions was 65 percent. Conventional share has thinned from 66 percent the same month in 2017.

A fifth of last month's production was for residential loans that were insured by the Federal Housing Administration. The share was the same as 12 months previous.

Home-Equity Lending Set to Grow - Wed 17 Oct 2018
A new report predicts that borrowing against home equity is poised for growth. Lenders can maximize this opportunity by personalizing marketing based on how individual consumers use these loans.

From the first quarter of 2011 until the first quarter of this year, the S&P/Case-Shiller House Price Index ascended 42 percent. Home prices now stand higher than their 2005 housing boom levels.

During that same period, growth in home-equity levels outpaced the increase in home values. Equity among U.S. homeowners -- which previously peaked at $13.2 trillion in the first-quarter 2006 and hovered around $6 trillion between 2009 and 2011 -- climbed to $14.4 trillion in 2017.

Mortgage Apps Drop Again, Jumbo-Conf Spread Doubles - Wed 17 Oct 2018
For the second consecutive week, fewer applications were completed for home loans. As long-term mortgage rates climbed to a seven-year high, the jumbo-conforming spread doubled.

In the seven-day period that ended on Oct. 12, the volume of new retail residential loan applications completed dove a seasonally adjusted 7.1 percent from the preceding week, when activity was also lower.

The data is based on the Market Composite Index, which still moved lower by 7 percent from the week ended Oct. 5 even when no adjustments are made for seasonal factors.

First Republic Bank's Mortgage Originations Tumble - Wed 17 Oct 2018
A 15 percent quarter-over-quarter reduction was reported for First Republic Bank's home-lending volume. As the servicing portfolio was reduced, residential assets expanded.

San Francisco-based First Republic revealed in its third-quarter earnings data that income before the provision for income taxes amounted to $266 billion.

Results were better than in the same three-month period last year, when it earned $242 billion. An improvement was also made from the second quarter of this year, when income was $252 billion.

Breaking News
Error: It's not possible to reach RSS file...

Life Insurance
Error: It's not possible to reach RSS file...

Health Insurance
Error: It's not possible to reach RSS file...

Auto Insurance
Error: It's not possible to reach RSS file...

Homeowners News
Error: It's not possible to reach RSS file...

National Insurance
Error: It's not possible to reach RSS file...

Wall Street Breakfast: Crunch Time At Brexit Summit - Wed, 17 Oct 2018

Wall Street Breakfast: Calm Returns To The Markets? - Tue, 16 Oct 2018

Wall Street Breakfast: Sears Collapses Into Bankruptcy - Mon, 15 Oct 2018

Wall Street Breakfast: What Moved Markets This Week - Sat, 13 Oct 2018

Wall Street Breakfast: Q3 Earnings Season Begins - Fri, 12 Oct 2018

Markets News
Error: It's not possible to reach RSS file...

Economy News
Error: It's not possible to reach RSS file...

CNN

How can I protect my investments from inflation? - Thu, 11 Oct 2018
How can I protect my investments against inflation?

Error: It's not possible to reach RSS file...

Emerging Markets
Error: It's not possible to reach RSS file...