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New York Times (December 20)

2014/ 12/ 21 by jd in Global News

“The vision of two separate states, with Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace” is proving elusive despite “years of arduous negotiations to solve the Middle East conflict.” As confidence wanes in the realizability of a two-state solution, it may be the time to consider alternatives.

 

Financial Times (December 19)

2014/ 12/ 20 by jd in Global News

Concerns that lower oil prices will spark deflation are misplaced. “While lower oil prices will have a one-off arithmetic effect on the price level and hence reduce inflation, that should boost growth rather than retarding it. Lower oil prices…benefit households almost immediately,” essentially raising real incomes and stimulating demand.

 

Bloomberg (December 18)

2014/ 12/ 19 by jd in Global News

Early this year, Kremlin aids advised Vladimir Putin that “Russia was rich enough to withstand the financial repercussions from a possible incursion into Ukraine.” Their advice and the subsequent invasion “now looks like a grave miscalculation. Russia has driven interest rates to punishing levels and spent at least $87 billion, or 17 percent, of its foreign-exchange reserves trying to prevent a collapse in the ruble from spiraling into a panic.

 

Wall Street Journal (December 17)

2014/ 12/ 18 by jd in Global News

“When we increased paid leave at Google to 18 weeks, the rate at which new mothers left fell by 50%.” For her fifth time, the CEO of Youtube will take maternity leave at Google, but Susan Wojcicki points out that Google remains an exception in the U.S. where paid leave is not federally required. “Paid maternity leave is good for mothers, families and business. America should have the good sense to join nearly every other country in providing it.”

 

Washington Post (December 16)

2014/ 12/ 17 by jd in Global News

“The drama playing out in Russia on Tuesday was not pretty. The ruble’s exchange rate has collapsed by some 50 percent against the dollar since mid-June, with an accelerating fall in recent days….Russia now faces a full-blown currency crisis.” The crisis, however, did not spring out of nowhere. “For President Vladimir Putin, the crisis is his own doing, a direct outgrowth of a meddlesome adventure into Ukraine.”

 

USA Today (December 16)

2014/ 12/ 16 by jd in Global News

“For 22 years, the nations of the world have been discussing ways to prevent catastrophic damage to the Earth’s climate caused by emissions of greenhouse gases…. About the best that can be said for the accord announced in Peru on Sunday, after two weeks of talks among nearly 200 nations, is that even a weak deal is better than no deal.”

 

The Economist (December 15)

2014/ 12/ 15 by jd in Global News

“Mr Abe’s gamble to dissolve the lower house of the Diet in November was his alone, opposed by many in his party. It has paid off handsomely, and he may now become one of Japan’s longest-serving post-war prime ministers.”

 

Bloomberg (December 14)

2014/ 12/ 14 by jd in Global News

Under the leadership of Masahiko Kuroda, the Bank of Japan’s “policies have indeed been bold — bolder than anything Abe himself has been willing to attempt. But the BOJ’s policies are allowing the government to sidestep its responsibility. That must stop if Abenomics is to come off life support. On Friday, Kuroda should begin nudging Abe to do something with his popular mandate for change. Anything.”

 

Financial Times (December 13)

2014/ 12/ 13 by jd in Global News

“France is in a similar situation to Italy. Both are attempting structural reform while fighting the threat of recession and asking the EU—which is to say Berlin—for more leeway on fiscal policy.” The reforms will help to remove “the bureaucratic sclerosis that chokes off innovation and growth.”

 

Washington Post (December 11)

2014/ 12/ 12 by jd in Global News

“To get a taste for the havoc possible in today’s digital world, consider the recent cyberattack on Sony Pictures Entertainment.” The massive 100 terabytes of stolen data has revealed “embarrassing details about executive salaries and secret movie negotiations—but the hack is also a worrisome moment in ­cybersecurity…. It is now a fact that many of the world’s most powerful nations are building cyberforces, either directly or with mercenary proxies. This is creating a cyberspace with plenty of risks.”

 

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