The single supervisory authority for European Union banks at the European Central Bank

10/20/2013

The task ahead of the supervisory authority for EU banks at the ECB- ensuring confidence in the banking system of the EU as a first a first step towards economic recovery and growth.

Linked Articles

ECB to Start Review of Bank Balance Sheets

Wall Street Journal 10/23/2013

Brian Blackstone, Brian, Blackstone, Christopher Lawton, Christopher, Lawton

New York Times 10/20/2013

Danny Hakim, Danny, Hakim

A black law student at the University of Brasilia, a Harvard trained law graduate in Curitiba, and others changing Brazil's legal system

08/23/2013

Barbosa is one of eight children of a bricklayer in Minas Gerais, now Chief Justice in Brasilia. Dallagnol is a Harvard trained graduate who is working with other prosecutors in Curitiba, a provincial city, investigating corruption and money laundering in Petrobras.

Linked Articles

How Brazil’s ‘Nine Horsemen’ Cracked a Bribery Scandal

Wall Street Journal 04/07/2015

Will Connors And Luciana Magalhaes, Will, Connors, And, Luciana, Magalhaes

New York Times 08/23/2013

Simon Romero, Simon, Romero

The broken link between credit expansion and GDP growth in China (1)

06/24/2013

Orlik and the editors of the WSJ point to the broken link between GDP growth and credit expansion. The IMF warns of increasing credit expansion. Stalling productivity growth and waste means every dollar of investment is bringing in less GDP growth. Stiglitz and Sen point out the need for improving other indicators such as healthcare, education and the environment as an overall guage of progress not just GDP growth. The new Chinese leadership is aware of the need for rebalance the economy towards consumer spending. Moves to reduce healthcare costs form the first efforts in this direction. Search terms "Orlik," "rebalancing."

Linked Articles

China's Reform Moment

Wall Street Journal 07/01/2013

Editorial

Wall Street Journal 06/24/2013

Tom Orlik, Tom, Orlik

Two party systems and the UMNO Party in Malaysia- (1) Debt, corruption and future prospects

05/24/2013

Linked Articles

Fund Controversy Threatens Malaysia’s Leader

Wall Street Journal 06/19/2015

Tom Wright, Tom, Wright

Wall Street Journal 05/24/2013

Alex Frangos, Alex, Frangos, Bob Davis, Bob, Davis

Pakistan Railways and Iraqi Railways- a picture of the Middle East and South Asia in 2014

05/18/2013

Declan Walsh and Tim rango provide aunique insight into the lives of common people in two regions of Asia and the Middle East. A century after the European powers invested in railway lines connecting all parts of the Middle East from Turkey to Iraq and Syria, and connecting all parts of South Asia from the Afghan border to Ceylon, two reporters of the NYT visit the railways in both regions showing the prevailing state of affairs. In Iraq decades of wars and conflict have reduced the railways to a crumbling condition. In South Asia mismanagement, cronyism, corruption has led to disinvestment in Pakistan Railways and inflicted similiar damage to the rail network. Through rail one can see into the life of common people in these regions. What one sees shows that five decades after the colonial powers left this region, the educated elites, the political parties, the military, the religious leaders, have all failed the common people of their homeland.

Linked Articles

A Train Ride Through Time: From Iraq’s Checkered Past Into an Uncertain Future

New York Times 10/18/2014

Tim Arango, Tim, Arango

New York Times 05/18/2013

Declan Walsh, Declan, Walsh

Policy contrast between socialist governments in Venezuela and Bolivia

04/12/2013

Bolivia's socialist government of Evo Morales has taken a different approach by reducing subsidies and increasing gasoline prices to about $2.00 a gallon in 2013. Salaries of governent workers was also increased by 20% in 2013, and additional 10% added to price of locally produced grain and corn, in policy actions. Morales cited as a reason the $150 million in smuggling to neighboring countries of the $660 million in gasoline imports, wasting a significant part of the $380 million annual state gasoline subsidy which could be used for infrastructure. In Venezuela both opposing candidates for president Maduro and Capriles supported the state subsidy for gasoline that is exceptional among developing countries, and at a time when Venezuela is short of foreign currency for other imports.

Linked Articles

Almost-Free Gas Comes at a High Cost

Wall Street Journal 04/12/2013

Ángel González, Ángel, González

New York Times 02/16/2014

William Neuman, William, Neuman

Ari Shavit of Haaretz and Ami Ayalon of Israel Security Agency see a new way forward for peace in the Middle East and reduction of tensions

03/12/2013

The opportunities presented by a rapidly changing Middle East are being observed by perceptive Israeli observers after decades of conflict. By defusing tensions and involving public opinion in the Middle East it provides a more lasting agreement han can be reached with individual leaders in the Middle East. It also returns to the focus to widely shared benefits of economic development of the people in the region and improvements in education, infrastructure and economic opportunity. Old ideas of secuirty are supplemented by new ideas of security.

Linked Articles

Israel Must Seize the Day

New York Times 01/01/2014

Ami Ayalon, Ami, Ayalon

New York Times 03/12/2013

Ari Shavit, Ari, Shavit

Governor Jerry Brown of California and investing in higher education- Brown's effort to replicate a remarkable feat under Edmund Brown

01/10/2013

Jerry Brown's father, Edmund Brown, was Governor of California in the 1960's when he helped build the UC and Cal State university system into a beacon for other states. The state's higher education system became a gateway into the U.S. middle class and powered the state's tech industry.

Linked Articles

Brown Looks at Reshaping California’s Higher Education

New York Times 01/28/2013

Jennifer Medina, Jennifer, Medina

Wall Street Journal 01/10/2013

Vauhini Vara, Vauhini, Vara

The new Jinping-Keqiang leadership and reducing pharmaceutical and healthcare costs to help consumers in China (1)

10/03/2012

After a decade of decline in consumer spending in favor of infrastructure spending to where it is now only 35% of GDP, or half that in the U.S. as a percentage of GDP, China's leadership realizes the need to help consumers. It is seen as high on the list of priorities for the Party's survival. Ordinary Chinese, rural households and the elderly are seriously affected by the high cost of healthcare and the need to set aside a large portion of savings for medical emergencies (Orlik). This further depresses consumer after the impact of low savings rates. With a bursting of the property bubble the money depositors shifted to real estate is also at risk for middle class investors.

Linked Articles

Rebalancing a Divided China

Wall Street Journal 10/03/2012

Tom Orlik, Tom, Orlik

Wall Street Journal 07/25/2013

John Bussey, John, Bussey

The Obama admnistration and the conflict in Syria

08/28/2012

A brief history shows the Alawite community constitutes about 13% of the population in Syria and live mainly in the coastal region near the Mediterranean. Under the French Alawites generally supported the colonial regime and the community was used by the French colonial regime to act as a buffer as they ruled a predominantly Sunni population. The Alawites joined the military and Hafez Assad, an Alawite general, seized control in 1971. His son now rules Syria. The Obama administration has largely missed the struggle of the people for freedom from dictatorships in Syria and Egypt under Mubarak.. With Turkey and Egypt supporting the young people in Syria, the U.S. investment is minor in military and other support compared to the cost of letting the war continue with unintended consequences for the entire region.

Linked Articles

Obama’s Nightmare

New York Times 11/13/2012

Thomas L. Friedman, Thomas, L., Friedman

Wall Street Journal 08/28/2012

Bill Spindle, Bill, Spindle

How keeping seniors as a protected class in current Social Security proposals impacts the young and leads to shrinking investments in defense, social programs, research, education and infrastructure

08/16/2012

This includes the Republican Paul Ryan proposal which also stays away from touching Social Security for today's seniors and passes on the costs to the young. Democrats are using demagoguery and intimidation on this issue. Samuelson cites CBO estimates which show that even with shrinking defense and nondiscretionary spending by a third the U.S. deficit would still be 6.75% of GDP in 2023.

Linked Articles

Robert Samuelson: Ryan’s budget asks nothing of the elderly -; unfortunately - The Washington Post

Washington Post 08/16/2012

Robert Samuelson, Robert, Samuelson

Washington Post 08/16/2012

Editorial

Spain macroprudential supervision of its banking system once lauded now turns out to be "timid" and false, could the same be true for China?

07/18/2012

Spain's central bank had a reputation of providing good supervision for Spain's banking system. The problems at the Cajas Savings banks and the current assessment after the request for $125 billion in EU funds for Spain's banks shows how this turned out to be false. Does China face a similiar problem with its housing bubble. The U.S., UK and Spain, failed to control and manage the effects of a housing bubble, can China be a lone exception? Rapid growth enabled China to cope with bad loans in the banking system, with slower growth, a weak European market for exports, and a stimulus that is about one eighth the size in annual investment- one trillion yuan over 4 years in the current stimulus compared to 4 trillion over 2009-2010 in the last stimulus plan. Can China manage this bubble, does it have the experience managing this type of problem or has it papered over the problems as Spain did? This has repercussions for industries and countries from the export sector in Germany, Australia and Brazil to industries such as the German automobile industry, and companies such as Caterpillar.

Linked Articles

As China’s economy slows, real estate bubble looms - The Washington Post

Washington Post 10/03/2012

Jia Lynn Yang, Jia, Lynn, Yang

Wall Street Journal 07/18/2012

Christopher Bjork, Christopher, Bjork, David Román, David, Román

The Mass at Reims Cathedral in France then and now 50 years later for a lasting reconciliation between France and Germany

07/06/2012

German chancellor Adenauer and French president De Gaulle met at Reims Cathedral in May 1962 The service commemorating the 50th anniversary of that historic meeting and service was held recently. It was an occasion to bring together two leaders with diverging opinions on the eurozone financial crisis, Merkel and Hollande. Their mentors Jacques Delors of France and Helmut Kohl of Germany played an important role in setting up the EU and its institutions.

Linked Articles

Fifty Years Later, a New Chance for Reconciliation

Wall Street Journal 07/06/2012

William Boston, William, Boston, Susann Kreutzmann, Susann, Kreutzmann

New York Times 07/08/2012

Steven Erlanger, Steven, Erlanger