Finance : The global financial turmoil and Asian developing countries (PRIV)
(Yilmaz Akyuz, Singapore)
After about six years of exceptional growth, the world economy has now entered a period of instability and uncertainty due to a global financial turmoil triggered by the sub-prime crisis in the United States.

Development : Food crisis rises to forefront at AsDB sessions (PRIV)
(IPS, Madrid)
Three words - high food prices - emerged like a gatecrasher at an event hosted by the Asian Development Bank (AsDB) here that was originally billed as a celebration of the bank's new vision for poverty eradication in Asia.

Finance : For US, no news seems good (PRIV)
(IPS, Washington)
In the troubled US economy, even good news turns to gloom on closer inspection.

United States : Economy high in public's foreign policy worries (PRIV)
(IPS, Washington)
The price of oil and other international economic issues are rapidly taking centre stage among the dominant foreign policy concerns of the US public, which has also become increasingly sceptical about the effectiveness of military action to further Washington's interests abroad, according to a major new survey released on 30 April by the influential Foreign Affairs journal.

Europe : Tax havens cheating the poor (PRIV)
(IPS, Brussels)
Tax havens in Europe are depriving poor countries of more money than they receive in development aid, it has been alleged.

Iraq : "Divide-and-rule" strategy called shortsighted (PRIV)
(IPS, Washington)
Five years since US President George W. Bush's infamous "Mission Accomplished" speech, critics say that the administration has yet to show a credible way to actually "accomplish" the mission that could see a peaceful Iraq and a return home of US troops.