In the last week, headlines have been full of devastating news on extreme weather events linked to climate change and sea level rise. A heat wave skyrocketed energy demand on the Los Angeles grid, leaving tens of thousands without power; in addition to wild forest fires due to drier conditions that have once again forced
The Trump administration is preparing to enforce tariffs on $34 billion in Chinese goods, and China has claimed to retaliate with tariffs of an equal amount in U.S. exports. If Trump’s threats turn out to be true, this could mark the beginning of an escalating trade war. Businesses within the European Union are closely watching
Though the world has enjoyed unprecedented economic prosperity, there are looming problems that may hinder further innovation and growth in the future. Especially worrisome is the aging population problem. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the proportion of a society’s population that is comprised of persons aged 65 or older is called the “aging
The Poverty-Environment Initiative, a global UN enterprise that supports country-led efforts to mainstream poverty-environment linkages, has produced exciting new knowledge drawn from the last ten years of specific UN interventions in 23 countries in Africa, Europe, Latin American and the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. The term ‘poverty-environment-development nexus’ refers to the mutually inclusive linkages
Corruption has been identified as the single most significant obstacle to economic and social development; its claws are systematic, enduring and far-reaching and have long been considered a hindrance to good governance. US$1 trillion is paid in bribes annually while an estimated US$2.6 trillion is stolen through corrupt activities – a sum that is equivalent
The recent crisis in American prisons concerning the separation of children from parents is not the first time that children have been subjected to abuse in immigration cases. Compelled to leave their homeland, children are often subjected to violence, sexual exploitation, and trafficking. This is clearly exemplified in the image of 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi,
The economy of China is big, and it accounts for a large portion of world economy. According to the International Monetary Fund, the Chinese economy is the world’s second largest economy by nominal GDP. Since 1992, the GDP growth rate has never decreased to below five percent, and it has led the world’s economic
Trade has long been considered a strategic tool to reduce poverty and increase economic growth. However, to ensure sustainable economic growth through trade, it must be improved. By combining strategies, a fully optimized trade might be possible. One strategy was introduced by Gambia’s Vice President, Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang, in mid-June. She noted that developing countries have
The renewable energy market is growing, and it’s generating exciting, large-scale changes to the distribution of energy across many regions of the world. A new report, The Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2018, jointly published by the UN Environment, the Frankfurt School-UNEP Collaborating Centre, and the Bloomberg New Energy Finance, finds that the falling
Every year, the world generates a total of 1.3 billion tons of waste – a number that is expected to rise to 4 billion tons by 2100 as global consumption increases and waste is mismanaged. A tenth of our waste is disposed of through incinerated and another four-fifths is dumped in landfills, while the remaining
The growth of Electric Vehicles (EVs) is worth noting. EV sales have recorded an average of 32% growth annually from 2012-2016 and 45% growth over the year ending June 2017 in the U.S. Moreover, the future of global EV sales is much more bullish. Though there are debates about EV market projections, the general consensus
This is a 3-minute read that can help us leave a proud legacy behind, along with a cleaner environment. By 2050, we will see more plastic in the ocean than fish! Shocking, but not surprising considering that 80% of the plastic found in the oceans originates on land and only 9% of plastic is recycled
Yemen is still facing the worst humanitarian crisis in decades, and it is not getting better. Mass killings and displacements have taken place since the start of war in 2015, and the country has become a playground for national and international powers. The ongoing conflict in Yemen intensified in March 2015 when Houthi rebels—a minority
By 2025, women could add an additional 26%, to the global annual GDP if they participated in the economy at the same level as men, as reported by McKinsey Global Institute. According to the UNDP, gender disparity is seen in every country and many women face unequal treatment at their workplace as compared to men.
In 2014, approximately 62.5 percent of the 1.06 billion people living without access to electricity resided in Sub-Sahara Africa. This represented 6 out of 10 people or about 609 million people; more than any other region of the world. Nearly 80% of those lacking access to electricity across sub-Saharan Africa live in rural communities.
TBG is excited to introduce you to our Summer 2018 Internship Team. This accomplished group of graduate students will be assisting TBG on our ongoing projects, business development, and research on various development challenges and initiatives. Learn more about our each intern below. Eline Tangen Andresen Eline, pronounced Alina, is a graduate student at the
BP released its annual Statistical Review of World Energy last week, revealing good news as well as some surprising trend reversals. After 3 years of stagnation, carbon emissions went up by 1.6 percent in 2017. This was driven, in part, by an increase in coal consumption for the first time since 2013. Generally, global GDP
Back in 2012, the Japanese Prime Minister Abe announced “three arrows of economics,” one of which was Womenomics. The word Womenomics was created to show the need for Prime Minister Abe to encourage more women to join the labor market and enlarge the influence of women in the economy. Five years later, it is necessary
Source: http://choose-forex.com/ Although the Trump Administration withdrew from TPP more than one year ago, it has always been a heated topic that has often been brought back to the table. In April, 2018, Trump signaled the United States might be willing to rejoin the TPP. The TPP is a trade agreement negotiated by the Obama
On the morning of April 24, 2013, workers in the Rana Plaza area of Dhaka, Bangladesh, were trapped as the rumbling vibration of the building’s generators, turned on after a power cut, brought the building tumbling down. Cracks in the foundation of the building had started to show the day before, but according to
picture source: http://www.mexiconewsnetwork.com/news/mexico-new-eu-trade-deal/ Mexico and the European Union reached an agreement on April 21st, 2018to escalate the terms of their Free Trade Agreement, which was originally signed nearly two decades ago. As the United States decides to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and impose high tariffs on imported steel and aluminum
From May 1, 2018, citizens from 59 countries around the world can visit Hainan, the second largest island in China, without having a visa for as long as 30 days. This policy reflects the Chinese Government’s April 14, 2017 guideline to deepen reform, open up, and encourage the Hainan Province to be the “free trade
Evidence shows that expanding access to credit can produce significant benefits for borrowers—from job retention to higher incomes, according to the Economic Growth Center. Recent years have seen an unprecedented growth in access to formal credit for individuals at the base of the pyramid. In some countries, this rapid growth has outpaced the financial
The Damascus sky lights up with surface-to-air missiles as a U.S.-led attack targeted different parts of the Syrian capital early Saturday, April 14, 2018. Hassan Ammar / AP On April 14th, Trump wrote on Twitter: “A perfectly executed strike last night. Thank you to France and the United Kingdom for their wisdom and the power of
Recently, a documentary film called The China Hustle thoroughly described how some Chinese companies deceived U.S investors through Reverse Takeover. Meanwhile, Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant, claimed the title of the largest global IPO ever, surpassing the Agricultural Bank of China’s IPO offer by almost 3 billion dollars (Forbes.com). Therefore, it is critical to understand
Women’s access to and control over land and other productive resources are a cornerstone in ensuring their right to equality and an adequate standard of living. Current policy debates in developing countries have acknowledged that women have different needs from men, and that in many societies there are specific challenges that limit women’s access to
Source: Aljazeera (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/10/un-finds-widespread-torture-libya-jails-2013101222039997454.html) The Arab Spring captured the imagination of Western Media as well as young Arabs around the world. It created massive expectations thanks to the successive rising of hundreds of thousands of protestors ranging from Egypt to Syria. Nevertheless, after several years from the beginning of the movement in December of 2010 in
Source: Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/the-caravan-of-migrants-thats-alarmed-president-trump-has-now-stalled/2018/04/03/534b01c2-36aa-11e8-af3c-2123715f78df_story.html?utm_term=.0968a35197d9) In these past few days, the issue of border security has gained relevance in the news cycle in the United States. Primarily, because of the US President tweeting about his policy proposal to mobilize US troops to the US Southern Border until a border wall is built. The justification for this
Photo Source: Al Jazeera Despite progress around humanitarian intervention and the improved living conditions of refugee camps around the world, many refugees continue to face limited access to social and economic opportunities to integrate into a new country and live prosperous lives. Evidence from Consultative Group to Assist the Poor’s (CGAP) working paper on
According to a related set of figures compiled by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) from 1995 to the end of 2007, offshore banks, on average, were receiving little more than 47% of total cross-border deposits and little more than 43% of all cross-border loans from other tax havens. Though these figures do not distinguish
© Photo Illustration: Shutterstock/CNN On March 22nd, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office released the U.S. Section 301 investigation report. Trump signed a trade memorandum to impose heavy tariffs on about 1,300 categories of Chinese goods, the total value of which is approximately 60 billion U.S. dollars. The memo also includes restrictions on Chinese companies from
In 2008, the world was experiencing the largest and most destructive financial crisis since the Great Depression. This financial crisis was triggered by the bursting of the housing market bubble in the United States which caused serious consequences both in the US and around the world. The aftermath of the financial crisis included the
Taking place each year on March 22nd, World Water Day is a unique opportunity for the international community to focus on the vital importance of water and to commit to taking collective action to ensure its conservation for future generations. This year marks the beginning of the United Nations’ (UN) “Decade of Action” for water.
Source: Fox News (http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/03/17/latest-russia-says-30000-flea-besieged-east-ghouta.html) It has been around 8 years since the Syrian Civil War started. It has become a conflict of global proportions as global superpowers have been involved in the fighting. In fact, a report by the United Nations released a few weeks ago showed how both Russia and the United States committed
PHOTO: Mr Putin’s victory will extend his total time in office to nearly a quarter of a century. (AP: Pavel Golovkin) The Russian presidential election ended at 8 pm local time on March 18th. Among the 80 percent of the votes that have been counted, 76.1 percent are for President Putin’s. This win puts him
Photo Source: New York Times. Stephen Hawking passed away on March 14, 2018 at the age of 76. He was a physicist and best-selling author who did not allow his physical limitations to hinder his quest to answer some of the universe’s most pressing questions. In addition to having a brilliant mind, Hawking’s computer-generated
Source: CNN Money (http://money.cnn.com/2011/07/25/technology/solar-new-york/index.htm) This past week, the City of Tempe, in Arizona, has ruled to move toward using 100 percent renewable energy in its buildings and facilities. The City Council passed a measure highlighting the city’s commitment to become carbon neutral by 2050. This is the latest advance in the city’s tackling of climate
Photo：http://news.ifeng.com On March 8th, South Korean President Yu Yirong announced in Washington that Trump had accepted the request of Kim Jong-un to have a summit. President Trump also issued a tweet to confirm this statement, and state the summit will be held before May 2018. As soon as the news came out, it immediately raised
In South Korea, 14 percent of its 51 million people are expected to be 65 or older at the end of 2017, and this figure is expected to reach 40.1 percent by 2060. Unbelievably, 49.6 percent of the elderly in South Korea live in poverty, which is the highest among OECD countries. A survey conducted
Source: The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/08/disabled-people-metoo-womens-movement-inclusion-diversity). A year after “A Day Without a Woman,” which saw women across the United States boycotting paid and unpaid labor to highlight the impact of women on society, people around the world responded to the call for a global women’s strike on International Women’s Day (IWD). The IWD organizers cite the
Source: The Daily Star (http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2018/Mar-06/440460-russia-us-air-strikes-caused-mass-civilian-deaths-in-syria-un.ashx) The Syrian Civil War captured the attention of the international community, and by implication of the media, since its beginning in 2012. The first wave of attention on the war focused on its similarity to other movements in what became known as the “Arab Spring,” a group of socio-political movements
For more than 20 years, Turkey and Armenia have lived with closed borders and no diplomatic relations. The tension between the two countries exists on the ground of disagreements on the Armenian Genocide and the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. Since the normalization processes of 2008-2009 and Football Diplomacy failed, no comprehensive intervention has been designed to
Photo: GETTY IMAGES Last week, President Trump said he would impose a 25 percent tariff, or tax, on steel imports and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum, sparking a big sell-off in stocks. Trump announced the decision on the same day he met representatives of steel and aluminum enterprises in the White House. However, White
Maxim Marmur | AFP | Getty Images File photo shows Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) watching a launch,18 February 2004 at the Artic Cosmodrome in Plesetsk. Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered his 2018 State of the Union address to the Federal Assembly last Friday. The State of the Union address, which was also the 14th
© Cugianza84 | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images On February 25th, 2018, the Communist Party of China released a proposal that aims to revise China’s constitution. The proposal contains twenty-one articles, among which articles fourteen, five and twenty are the most important. First, article fourteen proposes to ease the restriction, which rules that the Chairman
This week, the Republic of Korea passed a law to reduce the standard work week in an effort to improve quality of life and boost employment. The bill, which cut the maximum weekly work hours from 68 to 52, will initially apply to large companies in July 2018, before it is rolled out to smaller
Freedom of media continues to face major problems in Armenia. Despite constitutional protection and certain legal guarantees, media outlets and journalists face threats and intimidation from political figures and police. Lack of protection and weak rule of law create an environment for self-censorship. Media outlets continue to be largely dependent on external financing and affiliated
Photo: RFA On the afternoon of February 14th, a fiery collision sank an Iranian tanker “Sangqi” from the Iranian National Tanker Company in the East China Sea. Under the raging fire is the tanker, which was carrying 136,000 tons of condensate oil. The contents of the taker entering the sea is very concerning when it
UNICEF intends to study refugees’ conditions in Jordan camps. (AFP/ File Photo) If you live in a peaceful country, it is sometimes hard to imagine, at this time, there is a generation of children who are still living with the fear of bombings, starvation and illness on the other side of the world. As the
