Olivia Solon in San Francisco – Saturday 23 April 2016
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg delivers the keynote address at the F8 conference.
Social network went from digital directory for college kids to communications behemoth – and it’s planning for prosperity with its global takeover
It’s late afternoon on a blustery spring day on the waterfront at San Francisco’s Fort Mason, a former military base that’s now hired out for corporate functions. Vast warehouses, once used to store army supplies, are awash with sleek signs, shimmering lights and endless snacks. Behind them is an Instagram-ready view of Alcatraz island. In front, a fleet of Uber and Lyft cars lines up in the car park, while inside one of the warehouses Scottish synthpop band Chvrches take the stage.
For the first few songs there’s only a small group of hardcore vocal fans at the front of the stage, flanked by a subdued mix of backpack-wearing dad types politely bobbing their heads, drinking cocktails out of plastic cups. Continue reading →
A few years ago when international prices for oil and gold were high, the economy of Dutch-speaking Suriname was at its healthiest since the 1970s, with Central Bank foreign reserves topping $1B, foreign direct investment in bauxite and the hotel sectors peaked and hope for the future abounded.
Now with rates for the Caribbean Community member’s two main exports tanking, the economy is in the kind of tailspin that has not been seen since the 1980s when the military toppled the elected civilian administration and tried to run the country with handpicked favorites. Continue reading →
Global Poverty and Inequality – By Dr. Dhanpaul Narine
Dr. Dhanpaul Narine
Be poor among the poor. Poverty in the midst of plenty is an anomaly of our time. The rise of pauperism alongside the glint of skyscrapers calls for action. If the world’s one percent would pay heed to the words of Pope Francis then poverty may not be as widespread as it is today.
The revelations in the Panama Papers have led many to pause and take stock about where society is heading. There was the growing feeling, even before the revelations, that the gulf between the rich and the poor was widening. It is no secret that the richest 1 percent is close to overtaking the other 99 percent on the planet. What that means in practical terms is that more than a billion people live on less than $1.25 per day and that 1 in 10 do not have enough to eat.
Faulty land-use regulation is throttling the capital
Apr 25th 2016 – The Economist
AT FIRST glance London looks unstoppable. It is the most important city in Europe, perhaps the world. In the past decade its economy has grown twice as fast as Britain’s and its population 50% faster. Scratch the surface, however, and its situation looks less good. The motor of the British economy is becoming less productive and more unequal. The fundamental problem is how land is used and regulated.
Over the last full economic cycle, from 1993 to 2008, the cost of a hectare of residential land in London increased by more than 300% in real terms, to more than £8m ($15m). Commercial-property prices rocketed up as well. Now less-productive industries are moving out. The supply of floor space put to industrial uses such as factories and warehousing has fallen by half in the past five years, suggest data from JLL, a property firm. At the same time London’s population is growing more skilled. Over the past decade the proportion of people with university degrees has increased much more quickly inside the capital than outside it. Continue reading →
Bernie Sanders revved up the crowd at Penn State University last week.
Bernie Sanders is changing the face of American politics, a new poll from Harvard’s Institute of Politics suggests.
According to the survey released Monday, Sanders remains the most popular presidential candidate for so-called millennials between the ages of 18-29, 54 percent of whom view him favorably, compared to 31 percent who harbor unfavorable views.
Just 37 percent of respondents say they see Sanders rival Hillary Clinton favorably, compared to 53 percent who do not. Continue reading →
Government News Brief – April 25, 2016