What We’re Reading 9/2/09

Sep 2nd, 2009 12:00 PM UTC
By Chandler Smith

Reuters: Israel’s Lieberman takes diplomacy drive to Africa
Israel’s foreign minister visits Africa this week in a bid to boost trade ties and drum up diplomatic support in a continent where pro-Arab sentiment has long been strong.

Reuters: UN urges rich nations to fund new green deal fast
The world’s rich countries must provide some $500 to $600 billion a year as soon as possible in a green new deal to help developing nations fight global warming, the United Nations said in a survey on Tuesday.

AFP: US sees WTO ministerial talks key to Doha success
The United States expects a world trade ministerial meeting in India this week to be an “important step” in efforts to conclude the Doha free trade accord, President Barack Obama’s top trade envoy said. The two-day informal talks beginning Thursday in New Delhi will be attended by World Trade Organization (WTO) Director General Pascal Lamy and ministers from rich and emerging nations with sharp differences on issues such as farm subsidies and tariffs on industrial products.

Washington Post: In Oil-Rich Niger Delta, the Sun Never Sets
Analysts say Nigeria may be embarking on its most serious effort to stop gas-flaring, which amounts to cash going up in smoke — as much as $2.5 billion worth a year. The government has also offered amnesty to delta rebels in a long-shot bid to end the insurgency. And the World Bank has pledged to guarantee the public electricity company’s payments for gas supplied to the domestic power market, just in case it defaults on bills.

Telegraph: London’s G20 pre-meet is a test of progress
Chancellor Darling and the Bank of England’s governor, Mervyn King, will host a two-day summit this week before handing the baton to President Obama for the G20. This week, the G20′s finance ministers and central bankers are paving the way for the main event, three weeks later. The London meeting will define priorities for Pittsburgh, and much of the agenda is likely to sound familiar.

France and Germany declare war on bankers’ bonuses
France and Germany are squaring up for a fight with Britain and the US over bankers’ bonuses after President Nicolas Sarkozy and the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, agreed a hardline stance before the G20 finance ministers’ meeting this weekend.

-Chandler Smith

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