The poor half billion in South Asia: Is there hope for change?

Ejaz Ghani, Lakshmi Iyer, 23 March 2010Is conflict a cause or a result of underdevelopment? This column presents research on South Asia – the second most violent region in the world. It argues that conflict is both a cause and an effect. To break out of the trap, policymakers need to reduce poverty while at the same time restraining conflict to enable the much needed economic growth.Full Article: Conflict and development: Lessons from South Asia

Ejaz Ghani, 28 October 2010South Asia’s economy is one of the fastest growing in the world, yet it is also home to the largest concentration of people living in debilitating poverty. How do the two co-exist? This column says that South Asia’s division into leading and lagging regions means that stupendous growth hides deep pockets of poverty.Full Article: The poor half billion: Pockets of poverty in South Asia

Canadian projects will be under more pressure than most to link to Henry Hub, given the current linkage with the U.S. market Alarmed by the 13.4% jump in its natural gas import bill last year, Japan is planning a new energy strategy that could change how natural gas is traded around the world and put pressure on some of the proposed Canadian liquefied natural gas projects.

The so-called “fair price” shops, which are state-owned, have been for decades the only source of provisions and food at low prices for families in Rajasthan’s Kotkasim region. In the past couple of years the number of fair price shop in India reached half a million. The Jakopur Village Cooperative Society, which is based in a cement warehouse, services near 685 seemingly poor households.   

Ian Fletcher claims here that "Free Trade Isn't Helping World Pov

A concerted effort is being made by institutions like the World Bank to quantify various types of transaction costs incurred by businesses (Doing Business, Enterprise Surveys). The rationale for focusing on transaction costs (and reducing them) is usually couched in mainstream economic concerns. That is, in an attempt to increase growth rate of GDP per capita, create jobs, reduce poverty, and so on.

The main story overnight is without doubt the dramatic plunge in the Yen, which following the breach and trigger of USDJPY 100 stops has been a straight diagonal line to the upper right (or lower for the Yen across all currency crosses) and at last check was approaching 101.50, in turn sending the USD higher in virtually all jurisdictions.

It's a curious thing when the world's biggest growth market, Asia, has dramatically underperformed American and European stock markets, this year and over the past 12 months. Particularly as it should be a key beneficiary of any green shoots of global economic recovery. More curious still is that Asia's most cyclical markets - China, South Korea, Taiwan and Malaysia - which should be the largest winners from any economic pick-up, have been among the worst performers in Asia.