News stories by Jomo Kwame Sundaram, page 26

SYDNEY and KUALA LUMPUR, Apr 09 (IPS) - Within weeks, the Covid-19 epidemic was classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an epidemic of international significance, triggering a pre-agreed WHO response. By the end of the first week of April, more than 1.3 million people had been confirmed as infected, with over 65,000 deaths across the world.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Apr 07 (IPS) - In 2006, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation jointly launched the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). The African Green Revolution Forum claims AGRA is the "world's most important and impactful forum for African agriculture".

PENANG, Apr 03 (IPS) - Martin Khor Kok Peng passed away just after the end of the first quarter of 2020. He leaves behind an unusually rich legacy. Atypically for people mainly working in the worldideas, he was also a very practical and pragmatic activist who successfully built and sustained several important initiatives which will live on after him.

SYDNEY and KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 31 (IPS) - As the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic shifts from China to the developed West, all too many rich countries are acting selfishly, invoking the ‘national interest', by banning exports of vital medical supplies.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Mar 26 (IPS) - By the third week of March 2020, the number of Covid-19 deaths in Italy had overtaken the number of deaths in China. Authorities all over the world are restricting the movements of their populations as part of efforts to control the spread of Covid-19.

SYDNEY and KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 24 (IPS) - The economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic is hard to predict as events are still unfolding, and estimates vary dramatically. UNCTAD estimates lost output in the order of US$1 trillion, just over a third of Bloomberg's expectation of US$2.7 trillion in losses. The OECD expects global economic growth to halve from already anaemic levels.

BERLIN and KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 19 (IPS) - It is now clear that most East Asian government responses to novel coronavirus or Covid-19 outbreaks have been effective. In Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and Taiwan, the number infected have remained relatively low despite their proximity and vulnerability, while containment in China and South Korea has been impressive.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Mar 17 (IPS) - ‘Getting government out of the way', the neoliberal ‘free market' mantra, was supposed to boost private investment. Instead, business investment has declined as a consequence. Many economies now seem incapable of making much needed investments to sustain growth, apparently due to ‘capital allocation' problems.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Mar 11 (IPS) - The US is currently still in a stock market bubble which, if history is any guide, is likely to end, as argued by Thomas Palley. While President Trump would, of course, like to sustain it to strengthen his November re-election prospects, the Covid19 black swan is already showing signs of pricking the bubble

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Mar 10 (IPS) - The US is currently still in a stock market bubble which, if history is any guide, is likely to end, perhaps soon due to Covid19. President Trump would, of course, like to sustain it to strengthen his November re-election prospects.