Strangled By War And Siege, Gaza’s Economy ‘On Verge Of Collapse’: World Bank

Global body calls for ‘lifting of the blockade on the movement of goods and people to allow Gaza’s tradable sectors to recover’.

Sarah Lazare
By Sarah Lazare

A Palestinian brother and sister walk in front of a building which was destroyed in last summer's Israel-Hamas war, in the Shijaiyah neighborhood of Gaza City, northern Gaza Strip, Monday, Feb. 23, 2015. Nine months after Israel's 51-day military assault on Gaza, a damning new report released by the World Bank finds that the 1.8 million

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European Nations Join China’s World Bank Alternative In Blow to US

The U.S. has been lobbying Asian nations to persuade them to reject China’s Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

Jason Ditz
By Jason Ditz
Barack Obama, right smiles as a group of children wave flags and flowers during a welcome ceremony held by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China.

U.S. President Barack Obama, right smiles as a group of children wave flags and flowers during a welcome ceremony held by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China. For years, the World Bank’s has been the go-to lender for developing countries has given them huge influence, and that’s just the way the US

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Oil Wells: The New Frontlines In Yemen’s Sectarian Violence

The implications of the battle being waged for access to Yemen’s energy resources extend far beyond the country’s borders. As one analyst told MintPress, “Yemen is an international choking point.”

Catherine Shakdam
By Catherine Shakdam
Yemeni soldiers stand guard in front of Yemen's President Abed Rabbu Mansour Hadi's house. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

While Yemen has been hailed a revolutionary success by the White House, presented to the world as a perfect example of political cooperation, well-planned institutional transition and a partner in counter-terrorism initiatives, the impoverished nation has been faced with crisis after crisis over the past three years and experienced little in the

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#WorldVsBank: Global Coalition Demands End to World Bank’s ‘Moral Bankruptcy’

In actions in cities across the globe, critics of neoliberal development and corporate domination of agriculture say this is ‘Our Land’ and ‘Our Business’.

Jon Queally
By Jon Queally
Turkish soldiers on a tank hold their position on a hilltop on the outskirts of Suruc, at the Turkey-Syria border, overlooking Kobani.

While leaders of the World Bank, the powerful financial institution that governs key aspects of the global economy and international development, converged in Washington D.C. on Friday for their annual meeting, a coalition of grassroots and community organizations from around the world are using the day to speak out against the bank's destructive

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World Bank Accused Of Transferring Safeguards Responsibility To Borrowers

“Other financial institutions that followed the bank in building up their standards … will now follow the bank in tearing them down,” a global development watchdog worries.

Carey L. Biron
By Carey L. Biron
Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Jacob Zuma, Narendra Modi, Dilma Rousseff

WASHINGTON --- A bitter dispute has broken out in recent weeks following the release of proposed changes to World Bank policies aimed at safeguarding local communities and environments. A draft of the proposed reforms, released at the end of July, follows a half-year of consultations in some 40 countries. Yet civil society groups around the

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World Bank Report Warns Of Increased Rioting As Food Prices Rise

A new report from the World Bank reflects the notion that a well-fed population is more willing to tolerate frustrations and perceived injustices than a starving one.

Frederick Reese
By Frederick Reese
Tunisia Riots

The price of food internationally has risen 4 percent between January and April 2014. This marks the first increase in food prices since August 2012 -- the historical peak for food prices. Though the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization projects the second largest cereal harvest for 2014/2015, the world’s grain production is expected

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