Global

Image: 2010 Drought in Russia. (c) New York Times.

foreignpolicyblogs.com - November 10th, 2012 - Mia Bennett

The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and National Research Council (NRC) have released a report commissioned by the CIA and various other American intelligence agencies on the security threats posed by climate change. The report’s goal is to inform intelligence agencies as to how to best carry out monitoring to anticipate climate-related disasters, help prevent them from occurring, and, when they do, respond to emergencies. The report investigates how climate change could potentially induce social and political stresses that will affect U.S. security over the next decade.

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washingtonpost.com

Uncertainty over whether Washington will agree a spending and taxation deal that is crucial to keeping the U.S. economic recovery on track kept a lid on global market gains on Monday.

Economists have said the U.S. risks slipping into recession if hundreds of billions of dollars in expiring tax cuts and automatic spending reductions take effect on Jan. 1 — the so called “fiscal cliff.” Congress and the White House must find a compromise to prevent a big hit to the world’s biggest economy.

President Barack Obama, fresh from a re-election victory, and House Speaker John Boehner have spoken of compromise but appear to be taking a firm stances on some issues, including whether to raise taxes for the wealthiest.

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Image: Pedestrians walk past graffitti in Athens – a growing number of Greek workers remain nominally employed but have not been paid for some time. Photograph: EPA

guardian.co.uk - October 31st, 2012 - Julia Kollewe and Phillip Inman   

Unemployment in the eurozone has risen to a new record, with more than one in four out of work in Spain and Greece.

There are now 18.49 million people without jobs in the 17 countries sharing the euro, said the European statistics office Eurostat on Wednesday with an extra 146,000 joining the ranks of the unemployed last month.

Youth unemployment – joblessness among under-25s – rose to 23.3%, up from 21% during the same month a year ago.

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