- Legatum Institute
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- 29 July 2010
- It's How You Spend -
IRIN
Members of the African Union (AU) reaffirmed at the end of their meeting on 27 July in Kampala, Uganda, that they would strive to spend 15 percent of their national budgets on health, but at the end of the day it is about how "effectively and efficiently" you spend the money, not about how much. The promise to spend 15 percent on health was made in Abuja, Nigeria, in 2001, but health experts like Chikezie Anyanwu, Africa Advocacy Advisor to Save the Children, which works to promote children's rights, were left wondering whether the percentages actually made a difference.
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- Legatum Institute
- Article
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- 29 July 2010
- Through the Eyes of Witnesses -
The Economist
On July 22nd, Human Rights Watch released its report on the abuses that Chinese security forces are alleged to have committed in Tibet since the massive eruption of anti-Chinese unrest there in 2008. The 73-page document describes itself as the first comprehensive examination of the ongoing crackdown. Based largely on interviews with 200-odd Tibetans who left the region as refugees or on visits, it is a valuable contribution to an under-reported story. China is adept at ensuring that little news of such repression gets out. In the far western province of Xinjiang, where the authorities have been cracking down since an outbreak of ethnic violence in July last year, the tactic has been to sever communications links with the outside world by mobile telephone or the internet (though restrictions have been relaxed since May). On the Tibetan plateau, the authorities in some places confiscated mobile phones and computers from monks and made it all the more difficult for foreign journalists—who are rarely welcome at the best of times—to visit. By chance I was the only foreign reporter on the spot when rioting erupted in Lhasa on March 14th 2008. I was not allowed back again until nearly two years later and then only for a frustratingly brief tour.
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- Legatum Institute
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- Legatum Institute
- Article
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- 29 July 2010
- Cuba: Nothing New to Say -
Marifeli Perez-Stable, The Miami Herald
It was a memorable July 26 after all. For the first time ever, neither Fidel nor Raúl Castro addressed the nation. The nondescript José Ramón Machado Ventura -- Raúl's second in command -- delivered the main speech, reminding Cubans that the ``economic battle'' is the ``principal task.'' Machado echoed Raúl's words in April and also his call to proceed cautiously, step by step, without rush. So went the 57th anniversary of the Moncada Barracks assault that marked Fidel Castro's debut into national politics. On July 26, 2007, Raúl had raised expectations by calling for structural changes. Three years later, Cubans are still waiting. What's unforgettable is the leadership's blind spot on the economy. Fidel never had anything but disdain for markets and the right of ordinary Cubans to make a living. On economic matters, Raúl has always been more pragmatic but shunned confronting his brother when push came to shove. Prior to July 26, Havana had been awash in rumors that a big announcement would be made. Raúl, alas, acted like a politician by letting Machado deliver the bad news. All the same, speculation continues that the president will make a major speech before the end of the year on the economy.
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- Legatum Institute
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- Legatum Institute
- Article
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- 27 July 2010
- Supporting Trafficked Children -
Baroness Massey of Darwen, ePolitix
Trafficked children are very much an unidentified group who need help. The Anti-Trafficking Monitoring Group, a coalition of charities who support trafficked children, report that between April and December 2009, 527 potential victims of trafficking were referred to the National Referral mechanism.
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- Legatum Institute
- Article
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- 27 July 2010
- Britain: Plays Well With Others -
George Parker, The Financial Times
David Cameron is on a roll. While other world leaders are buffeted by collapsing poll ratings, Britain’s new prime minister is in the midst of an end-of-term global tour, radiating confidence.
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- Legatum Institute
- Article
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- 27 July 2010
- End of the Beginning -
Guardian Editorial
Parliament's initial 11 weeks have been tumultuous, the largest culture shift in generations.
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- Legatum Institute
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- 26 July 2010
- Stop Taxing Fight Against Malaria -
President Yoweri Museveni and President Jakaya Mrsiho Kikwete, The Wall Street Journal
The presidents of Tanzania and Uganda say removing tariffs can benefit African health care, and African entrepreneurs.
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- Legatum Institute
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- 26 July 2010
- The I.M.F. We Need -
The New York Times
Just a year after the Group of 20 agreed to triple the resources of the International Monetary Fund to $750 billion, the head of the fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, is asking for $250 billion more to bolster its lending war chest. This is a lot of money. Given its stake in the fund, Washington’s share could be about $42 billion. The fund should still get it. No one should forget that just a few weeks ago the I.M.F. had to commit nearly $40 billion to help stop Greece from imploding, and days later, it promised $320 billion to try to stop the euro from crashing.
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