El Salvador’s Bitcoin experiment has proven a spectacular failure
A year ago, El Salvador became the first country to make Bitcoin legal tender – alongside the US dollar, which the Central American country adopted in 2001 to replace its own currency. Since then, the experiment has proven a spectacular failure, writes John Hawkins from University of Canberra. President Nayib Bukele, a cryptocurrency enthusiast, promoted …
Pakistan: ”I can understand the frustration among aid organisations”
Why is civil society so critical of Pakistan? What has the government learned from the flooding and what can be done to prevent future catastrophes? There is not often news on Pakistan in Swedish media and when there is, it’s often related to violence, corruption, and political instability. Now, the ongoing floods have put Pakistan …
Will Biden fire the World Bank president?
Does the World Bank believe in climate change? Uncertainty is high after the Bank’s head David Malpass was unable to answer the question of whether he accepts the scientific consensus. Criticism of the bank chief is mounting – with President Joe Biden likely planning on firing him. It was at a September 20 panel discussion …
Global Podd 114. Why are old men so afraid of gay people?
Why are old men in Eastern European countries so afraid of Pride and the LGBTQI movement? What can young people do to make them more gay-friendly? What should you think of before you decide to come out of the closet in countries such as Moldova and Georgia and what can we learn from Sweden when …
How the US Fed holds the world in its hands
The US Federal Reserve Bank (Fed) is the most important actor in the governance of the international financial system and African countries have no means for holding the Fed accountable for the adverse impacts its actions have on Africa, writes Danny Bradlow from University of Pretoria. Inflation is a global problem. At the end of …
Why are Armenia and Azerbaijan at war again?
In the early hours of September 13, 2022, Azerbaijani forces launched attacks on Armenian military position. This has resulted in war between these two countries flaring up again. What is the cause- and why is it happening now, and why is the EU so silent? We spoke to Azerbaijan expert and freelance journalist Rasmus Canbäck …
Africa: Climate change means death for children
Africa has some of the poorest and hottest countries in the world. This means that young African children are at particular risk of heat stress impacts, as newborn babies are particularly vulnerable to high temperatures, writes Cathryn Birch, University of Leeds; John Marsham, University of Leeds, and Sarah Chapman, University of Leeds. Climate change has …
UNOPS: The Scandal Continues
Four months have passed since the revelations that over $20 million has disappeared from the UNOPS, but little has happened. US Ambassador to the UN Chris Lu has forcefully criticised UNOPS. Meanwhile, Finland continues to withhold all its funding for the UN system in protest at the lack of transparency. It was in May 2022 …
Finnish UN Funding Freeze Continues
The Finnish freeze on all funding to the UN system in the wake of the UNOPS scandal has not yet been lifted. – ”We are currently conducting a risk management analysis of all our UN partners which will be finalised in the coming weeks. After that, we will make new decisions,” says Karoliina Romanoff from …
Racism made in China?
While China attempts to portray itself as a different type of partner of Africa, state run media in China has consistently shown a deep ignorance whilst propagating deeply racist content. In fact, racist accounts on China’s largest social media platform Weibo echo American Alt-Right and Incel ideologies. A recent investigation by BBC Africa Eye laid …
