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Jpepa will worsen food crisis - group
12-Aug-2008 GMA News
The food crisis hounding the Philippines today may escalate if the government embarks on a full-scale liberalization of the economy under the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (Jpepa), according to food security advocates.
Overfishing linked to food crisis, migration
12-Aug-2008 AllAfrica.com
According to a recent report by the nongovernmental organisation ActionAid, West African seas are being devastated by legal and illegal overfishing, while local fishing industries decline. Moreover, the economic partnership agreements in their currently proposed form only exacerbate this problem.
Guyanese Government to host public EPA consultations
12-Aug-2008 Barbados Advocate
Weeks ago President of Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo, announced his scepticism on signing the Economic Partnership Agreement trade deal with the European Community. Now it has been revealed that the Guyanese government will be hosting public consultations on the proposed arrangement come the beginning of September.
Human rights, rule of law sticky issues in RP-EU pact
12-Aug-2008 Business Mirror
THE Philippines is seeking to settle sticky issues in the proposed partnership cooperation agreement (PCA) with the European Union which include government’s commitments to uphold human rights and rule of law in the country before the Asia Europe Meeting (Asem) Summit in Beijing in October this year.
Pakistan, US to resume stalled negotiations on BIT soon: US official
11-Aug-2008 APP
Pakistan and the United States have agreed to resume stalled negotiations on Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT), with the objective of deepening their strategic relations in various fields, a senior US official said Monday.
Australia seeks regional free trade deal
11-Aug-2008 The Age
Australia is hopeful of an early conclusion to a regional free trade agreement (FTA) with intensive negotiations underway, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith says. The potential deal between Australia, New Zealand and Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) was discussed at bilateral talks between Smith and his Indonesian counterpart Hassan Wirajuda in Jakarta on Monday.
Labour leaders report back: No to Colombia FTA
11-Aug-2008 rabble
We visited Colombia from July 18-25 on behalf of one million Canadian public sector workers. Our mission was to see for ourselves whether our opposition to the Canada-Colombia free trade agreement was justified. What we saw and learned confirmed that we are right to oppose this deal and to speak out against it on behalf of Colombian workers and their families.
Australia, South Korea to discuss FTA
11-Aug-2008 WA
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has reached agreement with South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak to open preparatory talks on a free trade agreement (FTA).
Ratification of FTA with US urged this year
10-Aug-2008
The Federation of Korean Industries is urging the ratification of the free trade agreement with the United States within this year.
SAARC rhetoric and economic realities
10-Aug-2008
The focus of this year’s SAARC Summit was on terrorism. Economic cooperation, regional food security and the perennial issue of poverty reduction were among the economic issues that were deliberated. SAARC summits have tended to be high on rhetoric and low on achievement. Once upon a time, NATO was described as No Action Talk Only.
Chevron lobbies White House to pressure Ecuador to stop $12bin Amazon pollution lawsuit
10-Aug-2008 DN!
Chevron is being accused of promoting geopolitical blackmail in its efforts to stave off a lawsuit accusing it of contaminating the Ecuadorian rain forest. Nearly 30,000 Amazon residents are seeking $12 billion from Chevron for dumping billions of gallons of toxic oil waste. According to Newsweek, the oil giant is urging the Bush administration to yank special trade preferences for Ecuador if the country’s government doesn’t force the Amazon residents to drop the case.
Japan gets lift from Indonesian nurses
9-Aug-2008
About 200 Indonesian care-givers and nurses have arrived in Japan to take part in the two nations’ economic partnership agreement, officials said.
’Bad deal’
9-Aug-2008
They failed us! That’s what governments, intellectuals and trade unions in CARIFORUM (CARICOM and the Dominican Republic) who negotiated the Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union did to this region, says James Paul, of the Barbados Agricultural Society.
CARICOM and Canada to hold trade talks
9-Aug-2008
Negotiations for a new trade agreement between the Caribbean and Canada should start in October.
Indo-EFTA pact on trade & investment likely by next yr
9-Aug-2008
The proposed trade and investment agreement between India and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) - including Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein - is likely to be in place by the middle of next year. Swiss ambassador to India Dominique Dreyer said that the pact will give a big boost to trade and investment between the two sides. Relaxation of business visa norms, however, may not be on the cards as Switzerland would merge its visa system with other Schengen countries by the end of the year and hence will not be able to take decisions independently, the ambassador said.
Bahrain: Best Yet To Come
9-Aug-2008
Two years down the track, Bahrain’s free trade agreement (FTA) with the US has garnered mixed reviews, with some hailing it as an overwhelming success while others say it has yet to reach its full potential.
South Koreans fill streets of Seoul to continue protest sgainst US beef imports
9-Aug-2008 DN!
For the past two months, protesters have been filling the streets of Seoul condemning a decision to lift a ban on imported beef from the United States. We speak with Michael Hansen, senior scientist for Consumers Union.
Viewpoint: Labour mobility deals
9-Aug-2008 Islands Business
Under pressure to sign on to new free trade agreements, Pacific Islands governments interested in securing positive outcomes for their peoples see deals on labour mobility as potential development gains. But is this the right approach? And what are the potential costs?
Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement between India, Syria
9-Aug-2008 Economic Times
The Union Cabinet on Friday gave its ex post facto approval for the signing of a Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPA) between India and Syria
India to sign labour agreements with Malaysia, Oman and Bahrain
9-Aug-2008 PIB
India has clinched labour agreements with Malaysia, Oman and Bahrain for protection and welfare of Indian emigrants in these countries.