Gourt > News > Current Events (32)
News is new information or current events. The reporting of news falls into the field of journalism. News can be reported by a variety of sources, such as newspapers, television and radio programs, wire services, and web sites. News reporting is a type of journalism, typically written or broadcast in news style. Most news is investigated and presented by journalists and can be distributed to various sites via news agencies. If the content of news is significant enough, it eventually becomes history.
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Newsworthiness
To be considered newsworthy, an event usually must have broad interest due to one or more news values:-
- Effect (how many people were, are or will be affected?)
- Timeliness (did the event occur very recently?)
- Revelation (is there significant new information, previously unknown?)
- Proximity (was the event nearby geographically?)
USATODAY.com News - Top Stories
New heatwave threatens to give Calif. fires new life
Tue, 08 Jul 2008 19:56:29 -0000
Firefighters faced worsening weather conditions Tuesday that pushed flames across firebreaks in parts of California and chased ...
Hurricane Bertha weakens in open Atlantic
Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:31:05 -0000
Forecasters say Hurricane Bertha has weakened to a Category 1 storm.
Pentagon to decide on Air Force tanker contract
Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:08:22 -0000
The Pentagon is expected to announce Wednesday whether the Air Force will rebid a $35 billion contract to build new refueling ...
The Economist: News analysis
Dropping the peg
Tue, 08 Jul 2008 06:49:23 -0000
An Abu Dhabi policy report makes the case for being rid of the Gulf peg to the dollarThe official position of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) that the fixed peg to the US dollar will remain in place until monetary union is achieved has never looked entirely convincing. It has suffered a further blow to its credibility with publication of a report by a department of the Abu Dhabi government suggesting that the time has come for a serious rethink of GCC monetary policy, including revaluation and a shift to a basket of international currencies as an exchange-rate reference point.The report, issued by Abu Dhabi's Department of Planning and Economy (DPE), marks the first time that any government body in the GCC has openly advocated ditching the peg since Kuwait went its own way in early 2007 by tying the Kuwaiti dinar to a currency basket. It is unlikely to presage an immediate change in policy, but it suggests that the option of revaluation during the transition to monetary union could be given serious consideration when GCC finance ministers meet in September, ahead of this year's summit in November. ...
Is Africa recovering?
Mon, 07 Jul 2008 10:11:47 -0000
The World Bank's latest report on the political state of AfricaThe World Bank's governance indicators may be imperfect but they are a useful tool for investors.Politicians, donors and businesspeople with African investments increasingly claim that conditions on the ground are improving: economic policies are improving, economies are growing faster, the region is more politically stable and governance is getting better. Some of these assertions are broadly or partially correct, but the World Bank's 2008 report on governance indicators--Governance Matters--suggests that, on governance at least, such optimism should be tempered, since African aggregate indicators worsened some 7.6% between 1996, when the governance indicators were first compiled, and 2000. There has been a modest improvement since then, but the total index is still 5% lower now than in 1996. ...
Rebuilding
Mon, 07 Jul 2008 10:11:47 -0000
Reconstruction starts in areas of China hit by the earthquakeIn the wake of freak snowstorms, violent ethnic protests and a massive earthquake this year, China's vision of a stable and developed western region seems more distant than ever. Of course, the need to rebuild will pull considerable investment into quake-hit Sichuan province and surrounding areas in the coming months. If this results in improvements to the region's transportation networks and business infrastructure, it may even help accelerate the central government's "go west" strategy of stimulating economic growth in poor provinces of China's deep interior. But that is a big if.The cost of the series of shocks that battered China's inland regions this year was substantial. The blizzards that disrupted travel during the Chinese New Year holiday caused direct economic losses of more than US$15.4bn; Tibetan protests in Lhasa in March resulted in US$28m of damage; and the cost of the Sichuan earthquake may be as high as US$76bn. The flow of capital to the western region is thus crucial. The Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences, for instance, estimates that US$29bn-43bn is needed to bring the local economy back to pre-quake levels. ...
Upheaval in Mongolia
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:03:00 -0000
Allegations of electoral fraud lead to riots in Mongolia and the declaration of a state of emergencyOn July 1st Mongolia's president, Nambarin Enkhbayar, declared a four-day state of emergency. Violence broke out after unofficial results showed that the ruling Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) had won a clear majority in the June 29th elections. Although international observers have reportedly said that the elections were free and fair, the opposition Democratic Party (DP) has accused the MPRP of electoral fraud and rejected the unofficial tally.It is too early to tell whether the protests will escalate into a full-blown political crisis. It is clear, however, that Mongolia can ill afford a prolonged period of political instability. The government urgently needs to tackle the country's economic problems, especially endemic poverty and a recent spike in inflation, and to approve legislation that is expected to result in huge foreign investments in the mining sector. Meanwhile, political uncertainty could also alienate foreign donors who have been eager to support the fledgling democracy. ...
Avoiding blackouts
Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:21:58 -0000
South Africa puts up the price of powerPower generator Eskom has been given the go-ahead to increase prices by 27.5% in 2008/09, adding to inflationary pressures. However, many users would prefer guaranteed but expensive power to cheap but unpredictable supplies.On July 1st Statistics South Africa announced plans to reduce the weighting of food in the consumer price index, to reflect changes in national spending patterns over the past five years. The change could lead to a moderation in the South African inflation rate, since food prices are currently rising faster than prices as a whole. However, food is certainly not the only component driving inflation higher--energy prices are also a major factor. This is partly, but not solely, due to the strength of international oil prices: domestic electricity prices have also been pushing up prices, and look set to continue to do so, since the National Electricity Regulatory of South Africa (NERSA) has ruled that state power generator Eskom can increase electricity tariffs by 27.5% in 2008/09 (starting April 1st). Although this is significantly less than the 50-60% rise sought by Eskom, and includes the 14.2% increase already approved for 2008/09, it will still be a burden for hard-pressed consumers. NERSA also gave provisional approval for 20-25% annual price rises over the next three years. This reflects the sharp rise in operating costs, especially purchases of coal and diesel, and the greater-than-expected use of expensive peak-load capacity because of shortages in base-load capacity. ...
Cuba's slowing economy
Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:33:30 -0000
How rising costs are hampering Cuban growthRising international prices of food and fuel, which account for around 40% of Cuban import spending, are affecting domestic output. The vice-president, Carlos Lage, reported in June that he expects the food import bill to leap from US$1.47bn in 2007 to US$2.55bn in 2008. Most of the food is distributed by the subsidised ration system, so the burden of higher prices (including a threefold increase in the price of rice) is absorbed mainly by the state budget. This has forced a reduction in public investment, which is likely to constrain GDP growth.It also explains the urgency of government efforts to increase domestic food production and improve efficiency. Although some domestic food prices have been raised, the impact on consumer spending of the higher cost of importing food will be slight. The fiscal impact of higher fuel prices is cushioned by an oil import agreement with Venezuela, which provides financing on favourable terms. ...
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New heatwave threatens to give Calif. fires new life
Tue, 08 Jul 2008 19:56:29 -0000
Firefighters faced worsening weather conditions Tuesday that pushed flames across firebreaks in parts of California and chased ...
Hurricane Bertha weakens in open Atlantic
Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:31:05 -0000
Forecasters say Hurricane Bertha has weakened to a Category 1 storm.
Pentagon to decide on Air Force tanker contract
Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:08:22 -0000
The Pentagon is expected to announce Wednesday whether the Air Force will rebid a $35 billion contract to build new refueling ...
The Economist: News analysis
Dropping the peg
Tue, 08 Jul 2008 06:49:23 -0000
An Abu Dhabi policy report makes the case for being rid of the Gulf peg to the dollarThe official position of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) that the fixed peg to the US dollar will remain in place until monetary union is achieved has never looked entirely convincing. It has suffered a further blow to its credibility with publication of a report by a department of the Abu Dhabi government suggesting that the time has come for a serious rethink of GCC monetary policy, including revaluation and a shift to a basket of international currencies as an exchange-rate reference point.The report, issued by Abu Dhabi's Department of Planning and Economy (DPE), marks the first time that any government body in the GCC has openly advocated ditching the peg since Kuwait went its own way in early 2007 by tying the Kuwaiti dinar to a currency basket. It is unlikely to presage an immediate change in policy, but it suggests that the option of revaluation during the transition to monetary union could be given serious consideration when GCC finance ministers meet in September, ahead of this year's summit in November. ...
Is Africa recovering?
Mon, 07 Jul 2008 10:11:47 -0000
The World Bank's latest report on the political state of AfricaThe World Bank's governance indicators may be imperfect but they are a useful tool for investors.Politicians, donors and businesspeople with African investments increasingly claim that conditions on the ground are improving: economic policies are improving, economies are growing faster, the region is more politically stable and governance is getting better. Some of these assertions are broadly or partially correct, but the World Bank's 2008 report on governance indicators--Governance Matters--suggests that, on governance at least, such optimism should be tempered, since African aggregate indicators worsened some 7.6% between 1996, when the governance indicators were first compiled, and 2000. There has been a modest improvement since then, but the total index is still 5% lower now than in 1996. ...
Rebuilding
Mon, 07 Jul 2008 10:11:47 -0000
Reconstruction starts in areas of China hit by the earthquakeIn the wake of freak snowstorms, violent ethnic protests and a massive earthquake this year, China's vision of a stable and developed western region seems more distant than ever. Of course, the need to rebuild will pull considerable investment into quake-hit Sichuan province and surrounding areas in the coming months. If this results in improvements to the region's transportation networks and business infrastructure, it may even help accelerate the central government's "go west" strategy of stimulating economic growth in poor provinces of China's deep interior. But that is a big if.The cost of the series of shocks that battered China's inland regions this year was substantial. The blizzards that disrupted travel during the Chinese New Year holiday caused direct economic losses of more than US$15.4bn; Tibetan protests in Lhasa in March resulted in US$28m of damage; and the cost of the Sichuan earthquake may be as high as US$76bn. The flow of capital to the western region is thus crucial. The Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences, for instance, estimates that US$29bn-43bn is needed to bring the local economy back to pre-quake levels. ...
Upheaval in Mongolia
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:03:00 -0000
Allegations of electoral fraud lead to riots in Mongolia and the declaration of a state of emergencyOn July 1st Mongolia's president, Nambarin Enkhbayar, declared a four-day state of emergency. Violence broke out after unofficial results showed that the ruling Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) had won a clear majority in the June 29th elections. Although international observers have reportedly said that the elections were free and fair, the opposition Democratic Party (DP) has accused the MPRP of electoral fraud and rejected the unofficial tally.It is too early to tell whether the protests will escalate into a full-blown political crisis. It is clear, however, that Mongolia can ill afford a prolonged period of political instability. The government urgently needs to tackle the country's economic problems, especially endemic poverty and a recent spike in inflation, and to approve legislation that is expected to result in huge foreign investments in the mining sector. Meanwhile, political uncertainty could also alienate foreign donors who have been eager to support the fledgling democracy. ...
Avoiding blackouts
Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:21:58 -0000
South Africa puts up the price of powerPower generator Eskom has been given the go-ahead to increase prices by 27.5% in 2008/09, adding to inflationary pressures. However, many users would prefer guaranteed but expensive power to cheap but unpredictable supplies.On July 1st Statistics South Africa announced plans to reduce the weighting of food in the consumer price index, to reflect changes in national spending patterns over the past five years. The change could lead to a moderation in the South African inflation rate, since food prices are currently rising faster than prices as a whole. However, food is certainly not the only component driving inflation higher--energy prices are also a major factor. This is partly, but not solely, due to the strength of international oil prices: domestic electricity prices have also been pushing up prices, and look set to continue to do so, since the National Electricity Regulatory of South Africa (NERSA) has ruled that state power generator Eskom can increase electricity tariffs by 27.5% in 2008/09 (starting April 1st). Although this is significantly less than the 50-60% rise sought by Eskom, and includes the 14.2% increase already approved for 2008/09, it will still be a burden for hard-pressed consumers. NERSA also gave provisional approval for 20-25% annual price rises over the next three years. This reflects the sharp rise in operating costs, especially purchases of coal and diesel, and the greater-than-expected use of expensive peak-load capacity because of shortages in base-load capacity. ...
Cuba's slowing economy
Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:33:30 -0000
How rising costs are hampering Cuban growthRising international prices of food and fuel, which account for around 40% of Cuban import spending, are affecting domestic output. The vice-president, Carlos Lage, reported in June that he expects the food import bill to leap from US$1.47bn in 2007 to US$2.55bn in 2008. Most of the food is distributed by the subsidised ration system, so the burden of higher prices (including a threefold increase in the price of rice) is absorbed mainly by the state budget. This has forced a reduction in public investment, which is likely to constrain GDP growth.It also explains the urgency of government efforts to increase domestic food production and improve efficiency. Although some domestic food prices have been raised, the impact on consumer spending of the higher cost of importing food will be slight. The fiscal impact of higher fuel prices is cushioned by an oil import agreement with Venezuela, which provides financing on favourable terms. ...
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