The World Bank has issued a report on the state of the Palestinian economy in the Occupied Territories and the conclusion of the report is that the economy is in very bad shape and that the policies of the Israeli occupation are making it virtually impossible for the economy to grow. The report argues that the occupation economic policies must be changed if the Palestinians are ever expected to enjoy self-sustaining economic growth. The report is highly unlikely to have any effect on Israeli policy at all. The report also coincides with President Obama’s visit to Israel and the growing skepticism that there is any hope for a lasting peace in the region.
One of the reasons why relations among neighbors in East Asia are often so hostile is that the citizens of each country very rarely know much about the history of conflict in the region. A specific case is Japan, and the BBC has a fascinating story about how Japanese school children learn the history of Japan’s actions in the region in the first half of the 20th century. Controlling history often is the best way to control the present.
The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women is struggling to finish off a declaration on the status of women globally which includes references to reproductive rights, LGBT rights, and sexual health. A consensus appears to be impossible on the document and Iran, Russia, and the Vatican are raising serious objections to the draft. It clearly is impossible to assert that the idea of women’s rights has achieved universal acceptance as of now.
World Politics News 
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