What We Read Today 14 October 2014

Econintersect: Every day our editors collect the most interesting things they find from around the internet and present a summary “reading list” which will include very brief summaries (and sometimes longer ones) of why each item has gotten our attention. Suggestions from readers for “reading list” items are gratefully reviewed, although sometimes space limits the number included.

• Exclusive: Privately, Saudis tell oil market- get used to lower prices (Ron Bousso and Joshua Schneyer, Reuters) The Saudis say that they will accept prices as low as $80 for an extended period, even a “year or two“. Venezuela has been requesting OPEC production cuts to force oil back above $100 a barrel. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait reportedly say increased output from Russia and the U.S. would keep prices below $100 even if OPEC made cuts, but that production costs would reduce Russian and U.S. output if prices stayed in the 70s or went lower than $70.

• French economist awarded Nobel for work on markets, regulation (Al Jazeera) Jean Tirole studied how lack of regulation can lead to “unnecessarily high prices or unproductive companies blocking new firms from entering the market“. This is the first economics prize not including at least one American in 15 years. Great review by Tyler Cowen: The 2014 Nobel Laureate in economics is Jean Tirole (Marginal Revolution) – go here if you would like an annotated bibliography.

• The Kremlin’s Plan to Erase Russia’s Memory and Its Conscience (Anna Nemtsova, The Daily Beast)

“The ministry of justice is doing its best to shut down Memorial, the organization first headed by Andrei Sakharov, that is at the heart of civil society.”

• Recent articles about Scotland Independence and Similar Movements

Scottish devolution ‘command paper’ published (BBC News)

Catalonia cancels referendum on independence from Spain Regional government decides not to hold vote, challenged in court by Madrid, and moves to announce an alternative process (The Guardian)

• Articles about conflicts and disease around the world

Ebola

Ebola virus threatens state failure, World Health Organisation warns (Financial Times)

Latest updates / WHO calls Ebola ‘most severe’ health emergency in modern times (Haaretz)

Second U.S. Ebola case raises concerns about medical guidelines (Reuters) Video with transcript.

CNN in Full Fear Mongering Mode Cashing in on Ebola (EconMatters) EconMatters contributes to GEI.

Gaza

UN chief: Time is not on the side of Palestinian-Israeli peace (Haaretz)

Did Israel’s ‘Hannibal directive’ lead to a war crime in Gaza? (Reuters)

Turkey

Turkey Denies Deal Allowing US to Use Its Base For ISIS Fight (Reuters, Business Insider)

Turkey’s Kurdish peace process at risk amid fury over Syrian town (Reuters)

Staying on the sidelines: In fight for Kobani, Turkey doesn’t see any good guys (Reuters)

Syria

Gun-battles and bombings mark desperate fight for Kobani (Reuters) Kurd defenders are vastly outnumbered and hampered by lack of weaponry while Turkish tanks look on. Video with transcript.

US ups pressure on allies as strategy for fighting Islamic State falls apart (The Conversation)

Iraq

Isis fighters seize key military base in Iraq’s Anbar province (Financial Times)

Iran

‘Obama took Netanyahu’s threats to attack Iran seriously’ (Haaretz)

Hong Kong

Scuffles break out in HK as anti-protest groups tear down barricades (Reuters)

Hong Kong residents clash with Occupy Central protesters (Al Jazeera)

Hong Kong democracy protesters care about their own future, not the mainland’s (The Conversation)

Mexico

Migrants snared in multi-million dollar kidnap racket on U.S.-Mexico border (Reuters)

There are 14 articles discussed today ‘behind the wall’.

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