What We Read Today 14 November 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.

• German Growth Means UK Can Relax – For Now (Ed Conway, Sky News) Germany escaped the hangman’s noose with a 0.1% GDP gain from 2Q to 3Q 2014. This means the dreaded “R” word can be put aside for a while after a scare that 3Q might have followed 2Q’s negative print and mark a new recession. Italy and France GDP discussions are ‘behind the wall’.

• Chinese industrial output growth slows (Dow Jones Newswire, China Spectator) Industrial output in China rose 7.7% in October from a year earlier, slowing from an 8% on year increase in September, a change which Dow Jones called “surprising weakness“. The number is, however, the continuation of a downtrend from a peak above 18% year-over-year growth just four years ago.

• Rosetta: Battery will limit life of Philae comet lander (Jonathan Amos, BBC News) The Philae lander is scheduled to have 64 hours of battery life initially and then 1.5 hours every 12 hours from solar powered recharging. The problem is that Philae did not come to rest in the sun; instead of 6 hours of sun every 12 hour rotation of the comet, only 1.5 hours will be received. That will be enough for possibly 15 minutes of lander operations every 24 hours instead of the hour that was planned.

• Is Inequality a Bigger Threat than the Islamic State? (David Rothkopf, Foreign Policy) Rothkopf says that in the age of fear, the sensational always overtakes the important. Yes, the Islamic States and Ebola are serious threats but they pale in comparison to “political and financial institutions at home that have been captured by the self-interested few and that are seeking to squeeze the hope out of Americans as no terrorist could do“. Econintersect: What Rothkopf is really questioning is the sustainability of the current direction of the country.

• Articles about conflicts and disease around the world

Ebola

Momentum to Fund Ebola Vaccine Research Grows in Congress (Foreign Policy)

In Ebola Outbreak in Liberia, a Family’s Strength Can Be Its Fatal Flaw (The New York Times)

10th Ebola Patient Headed to U.S. for Treatment (NBC News)

Ebola outbreak: Liberia president lifts state of emergency (BBC News)

Nigeria

Nigeria army ‘recaptures Mubi from Boko Haram’ (BBC News)

Is Goodluck Jonathan Trying to Get Re-Elected by Blaming Uncle Sam for Boko Haram? (Foreign Policy)

Syria

Can the U.S. Defeat ISIS Without Removing Assad? (The Atlantic)

ISIS commander ‘Omar the Chechen’ allegedly killed (RT)

Rout of Moderate Rebels Leaves Obama With Vexing Syria Options (Foreign Policy)

Iraq

US military considers sending combat troops to battle Isis forces in Iraq (The Guardian)

Islamic State advances halted in some areas of Iraq, U.S. defense officials say (The Washington Post)

$300,000 an Hour: The Cost of Fighting ISIS (The Atlantic)

Ukraine

Ukraine, separatists revving for resumption of full-fledged war (Los Angeles Times)

NATO commander: Russian troops, tanks, artillery move into Ukraine (CNN)

Russia

Bold policies from Russia’s central bank may not stem the rouble’s decline (The Economist)

Ukraine and Russia take center stage as leaders gather for G20 (Reuters)

Russia flexes muscles with long-range bomber flights near U.S. shores (CNN)

Russia has never flown bomber patrols over Gulf of Mexico before, US official claims (Fox News)

Russian warships ‘heading to Australia’ (abc.net.au)

Tony Abbott told Vladimir Putin to stop trying to ‘recreate lost glories’ during APEC ‘shirtfront’ meeting (abc.net.au)

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