Davos

The debate taking place between the snow-topped peaks of Davos this week will be dominated by one issue and one issue alone, the surge in inequality. In a democracy, anger isn’t abstract. As both the vote for Brexit and the election of Donald Trump show, it turns up on polling day. In the US, new research shows that in the rust-belt states an incredible 40% of those born in 1980 are worse off than their parents. Here in the UK the gender pay gap still looms large – and as the Institute for Fiscal Studies revealed, there has been a four-fold increase in the number of men in low-paid, part-time work over the last 20 years. This represents a stark betrayal of the implicit intergenerational contract of the postwar years – that each successive generation would be better off than the preceding one. And that betrayal is by no means confined to the post-industrial interior of the US; it is in danger of becoming the social and economic condition of our age. For years, … [Read more...] about It’s time to rewrite the rules of economics to end the growing chasm of inequality

DW: Pakistan claims it has made huge sacrifices in combating terrorism but they are not recognized by the West. You also mentioned once that you are one of the biggest victims of terrorism and that you lost your mother because of it. Against this backdrop, how would you present Pakistan's position on this issue to the international community? Bilawal Bhutto Zardari: It is the duty of all of us to present Pakistan's views and concerns on this issue and I shall contribute my part. We should openly debate about extremism and terrorism, not just about militancy. The cultural and ideological narratives should also be discussed. In doing so, militancy should be countered.  As far as Pakistan's sacrifices are concerned, I think it may be that the world's major powers prioritize their strategic interests rather than fight against extremism and terrorism.  So if we want to fight these problems in our own country, we should do it on our own. We are currently pursuing whatever … [Read more...] about Pakistan’s Bilawal Bhutto Zardari: ‘We need to counter extremist ideological narrative’

Digitalization is expected to claim some 3.4 million jobs in Germany within the next five years, according to a new study by the IT industry association Bitkom. The study also predicts that — when it comes to German companies employing more than 20 people — every fourth firm will face the risk of disappearance due to digitalization. With the labor market performing at near-record highs, Europe's strongest economy has about 44.5 million people who are classified as employed and residing in Germany as of December 2017. Read more : Scrap 'outmoded' 8-hour workday in Germany, experts say Half of the jobs may grow obsolete However, Bitkom warned that the good times might be coming to an end. In the article published by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on Friday , the organization's head Achim Berg cited the example of the telecommunications industry. The sector was among the first to be transformed by digitalization. Watch video 04:03 Share … [Read more...] about Bitkom: Digitalization to wipe out millions of jobs in Germany

We live in an age in which an ever-decreasing group of people is getting richer and richer while an ever-increasing group are denied access to this wealth, despite work and prosperity. Social democracy is needed more than ever, but it's destroying itself with vanity and sensitivity. In the past, it was seen as a sign of masterful confidence for politicians to remain unperturbed by criticism and focused on their policies. Nowadays, more and more policymakers feel an urge to rage against critical journalists. This is an unbearable state of affairs, because we need politicians who are not preoccupied with themselves, but with the living conditions of the people. The erosion of social cohesion must be stopped. Currently, there's a lot of talk about #MeToo and the changes that could be triggered by this vociferous women's movement. Not enough, however, is being said about the damage caused by US President Donald Trump's display of neoliberal, self-centered and authoritarian … [Read more...] about My Europe: Waiting for a peasant uprising in 2018

No matter how often it’s repeated, it’s still astonishing. The global fashion industry —specifically, textile production — contributes more to climate change than international aviation and shipping combined, producing an estimated 1.2 billion tons of CO2 a year. That was the shocking conclusion of a UK parliamentary report into fashion’s giant carbon footprint last year. As models sashay down the catwalks this week and champagne corks pop, you might think the fashion world has its head in the sand. In fact, it is gripped by a sense of crisis and guilt. And while London plays host to fashion’s big party, its leading lights are working hard behind the scenes to clean up the industry’s act. UK-based female leaders within the fashion industry revealed how their brands are attempting to go green, including British Vogue's publisher Vanessa Kingori MBE (pictured) They face an obvious dilemma. The industry is worth £32 billion to the UK economy and employs 890,000 … [Read more...] about Our addiction to clothes is the latest target for eco-warriors, but no one wants to kill an industry worth £32bn. With London Fashion Week in full swing: Meet the first females of fashion taking the guilt out of shopping