Worldfocus  

Last year, the Economist magazine slotted Ethiopia as the fourth fastest economy in the world, ahead of China. The World Bank report “Doing Business 2010” ranks Ethiopia in the top 10 African nations in terms of the ease of doing business. The Ethiopian government is trying to strengthen local and regional businesses and attract foreign direct investment. Martin Savidge, Ethiopian businessman Ermyas Amelga and economics professor Phillip LeBel discuss how easy it is to do business in Ethiopia, who’s investing and what this means as Ethiopia moves from an agrarian society to a more urban society. The entrenched poverty hinders the robust investment environment, saddling the country with drought, food shortages and inadequate infrastructure.

Martin Savidge hosts Gareth Jenkins and Mustafa Akyol to discuss whether Turkey is leaning West or moving East. They discuss the country's growing Islamicization, strained relations with Israel and the limbo of European Union admission.

Last month, Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom declared a "state of calamity" to shunt mass hunger and the worst drought in 70 years. More than half of Guatemala's 13 million inhabitants live below the poverty line and 50 percent of children are malnourished. But these are only the surface casualties of a vulnerable nation ravaged by 36 years of civil war, genocide and now, theencroaching drug war spilling over from Mexico's northern border. Worldfocus special correspondent Martin Savidge explores the current eroding conditions, the promise of the Peace Accords and the sanctity of land.

Somalia, Zimbabwe and Sudan topped the list of failed states this year — rankings based on human rights, governance, economic activity and other indicators. Also among the top 10 are Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Poverty is endemic in many failed or failing states; in others, the government has lost legitimacy and control. As economic pressures increase with the global financial crisis, and environmental pressures contribute to water and food shortages, even more countries are at risk of failure. But these dire conditions have implications far beyond individual borders, as failed states — with their high rates of poverty and violence — may serve as breeding grounds for terrorists with global ambitions. Worldfocus.org’s weekly radio show will explore what it means for a state to fail, from the impact on daily life to widespread geopolitical ripple effects. Worldfocus anchor Martin Savidge will host a panel of guests. Tune in on Tuesday, July 21 at 6:30 p.m. EDT.

Political upheaval continues in Honduras, after liberal leader Manuel Zelaya was ousted in a military coup in late June. Zelaya and his replacement, Roberto Micheletti, have now agreed to talks mediated by the president of Costa Rica, as competing protests divide Honduras. It is a battle that has played out not only in the streets of Honduras, but also on television screens and over radio waves across the world. Some, including U.S. President Barack Obama and the Organization of American States, have condemned the ouster of the democratically-elected president, saying it was unconstitutional, illegal and a threat to democracy. Others point out that Zelaya was pushing ahead with a referendum on term limits that Honduras’ Supreme Court had ruled unconstitutional, and consider his removal the result of healthy checks and balances. The Honduran military has clamped down on pro-Zelaya channels in the country and blocked the signal of Telesur, a left-leaning television network based in Venezuela. Other state-run media across Latin America have broadcast programs in support of Zelaya. Worldfocus.org’s weekly radio show on Tuesday, July 14 at 6:30 p.m. EDT will explore the coup in Honduras and how Latin America’s media industry — from state-run stations to independent websites — has become a political battleground.

At least 140 people were killed and more than 800 injured in China, where tensions between ethnic Uighurs and Han Chinese turned deadly, according to state-run media. Rioters stoned police and set vehicles on fire. The government responded swiftly to riots, reportedly locking down parts of the city of Urumqi and disabling communication tools like Twitter, but protests spread to other cities. The ethnically Muslim Uyghurs live in the oil-rich Xinjiang region, north of Tibet. The Chinese government has imposed restrictions on the Uighurs’ religious practice in this autonomous region and many Uighurs resent Chinese rule and complain of discrimination.