Newsweek International articles from February 2008

Newsweek International archives from February 2008

A High-Tech Crisis?(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
February 4, 2008... Readers took issue with our Dec. 10 story "Why Apple Isn't Japanese." One said, "Japan still dominates many fields such as digital cameras, where Canon and Nikon own the high-end market." Another noted: "If Japan overcomes its problem with how...

Goodbye to the Bulls.(Business; MARKETS)(US economy)
February 4, 2008... Fourteen economists, policymakers and strategists weigh in on a week of volatility and economic turmoil. 'A Meltdown' Nouriel Roubini We know booms and busts are aspects of capitalism, and have been so historically. Many of them...

Where's Pest Control?(Business)(subprime mortgage crisis)
February 4, 2008... Byline: George Wehrfritz and John Sparks; With Jonathan Adams in Taipei Market turmoil is just beginning. The cockroach theory says debt woes travel like vermin: in packs. If the subprime mortgage crisis is the cockroach that darts...

France's New Western Idea.(World Affairs)(Nicolas Sarkozy's foreign policy)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Tracy McNicoll Sarkozy aims to create a novel kind of transatlantic leader, proudly Christian with warm Muslim ties. Since taking office last may, French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been on the move, appearing briefly in one...

The Kremlin Wises Up.(World Affairs)(Vladimir Putin's foreign policy)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Owen Matthews; With Anna Nemtsova in Moscow After strong-arm tactics backfire, Moscow finds smarter ways to extend its influence abroad. Russians can be forgiven for a little nostalgia. Not long ago, their country commanded a...

'Welcome To Natoland'.(World Affairs; Point of View)(a world community consisting of members of North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Denis MacShane; MacShane is Labour Member of Parliament for Rotherham and a former minister for Europe. Of all the lazy thinking in Europe's capitals, the laziest is the notion that the next U.S. administration will usher in a new...

The Titans In Their Twilight.(World Affairs)(Suharto, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Mahathir Mohammad and Lee Kuan Yew)
February 4, 2008... Byline: George Wehrfritz; With Jonathan Adams in Taipei As Southeast Asia's prototypical strongman nears death, Indonesia sets the tone for an uncertain era. They were the titans of their time: larger-than-life figures who, through...

Who Will Fill the Empty Cribs?(Society)(intercountry adoption)
February 4, 2008... International adoptions are on the decline, despite growing demand and an endless supply of orphans. For Anna Porras and Miquel Milian, The worst part is the waiting. Back in 2005, when the Spanish couple found they couldn't have a...

When There's No Place Like Home.(Society)(United Nations Children's Fund's policy on intercountry adoption)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Pat Wingert Children's advocates can't agree on how much to emphasize intercountry adoption as a solution. Some advocates blame the decline in intercountry adoptions over the past three years on a single surprising source:...

Like A Super Hero.(Society and the Arts; THE INTERNET)(zooming interface)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Barrett Sheridan Humans weren't made for scrolling and searching. We were made for zooming. Clad in a comfy black t shirt and jeans, Blaise Aguera y Arcas stood onstage at the Technology, Entertainment, Design Conference in...

By Land and By Sea.(The Good Life)(coastal hotels that offer renting yachts)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Sana Butler Booking a room at a hotel doesn't necessarily mean sleeping there. Some coastal hotels are buying or renting private yachts for guests who want to split their stay between land and water. Guests at the Four Seasons...

Hot Spot: Sa Los Sauces.(The Good Life)(Restaurant review)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Helle Jana Chan El Calafate, Argentina BUILT on the edge of this frontier town, this new estancia-style hotel makes an ideal base for exploring Perito Moreno glacier and the Patagonian ice fields. It's owned by Argentina's...

4 Hours in Zurich.(The Good Life)(City overview)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Sameer Reddy This streamlined Swiss city is a bastion of both refinement and edgy creativity. Visitors, whether intrepid or more traditionally inclined, can immerse themselves in either extreme. Explore uber-trendy Zurich West,...

Hawaiian Haven.(The Good Life)(real estate in Maui, Hawaii)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Set on a third of a hectare of manicured land on the island of Maui, this 497-square-meter home has four bedrooms, five and a half bathrooms, a grand staircase with carved teak railings, mosaic-tile finishes, limestone and marble floors, a pool...

All It Needs Is A Popcorn Machine.(The Good Life)(new television models and beds with built-in entertainment systems)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Christopher Werth Now there's another reason to stay in the sack in the morning: beds with full-blown, built-in entertainment systems. The Luksus Scandinavian Style TV-Bed offers a concealed 66cm flat screen, which discreetly rises...

Pulling the Wool Over One's Body.(The Good Life)(use of wool fabrics)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Ginanne Brownell Long a favorite of knitting grannies, merino wool is finding a new purpose in activewear, thanks to a group of innovative designers in sheep-abundant lands. Soft as cotton but much more breathable, it's cool in...

Perspectives.(Perspectives)(Quotation)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Quotation sources: Moscow Times, U.S. News, China Daily, New York Times, The Sun "Russia is still suffering from legal nihilism. No European country can boast of this degree of contempt for the law." Dmitry Medvedev, Vladimir...

Ecopolitics: Why Japan Risks Its Place In the World to Hunt Whales.(Periscope)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Christian Caryl ; Kevin Peraino ; Joseph Contreras ; Tracy McNicoll ; Adam B. Kushner ; Brian Braiker Japan's grim determination to keep hunting whales long after most states gave it up drives environmentalists round the bend. But...

Mind Reading is Here.(The Technologist)(brain activity)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Sharon Begley crime investigators always have their ears open for information only a perpetrator could know. So imagine a detective asking a suspect about a killing, describing the crime scene to get the suspect to visualize the...

From Your Lips to My Mobile.(The Technologist; SOFTWARE)(SpinVox's new software allows conversion of voicemails to text messages)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Jaime Cunningham Ever had such a hectic travel schedule that when you call back to your office you find you have 15 voicemail messages and can't find a pen to write it all down? Why isn't there a technology to translate voice to...

Talking to Iran.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
February 11, 2008... Readers of Fareed Zakaria's Dec. 17 column on the impasse over Iran's nuclear program sent in their own views on the subject. Recalling the problems in Iraq, one wrote, "Don't mess with Iran." But another said, "Let's act before it's too...

The New Food Capital Of The World.(Society and the Arts; Special Report)(Cover story)
February 11, 2008... Byline: Christian Caryl and Akiko Kashiwagi; With Ginny Power in Paris And Sophie Grove in London Toru Okuda was in trouble. He'd slaved away for years to realize his dream of opening a gourmet restaurant in Tokyo, and by 2003 he had...

Finding Poetry On Your Plate.(Society and the Arts; POINT OF VIEW)(Cover story)
February 11, 2008... Byline: Joshua Cooper Ramo; Ramo is managing director of Kissinger Associates. Spend a night in Tokyo and you'll enjoy a celebration of Japan's obsession with, well, obsession. One winter night in the 13th century, a Japanese Zen...

The Imperfect Storm.(World Affairs)
February 11, 2008... Byline: George Wehrfritz After China's leadership warns of 'a most difficult year' to come, the world may need to take shelter. China's winter of discontent could have a chilling effect around the world. When the worst January storms...

Pakistan's Forgotten Man.(World Affairs; POINT OF VIEW)(Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry )
February 11, 2008... If we lock up our judges and subvert the law, those who believe in a more brutal kind of justice will triumph. In the past months, as the crisis in Pakistan has worsened, key figures in the Bush administration, including Secretary of State...

In The Populist Corner.(World Affairs; EUROPE)
February 11, 2008... Byline: Stefan Theil Germany's elections signal a rise of the left, and a shift from anti-immigrant to economic populism. It was the battle of the populists. On the right: a firebrand incumbent governor known for his anti-immigrant...

China And The Great Pig Panic.(World Affairs)
February 11, 2008... Byline: Melinda Liu Why pork-jackings and rising prices are bad news for the Middle Kingdom--and the world. Pork is so important to the Chinese diet that many people here simply know it as rou, or "meat." So you can imagine Beijing's...

A Fight To The Death.(Business)
February 11, 2008... Byline: Benjamin Sutherland Sony has beaten Toshiba in the battle over high-definition DVD formats, but both sides lost the war. It should be a colossal success story for television. A new generation of high-definition DVDs hold more...

Up, Up And Ka-Ching!(Science)(space tourism )
February 11, 2008... Byline: Jacqui Goddard In a time of tight budgets and earthly priorities, the space business is getting a rejuvenating jolt from entrepreneurs who do the right stuff on the cheap. For decades after Yuri Gagarin became the first person...

France's New Anti-Hero.(Business)(Jerome Kerviel )
February 11, 2008... Byline: Rana Foroohar; With Tracy Mcnicoll in Paris And Stefan Theil in Berlin When a rogue bank trader loses a record $7 billion, he is embraced as a star by the French, exposing the deep Gallic suspicion of capitalism. Whenever...

Japan's Worst Beats France's Best.(Society and the Arts; SPECIAL REPORT)(Interview)(Excerpt)
February 11, 2008... Byline: Sophie Grove A critic explains why Tokyo has eaten Paris for breakfast. Giles Coren is the restaurant critic for The Times of London; his column provides wry, often searing commentary on contemporary cuisine. He talked to...

Imran Khan: Better A 'Bad Democrat'.(The Last Word)(Interview)
February 11, 2008... Byline: Fareed Zakaria, Tony Emerson and Jonathan Tepperman I've heard talk about the U.S. going in. They're talking about a million armed men. It would make Iraq look like child's play. Pakistan's Imran Khan, a world-renowned cricket...

Sweet Valentine.(The Good Life)(Perugina, italy)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... Byline: Barbie Nadeau Love, Italian Style There's no time like Valentine's Day for a full-immersion chocolate experience. And for couples in love, there's no better place to indulge than Perugia, the Italian city seeking to earn the...

Hot Spot: Hotel Boscolo Aleph, Rome.(The Good Life)(Hotel review)
February 11, 2008... Byline: Barbie Nadeau A few steps from Via Veneto, this sleek hotel was transformed from an old bank by New York architect Adam Tihany. Inspired by Dante's "Divine Comedy," the themes of saints and sinners make it the perfect place for...

4 Hours In: Florence.(The Good Life)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... Byline: Barbie Nadeau Little has changed in Florence in the last 500 years, which makes visiting this medieval city so romantic. But to make the most of four hours, you'll have to skip some of the city's top destinations, like the Uffizi...

The Maximalist.(The Good Life)(diamond earphones the iDiamond Ear)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... Anyone can give diamond earrings for Valentine's Day. But what about diamond earphones? Norwegian jeweler Thomas Heyerdahl has created the iDiamond Ear, hewn from 18-karat white and rose gold and encrusted with 206 brilliant cut diamonds--about...

Fashion: Following The Tracks Of Her Tiers.(The Good Life)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... Byline: Karen Pinchin Tiered dresses in luxe fabrics and whimsical layers skirt the line between sweet and saucy, making them perfect for a romantic night out on the town. Andrew Gn's empire-waisted vermillion silk tiered gown features a...

Motorcycles: Faster Than a Speeding Heretic.(The Good Life)(2008 Ecosse Heretic Titanium)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... Byline: Susan H. Greenberg The best way to a man's heart is through his wheels. And the Ecosse Heretic Titanium motorcycle is about as palpitation-inducing as they come. The first bike made with an all-titanium chassis, it marries...

Perspectives.(Perspectives)(Quotation)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... "It is fairly well known that a lot of Germans like getting their kit off. Now there is an airline for them." The Australian Broadcasting Company, reporting that a German travel agency is offering nudist flights to Baltic Sea resorts ...

Leader Watch: How Medvedev Got More Popular Than His Boss, Putin.(Periscope)(Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin)
February 11, 2008... Byline: Owen Matthews with Anna Nemtsova; Arlene Getz; Quindlen Krovatin; Katie Baker; Jacqui Goddard It could be called the vodka index, and it is perhaps as reliable an indicator of the popularity of Russian leaders as any opinion...

The Net Meter Is Running.(The Technologist)(Time Warner Cable's Road Runner broadband service testing in texas)
February 11, 2008... Byline: Steven Levy Pity the internet-crazy movie lover in Beaumont, Texas. Time Warner Cable's Road Runner broadband service has chosen your city for an experiment. If you're signing up to watch lots of high-definition flicks using, say,...

Picking Out Faces In The Crowd.(The Technologist; SECURITY)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... Cameras may be everywhere, but recognizing faces in the images is difficult for both people and machines alike. Test subjects do well at recognizing the faces of people they know in photographs. (Tony Blair is as easy to spot in a profile taken...

Mail Call: A Bullish Report.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
February 18, 2008... Readers of our Dec. 24 cover story on the world economy's bright future were divided over our coverage. "Well done, NEWSWEEK!" cheered one. But another reminded us, "The world's largest economy has been badly bashed." Two were disappointed...

This Watch Won't End.(World Affairs)(China prepares for the 2008 Olympics)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Mary Hennock and Melinda Liu China's pre-Olympic crackdown on dissent is growing, laying the roots of a new security regime. Beijing is cleaning house for the Summer Olympics. Last month security czar Ma Zhenchuan promised the...

Carnival Goes Political.(World Affairs)(Brazilian Carnival)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Mac Margolis The floats now take on global warming, the drug trade, even genocide. But dancing Hitlers are out. Brazil's Carnival has traditionally served as a raucous nationwide party, a time to kick back, dress up and dance...

Moments Before Birth.(Photo Essay; Kosovo)(Kosovo's independence)(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... For two years the United Nations has been negotiating a way out of political limbo for Kosovo, but time is running out. In the coming weeks, Kosovo vows to move forward and declare independence from Serbia, risking the wrath of Belgrade and its...

The True Turkish Believer.(World Affairs; Europe)(Recep Tayyip Erdogan)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Owen Matthews And Sami Kohen Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan just won't take no for an answer. In 2002 he and his Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power promising to get Turkey into the...

'A Good Anchor'.(World Affairs; Roundtable)(Ali Y. Koc, Ferit Sahenk, Mehmet Ali Yalcindag, and Suzan Sabanci Dincer)(Interview)(Cover story)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Christopher Dickey and Rana Foroohar Turkey's top tycoons speak out on ties to Europe, headscarves, the military and other controversies. It's not often that you can sit down to tea in one room with the bulk of a nation's...

Jewels In Their Crown.(Business)(Indian and British trade relations)
February 18, 2008... Byline: William Underhill Indian investors have pulled a post-colonial table turn, snapping up some of Britain's best brands. A recent Indian TV commercial for a mouth-freshening chew provides surprising insight into the business...

The President's Passion Play.(World Affairs)(Nicolas Sarkozy)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Tracy McNicoll Nicolas Sarkozy embraces God as good for society, igniting debate over church and state in France. Being an Honorary Canon of The Basilica of Saint John of Lateran is an honor enjoyed by French leaders since...

The Fight for Iran's Freedom.(World View)
February 18, 2008... It is easy to criticize U.S. policy toward the Middle East today: Washington's militaristic approach has contributed to the growth of fundamentalism and helped strengthen dictatorial regimes. Still, Iran's fundamentalist rulers often use such...

Deeper Than the Skin.(Society and the Arts)(movies at the Berlinale)(Movie review)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Michael Levitin This year's Berlinale features a number of films that deal with aspects of Islam long considered taboo. Islam and homosexuality are rarely addressed in the same film. So when Indian director Parvez Sharma made...

'It Sits On Your Conscience'.(The Last Word; AFRICA)(Kofi Annan)(Interview)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Scott Johnson What is it with Africa? Not only do we turn on each other, but we blame the outside. This is a cancer from within that we need to fix. More than a decade ago, when he was head of peacekeeping for the United...

Sharing The Wealth.(Arts)(From Russia: French and Russian Master Paintings 1870- 1925 From Moscow and St. Petersnburg)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Sophie Grove Despite a heated diplomatic row, a collection of paintings from Russia goes on display in London. The figures in Matisse's "The Dance" are oblivious to the furor that surrounded their arrival in London, frolicking...

Tough Times For Deep Pockets.(Global Investor)(private equity firms)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Mohamed A. El-Erian The worry is that private equity will become yet another of the dominos falling in the global financial system. Glenn Hutchins, the highly successful and respected founder of Silver Lake, recently noted that...

On the Fringe.(The Good Life; Fashion)(fashion shows in Sao Paulo, Brazil)(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Sameer Reddy Brazil's fashion capital, SA[pounds sterling]o Paulo, hosted more than 40 fashion shows last month. If they're any indication, this fall-winter season will definitely have a lot of fringe appeal. From flared suede...

Hot Spot.(The Good Life)(Posada De Mike Rapu, Easter Island)(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Michelle Jana Chan Posada De Mike Rapu, Easter Island Michelle Jana Chan It is said to be among the most isolated places on earth. But with the launch of the first high-end hotel here, there are now lashings of luxury on...

4 Hours In Udaipur.(The Good Life)(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Christopher Werth This lakeside city of labyrinthine streets and temples is known as the most romantic city in Rajasthan, India's largest state. It rose to stardom as the setting for the 1983 James Bond film, "Octopussy." ...

Dream Home.(The Good Life)(Renaissance Mansion Percred)(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... Renaissance Mansion Perched above the city of San Francisco on the Gold Coast in Pacific Heights, this seven-bedroom, four-story home has a library, theater, music room, marble staircase, elevator, adjoining tennis court and unparalleled views...

BlackBerry Brings On The Bling.(The Good Life; Style)(purses)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Christopher Werth A BlackBerry may be a status symbol, but as the high-tech devices become ever more ubiquitous, users are increasingly looking for ways to make theirs stand out. Besides, although pretty resilient, the handhelds do...

Life's A Beach in Latin America.(The Good Life; Travel)(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Michelle Jana Chan Some of the world's best beaches are on the islands of Latin America. THE GOOD LIFE would have gladly spent the rest of the winter checking them out. Brazil: Sanchos, on Fernando de Noronha, is the island's...

Perspectives.(Perspectives)(quotations)(Quotation)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Sources From Top: AP, Reuters, NY Daily News, AP (2), BBC "With this launch, Iran has joined the world's top 11 countries possessing space technology." Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, announcing that his country has...

A Cooling Trend In One of the Most Dangerous Hotspots.(Periscope; GLOBAL FLASHPOINTS)(Chinese-Taiwanese relations)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Jonathan Adams For decades, Taiwan kept ahead of rival China through dollar diplomacy, luring allies with cash and aid. Then China's economy roared, and it started winning the global contest to buy friends. Malawi, the latest...

Berlusconi, Take Three.(Periscope; Flagrant Politicos)(Silvio Berlusconi)(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Barbie Nadeau When Italian President Giorgio Napolitano called for new elections on April 13, he set the stage for another episode of the Silvio Berlusconi show. If the 71-year-old former prime minister wins again--he's the front...

Bypassing Washington.(Periscope; Latin Leaders)(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Joseph Contreras Have you noticed that Washington is no longer a necessary stop for visiting heads of state? Going back to 2001, the leaders of Portugal, the Dominican Republic and El Salvador, as well as Mexico's Vicente Fox, have...

After Super Tuesday.(Periscope)(primaries)(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... The big primary day brought intense media coverage around the world, but with Democrats still split, much of it focused on McCain, pro and con. Samples: Israel: Haaretz rates them from one to nine on friendliness to Israel--McCain (7.75),...

Grope-Free Transport.(Periscope; No Boys Allowed)(women-only buses)(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Joseph Contreras When Ariadna Montiel was a student in the 1990s and rode Mexico City's subways during peak hours, she shunned skirts in the hope of sparing herself the groping hands of a male passenger. Now the 33-year-old...

Free To Be Female.(Periscope; Iranian Surprises)(transsexuals in Iran)(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Jesse Ellison Jesse Ellison Transsexuals aren't a cultural marker typically associated with religiously inflexible dictatorships, but they are common in Iran--by some estimates, there are 150,000 Iranian transsexuals, and the...

Grooming Your Google.(Periscope; Self-Protection)(ReputationHawk and Reputation Defender)(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Lorraine Ali The growing threat that your good name will be unfairly besmirched online has given rise to a new industry: Internet reputation repair. Companies like ReputationHawk and Reputation Defender aim to push offending...

Will Japan Buy the iPhone?(The Technologist)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Akiko Kashiwagi The Japanese mobile industry is on Apple alert. This is the year CEO Steve Jobs said Apple would launch the iPhone in Asia. So far, Apple isn't saying when the introduction will come to Japan. Despite expectations...

Curating For the Masses.(The Technologist; The Internet)(U.S. Library of Congress and Flickr's Flickr Commons)(Brief article)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Brian Braiker If a picture is worth a thousand words, what is the right word worth? The U.S. Library of Congress aims to find out. It has teamed up with Flickr, the popular photo-sharing site, to create Flickr Commons. By putting...

Mail Call: The Rising Dragon.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
February 25, 2008... Readers of the China cover articles in our year-end double issue were delighted with the reportage. "Melinda Liu's presentation of China's recent history was fascinating," wrote one who "could not put it down." Another agreed, "it was...

Agony And The Ecstasy.(World Affairs; EUROPE)(Italy)(Cover story)
February 25, 2008... Byline: Jacopo Barigazzi, Barbie Nadeau and Christopher Dickey Italy barely functions. Yet its people are happy. What explains this? The hottest film in Italy right now, in just about every sense of the word "hot," is "Caos Calmo" or...

Hiding Behind The Americans.(World Affairs)
February 25, 2008... Byline: Stefan Theil Germany was expected to play a big role in Europe's security. But its defense policy has gone AWOL. In Berlin these days, it's better not to talk about the war. Even as the battle heats up against a resurgent...

Small. It's The New Big.(Special Report)(minicars)(Cover story)
February 25, 2008... Byline: Keith Naughton; With Jason Overdorf, Patrick Crowley, William Underhill, Mary Hennock, Stefan Theil and Akiko Kashiwagi Poor countries are getting rich, gas costs are rising and our planet is heating up. The result: a new breed of...

In The Slow Lane.(Special Report)(electric cars)(Cover story)
February 25, 2008... Byline: George Wehrfritz Plug-and-play electric cars for urban drivers are pushing the envelope on green. Just don't try gunning them--yet. For Linda and Michael Pearce, the barrier to totally green driving was, literally, a hill. The...

China's Curtain Rises.(Arts)(theater)
February 25, 2008... Byline: Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop The Broadway musical gets a warm reception: 'Les Miz' in Mandarin. Ever since the West End revival of "Les Miserables" PASSED the scrutiny of China's censors in 2002--possibly thanks to its...

Farewell, Dolce Vita?(World Affairs)(Cover story)
February 25, 2008... Byline: Holger Schmieding; Schmieding is chief European economist at Bank of America. Beyond issues like garbage rotting in the streets, Italy has another problem--its statistics are a mess. Italy is in deep trouble. Or is it? With the...

Supersize The Automobile.(Special Report; POINT OF VIEW)(Cover story)
February 25, 2008... Light, strong materials can make a car efficient and safe without having to make it small and expensive. Some people may interpret Tata Motors' small Nano car as a sign of a new green esthetic that favors small cars. The presumption is...

Vanilla Option.(Special Report)(eco-friendly cars)(Cover story)
February 25, 2008... Byline: Barrett Sheridan The next revolution in green cars is more likely to come from ordinary combustion engines than some exotic technology. The Fisker Karma has a sleek, luxurious look that seems to scream "future!" A sedan created...

A Post-Car Society.(Special Report; JAPAN)(automobile industry)(Cover story)
February 25, 2008... Byline: Akiko Kashiwagi A gadget-crazy people show no interest in new cars, dismiss the four-wheeled horse as 'so 20th century.' Kimiyuki Suda should be a perfect customer for Japan's carmakers. He's a young (34), successful executive...

The Road Ahead.(Special Report; POINT OF VIEW)(automotive industry)(Cover story)
February 25, 2008... Byline: Bob Lutz; Lutz is General Motors' vice chairman of global product development. The U.S. fleet won't look like the European one until fuel prices climb well over $10 per gallon. Whenever I'm asked what the future of the...

Ending The Electoral Monopoly.(Point of View)
February 25, 2008... A key question is whether electoral rights should be treated the same way as better-known human rights. In many ways Latin America has never had it so good. Economic growth over the past four years has been the highest since the '70s. The...

Ray Odierno: 'They Were Trying To Survive'.(The Last Word)(Interview)
February 25, 2008... Byline: Babak Dehghanpisheh Lt. Gen. Ray odierno has seen the highs and lows of war in Iraq. On his first deployment, troops under his command captured Saddam Hussein. On his second, sectarian violence wracked Baghdad. The fight is...