Global Agenda articles from January 2007

Global Agenda archives from January 2007

Hostages to fortune; A diary of the future; New-year predictions from the editor of "The World in 2007".(Editorial)
January 2, 2007... Monday | Tuesday The editor of "The World in 2007" sticks his neck out Tuesday OUR Pompano Beach apartment block, a tall building just across the road from the Atlantic ocean, is a strange sight amid the palm trees and prosperity...

After Saddam; Iraq after Saddam; What next for Iraq now Saddam is gone?(Obituary)
January 2, 2007... Saddam Hussein is buried. What happens next? REACTION to the hanging of Saddam Hussein, in Iraq and beyond, has been predictable--if so far rather muted. The general feeling is that things in Iraq are so bad that Mr Hussein's death at the...

Islamists toppled; Islamists forces flee Somalia; Islamists forces flee Somalia.
January 2, 2007... Ethiopian-backed soldiers have routed Islamist forces who previously controlled much of Somalia IT IS a crushing defeat for the Islamists who had controlled Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, and much of the south of the country for several...

The urge to merge; A record year for mergers; But the wave may break in 2007.
January 2, 2007... Last year's takeover wave may hit the rocks this year THE urge to merge has never been stronger, nor satisfied more expensively, than it was in 2006. The total value of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) around the world reached almost $4...

Is Syria a reforming character?
January 2, 2007... The future of Syria's economy Syrian government officials have been barely able to conceal their delight at the recent signs of a turnaround in the international approval ratings of their president, Bashar al-Assad, as he holds court to a...

Turning the screw; Turning the screw on Darfur; What can outsiders do to force Sudan's hand over Darfur?
January 3, 2007... Pressure on Sudan's rulers over the violence in Darfur may, inch by inch, produce some results THE pressure on Sudan's government to put an end to violence in the western region of Darfur is continuing. On Tuesday January 2nd the UN's new...

Hostages to fortune; A diary of the future; New-year predictions from the editor of The World in 2007.(Editorial)
January 3, 2007... Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday The editor of The World in 2007 sticks his neck out Wednesday PREPARE for plenty of Elvis sightings in 2007, particularly around the 30th anniversary of his death on August 16th. It will be a bumper...

Islamists toppled; Islamists forces flee Somalia; Islamists forces flee Somalia.
January 3, 2007... Ethiopian-backed soldiers rout Somalia's Islamist forces IT IS a crushing defeat for the Islamists who had controlled Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, and much of the south of the country for several months. A lightning attack by...

A sporting gesture; China relaxes media rules; A smiling face for the Olympics.
January 3, 2007... China relaxes media controls for the Olympics AS PART of its preparations for hosting the Olympic games in 2008, China has been proclaiming a new era of openness. Last week departments of the Communist Party which had previously kept...

A cushioned blow; A cushioned blow for Belarus; Belarus's gas deal with Russia marks the end of an era.
January 3, 2007... Belarus's gas deal with Russia marks the end of an era Belarus extracted slightly more favourable terms from Russia on gas pricing in 2007 than had been expected, indicating that Moscow would prefer to reduce the risk of toppling President...

Turning the screw; Turning the screw on Darfur; What can outsiders do to force Sudan's hand over Darfur?
January 4, 2007... Pressure on Sudan over Darfur may, possibly, get results THE pressure on Sudan's government to put an end to violence in the western region of Darfur is continuing. On Tuesday January 2nd the UN's new secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, said he...

Hostages to fortune; A diary of the future; New-year predictions from the editor of The World in 2007.(Editorial)
January 4, 2007... Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday The editor of The World in 2007 sticks his neck out Thursday IN DECEMBER I was invited to talk about predictions for 2007 on a San Francisco radio show. The second half of the programme...

A few reasons to celebrate; Germany's rebounding economy; Germany's rebounding economy.
January 4, 2007... The economy is running along nicely GERMANY'S rebounding economy will be the locomotive of Europe again by 2008, if not in 2007. That is the prognosis of several leading economic research institutes at the turn of the year. The...

Stars and soggy bottoms; The year in review; Rising stars and failing goverments.
January 4, 2007... A new-year salvo of bouquets and brickbats STAR in the making: Toomas Hendrik Ilves, president of Estonia. Suave, savvy and cynical, this Swedish-born, American-educated political heavyweight has returned from a big job at the European...

Pioneering Slovenia; Slovenia is eastern Europe's euro pioneer; Slovenia is eastern Europe's euro pioneer.
January 4, 2007... The newest member of the euro area is closely watched Slovenia is the first state from east-central Europe to join the euro zone, membership of which has been a mixed blessing for its founding members. The fixed exchange rate seems unlikely...

Golden handshakes; Bosses' pay in America; The debate over executive pay rumbles on.
January 4, 2007... A $210m pay-off for Robert Nardelli, the departing boss of Home Depot, again draws attention to a debate on high pay for bosses EXCESSIVE executive pay in America provokes expressions of awe, envy and outrage like little else. The latest...

Turning the screw; Turning the screw on Darfur; What can outsiders do to force Sudan's hand over Darfur?
January 5, 2007... Pressure on Sudan over Darfur may, possibly, get results THE pressure on Sudan's government to put an end to violence in the western region of Darfur is continuing. On Tuesday January 2nd the UN's new secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, said he...

Hostages to fortune; A diary of the future; New-year predictions from the editor of The World in 2007.(briefs)(Editorial)
January 5, 2007... Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday The editor of The World in 2007 sticks his neck out Friday ONE difference between The World in... and the weekly Economist is that the yearbook includes contributions from prominent...

A few reasons to celebrate; Germany's rebounding economy; Germany's rebounding economy.
January 5, 2007... The economy is running along nicely GERMANY'S rebounding economy will be the locomotive of Europe again by 2008, if not in 2007. That is the prognosis of several leading economic research institutes at the turn of the year. The...

Shuffling and surging; Seeking a surge in Iraq; What a temporary increase of American troops in Iraq might look like.
January 5, 2007... Awaiting a shake-up of American military and diplomatic personnel, and news that more troops might go to Iraq "GO BIG, go long or go home." Those were said to be the Pentagon's internal nicknames for the options in Iraq. Add more troops,...

Golden handshakes; Bosses' pay in America; The debate over executive pay rumbles on.
January 5, 2007... Robert Nardelli leaves Home Depot with a big pay-off EXCESSIVE executive pay in America provokes expressions of awe, envy and outrage like little else. The latest example of a boss walking away with a big pay-off emerged on Wednesday...

The virtues of vinyl; The afterlife of the vinyl record; LP stands for lingering pleasure.
January 5, 2007... LP stands for lingering pleasure TWENTY-five years ago, almost to the day, your correspondent was invited to listen to an early demonstration of a new recording medium at Sony's laboratories in Tokyo. "I have heard the future--and it's a...

Messy Bangladesh; Bangladesh's messy politics; Chaos ahead of this month's election in Bangladesh.
January 5, 2007... Political chaos ahead of this month's general election Bangladesh is due to hold a general election on January 22nd, but the decision by several opposition parties to boycott the poll suggests the result will be meaningless. The political...

The fastidious forger; Fake stamps as fine art; The triumph of Jean de Sperati.
January 6, 2007... Imitation, the sincerest form of philately TWO marks distinguish the postage stamps that were forged by Jean de Sperati in the early 20th century. The first are minute, repeated signs that seem inevitably to have crept into the...

Keeping out of the cold; The falling price of oil; A mild winter in America and Europe has sent oil prices plunging.
January 8, 2007... A mild winter has sent oil prices plunging ECONOMISTS bracing themselves for Chicago's icy snows as they arrived for this weekend's meeting of the American Economic Association got something of a shock. The sun has been shining over the...

Unveiling the latest models; America's beleagured carmakers; Familiar problems trouble Detroit's car giants.
January 8, 2007... Detroit's car giants have displayed swish new vehicles at the city's motor show. But they still face the same old problems WHEN an electric car swishes by, most striking is the eerie silence of its power unit. A compensatory burble of...

Bratislava's Brits and brats; East of the Oder; Travels with our central Europe correspondent.
January 8, 2007... Travels with our central Europe correspondent Monday MY VISITS to Bratislava always have a faintly penitential air. It was here 17 years ago, covering what was then communist Czechoslovakia, that I made probably the biggest of my many...

Weather-beaten; A Katrina for Canberra; Australians blame a drought on climate change.
January 8, 2007... Australians blame a drought on climate change THEY call this "the lucky country". But when it comes to the weather, Australia has been having a run of terrible misfortune lately. Much of it is in the grips of a severe drought, often claimed...

Calderon cracks down.
January 8, 2007... Mexico's president gets tough on crime Mexico's new president, Felipe Calderon, has made public security an early priority, spurred by opinion polls showing that crime is the main concern of voters. Since taking office on December 1st, he...

Unveiling the latest models; America's beleagured carmakers; Familiar problems trouble Detroit's car giants.
January 9, 2007... Detroit's car giants face the same old problems WHEN an electric car swishes by, most striking is the eerie silence of its power unit. A compensatory burble of excitement greeted General Motors' (GM) unveiling of the Chevrolet Volt, a...

Laughter and remembering; East of the Oder; Travels with our central Europe correspondent.(briefs)
January 9, 2007... Travels with our central Europe correspondent Monday | Tuesday Tuesday THE conference on post-communist Europe is a rare gem, with short papers, lively discussions, and lots of time for socialising. The wildly varying levels of...

Less a surge than a squirt; George Bush's new approach to Iraq; More American troops may be going to Iraq.
January 9, 2007... George Bush apparently plans a relatively small increase in the number of Americans soldiers serving in Iraq DETAILS of America's new approach to Iraq are finally leaking, ahead of an expected announcement of the policy by George Bush on...

Apples, good and bad; A crunch for Apple? The backlash against bosses may yet claim Steve Jobs.
January 9, 2007... The backlash against bosses may yet claim Steve Jobs BY RIGHTS, this should be a moment to celebrate capitalism's amazing ability to innovate, and to forget about its leadership crisis. Lines of wondrous new products are being unveiled with...

Frozen pipes.
January 9, 2007... Russia stops its oil flowing through Belarus to Europe Russian oil exports to Europe have been disrupted by a stand-off between Russia and transit-state Belarus, prompted by the latter's imposition of an oil transit tax in response to...

And a bowl of lung casserole; East of the Oder; Travels with our central Europe correspondent.
January 10, 2007... Travels with our central Europe correspondent Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday Wednesday TO BUDAPEST, and the Gellert hotel. A favourite of your correspondent. Note the eccentric plumbing, the peeling paint and the worn carpets. The...

Less a surge than a squirt; George Bush's new approach to Iraq; More American troops may be going to Iraq.
January 10, 2007... George Bush is poised to announce his plans for Iraq DETAILS of America's new approach to Iraq are finally leaking, ahead of an expected announcement of the policy by George Bush on Wednesday January 10th. The idea of a "surge" of American...

Politics by other means; The war in Kashmir; The solution is both obvious and impossible.
January 10, 2007... A deal on Kashmir is both easy and impossible A FEW years ago Bill Clinton called the Kashmir valley "the most dangerous place in the world". Since then, no great change. The war continues. Tortuous peace negotiations have been grinding...

Befriend, bully or grovel; East of the Oder; Travels with our central Europe correspondent.
January 11, 2007... Travels with our central Europe correspondent Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday Thursday HOME again to London―the financial, cultural and diplomatic capital of eastern Europe. The city is a magnet for the ambitious,...

The second coming; Hugo Chavez lurches to the left; Venezuela's president seems set on promoting socialism.
January 11, 2007... Venezuela's Hugo Chavez lurches leftwards, again THE story of Hugo Chavez's eight-year presidency in Venezuela is one of reinvention. This week, as he embarked on another six-year term, the left-leaning former army officer appeared to cast...

Reshuffling in Kazakhstan; A shift in Kazakhstan's politics; The prime minister resigns. So what?
January 11, 2007... The prime minister has resigned. So what? On January 8th Daniyal Akhmetov resigned as prime minister of Kazakhstan, a move that seemed unexpected but had been in preparation for some time. In Kazakhstan's autocratic presidential system,...

A hunger for power; Seeking a holy trinity for Europe's energy; Europe's competition commissioner reveals a new energy policy.
January 11, 2007... Europe requires open markets to meet its energy needs NEELIE KROES, the European Union's competition commissioner, did not mince her words when reporting on Europe's energy markets on Wednesday January 10th. Europe's energy firms have...

In praise of emigres; Another Czech government; A prince returns to power, if briefly.
January 11, 2007... A prince returns to power, if briefly "TO THOSE who in their homeland have no freedom, and to those who in their freedom have no homeland." That toast was drunk by countless east European emigres during the decades of communism, when few...

The president's last throw; George Bush announces a last push for "victory" in Iraq; George Bush believes that sending 20,000 more troops to Iraq may provide victory.
January 11, 2007... George Bush announces a last push for "victory" MOST Americans have lost hope and want to leave Iraq. Not so George Bush. He is convinced that "victory" is not just possible but essential, and that the Middle East can still be refashioned...

Prolonging the agony; More political turmoil in Bangladesh; The president declares a state of emergency.
January 11, 2007... The state of emergency in Bangladesh is likely to mean more political turmoil, not less IAJUDDIN AHMED, Bangladesh's president, has declared a state of emergency, involving the deployment of thousands of soldiers with broad powers of...

Capping rents in Dubai.
January 11, 2007... Landlords are told to limit their rent increases this year It was a happy New Year and Eid Mubarak for people who rent their home in Dubai. Workers celebrated their first day back in the office with news that the government had capped 2007...

A tale of two banks; Rates rise in Britain, and the ECB may follow suit; The Bank of England surprises almost everyone, and the ECB may raise rates soon.
January 11, 2007... Unlike the Bank of England, the ECB surprises no one BACK in the dim prehistory of central banking--up to about a decade ago--monetary policymakers seemed almost to take a perverse pleasure in wrong-footing financial markets. At least one...

From Estonia to Atlantis; East of the Oder; Travels with our central Europe correspondent.
January 12, 2007... Travels with our central Europe correspondent Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday Friday LONDON (or at least the bit of it that is interested in eastern European politics) was abuzz with unkind gossip after the Polish...

State of emergency; More political turmoil in Bangladesh; The president declares a state of emergency.
January 12, 2007... Hope amid the murk of Bangladeshi politics IAJUDDIN AHMED, Bangladesh's president, has stood down as head of a caretaker administration, postponed the election it was due to oversee on January 22nd, and handed over to Fakhruddin Ahmed, a...

Double vision; High-definition video; Forcing a truce between Blu-ray and HD DVD.
January 12, 2007... Forcing a truce between Blu-ray and HD DVD LAST year was supposed to be the year we all bought high-definition DVD players and super-sharp video discs to play on them. Lots of consumers did splurge on flat-panel HDTV sets, capable of...

Beckham's away win; Foreign stars are unlikely to make football big in America; David Beckham is unlikey to be the saviour of soccer in America.
January 12, 2007... America is not enthralled by soccer. Paying David Beckham, a British football star, $250m to play there will make little difference DAVID BECKHAM gained the nickname "Goldenballs" as much for his earning power as for his footballing skills....

Latvia's prospects; Latvia may be heading for a fall; Latvia's economy cannot boom forever.
January 12, 2007... The bounding economy may be heading for a fall Latvia is in many ways a success story. The economy is booming and living standards have improved markedly in recent years. However, rapid growth has led to growing imbalances, and the risks...

Beckham's away win; Foreign stars are unlikely to make football big in America; David Beckham is unlikey to be the saviour of soccer in America.
January 13, 2007... David Beckham won't make Americans watch soccer DAVID BECKHAM gained the nickname "Goldenballs" as much for his earning power as for his footballing skills. Even if the latter may be in decline, the news this week that England's most famous...

A recognition problem; Could Hamas ever accept that Israel exists? What to read into a Hamas leader's brief admission that Israel exists.
January 14, 2007... Israel exists. A Hamas leader briefly admits the obvious DID he or didn't he? This week Khaled Meshal, the head of the Palestinians' ruling Hamas movement, seemed to soften--slightly--his stance on Israel. According to Reuters, he said...

The Chinese disease? The rapid spread of syphilis in China; Concerns about China's public health.
January 14, 2007... Syphilis is spreading fast in China. That raises wider concerns THE Dutch called it the Spanish disease; Russians the Polish disease; Turks, the Christian disease and Tahitians, the British disease. But syphilis, a sexually transmitted...

Sarkozy's goal; Nicolas Sarkozy faces a hard slog to become president; No easy route to become president of France.
January 15, 2007... France's centre-right candidate for the presidency TWELVE years ago, an ambitious young French politician was cast aside by the newly elected president, Jacques Chirac, for having backed a rival candidate. Four years later, the same...

Waiting for Gordo; On being Bagehot; Notes from our political editor.(Bagehot column editor appreciates Tony Blair and his political activities)(Editorial)
January 15, 2007... From the notebooks of "Bagehot", our political editor Monday THIS is a strange period of hiatus in British politics, often referred to as "waiting for Gordo". For me, it's odder still, as I will leave my job as a political editor (to...

Dr Strangelove saves the earth; Geo-engineering; How big science might fix climate change.
January 15, 2007... How big science might fix climate change FEW scientists like to say so, but cutting greenhouse-gas emissions is not the only way to solve the problem of global warming. If man-made technologies are capable of heating the planet, they are...

Mexico's economy.
January 15, 2007... A tumbling oil price may strain the budget Less than two weeks into the New Year, Mexico's oil export price has dipped below its budgeted level, raising the risk that the government might have to consider adjustments to the 2007 budget....

Targeting Iran? Growing tension over Iran; Turning up the heat on Iran.(Iran military activities raise tention in other countries)
January 15, 2007... Iran's nuclear activities and its influence in Iraq are provoking stronger responses from America and others GEORGE BUSH could hardly be clearer in his disagreement with those, such as the members of the Baker-Hamilton Commission, who have...

Targeting Iran? Growing tension over Iran; Turning up the heat on Iran.(Iran suspect of development of nuclear weapons raises tention among other countries)
January 16, 2007... Tension rises, over nukes and Iraq GEORGE BUSH could hardly be clearer in his disagreement with those, such as the members of the Baker-Hamilton Commission, who have argued for an early exit from Iraq coupled with the wooing of its big...

Tanked; BP changes boss; In praise of Lord Browne.
January 16, 2007... In praise of Lord Browne ONE puzzling aspect of British industry's post-Thatcher revival is how few business titans it has produced. There is always Sir Richard Branson, whose bearded face has graced a thousand magazine covers, and which...

Migrant power; How migration is helping to reshape eastern Europe and Central Asia; The power of remittances in eastern Europe and Central Asia.
January 16, 2007... A World Bank report shows migrants helping to change the demography and economies of eastern Europe and Central Asia WHEN eastern Europe was behind the Iron Curtain, it was a grim joke: "If they ever open the borders, will the last person...

Saudi Arabia's economy.
January 16, 2007... The stockmarket is on the slide again The Saudi Arabian stockmarket has lost more ground in the first two weeks of the new year--after halving in value during 2006--following a decision by the regulator to suspend trading in one of the more...

A man without enemies; On being Bagehot; Notes from our political editor.(Hilary Benn, the international development secretary)
January 17, 2007... From the notebooks of "Bagehot", our political editor Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday Wednesday HILARY Benn, the international development secretary, joined us for lunch at The Economist the other day, and predictably succeeded in...

Migrant power; How migration is helping to reshape eastern Europe and Central Asia; The power of remittances in eastern Europe and Central Asia.
January 17, 2007... A report shows migrants reshaping parts of Europe and Asia WHEN eastern Europe was behind the Iron Curtain, it was a grim joke: "If they ever open the borders, will the last person to leave please turn off the lights?" Now that the borders...

The first step; Barack Obama forms an "exploratory committee" to look into a presidential run; Will Barack Obama be America's first black president?
January 17, 2007... Barack Obama begins his bid to be America's president in 2008 BARACK OBAMA was classy enough--or canny enough--not to announce that he was running for president during his speech on America's Martin Luther King holiday. That would have...

Close call; ASEAN: the EU model? And talks, and talks, and talks.(Association of South-East Asian Nations)
January 17, 2007... ASEAN talks of integration "NEW Dawn for ASEAN", trumpeted Tuesday's Manila Times dutifully. And indeed, for those who like to talk up a European model of integration as a way forward for South-East Asia, the past weekend's summit of the...

McParliament; On being Bagehot; Notes from our political editor.
January 18, 2007... From the notebooks of "Bagehot", our political editor Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday Thursday NOT since the Scottish National Party (SNP) returned 11 MPs to the House of Commons more than 30 years ago has there been such...

The first step; Barack Obama looks into a presidential run; Will Barack Obama be America's first black president?
January 18, 2007... Barack Obama begins his bid to be America's president BARACK OBAMA was classy enough--or canny enough--not to announce that he was running for president during his speech on America's Martin Luther King holiday. That would have seemed...

The past is unpredictable; Painting over the past; Conflicting views of Soviet history.
January 18, 2007... Conflicting views of Soviet history DEPENDING on your sympathies, your education and your historical experience, a giant bronze Soviet-era soldier in Tallinn, Estonia, may celebrate the liberation of the Estonian capital from fascism; or it...

New gates to storm; Private equity's new frontiers; Private equity explores emerging markets.
January 18, 2007... Private equity explores more distant frontiers THE art of private equity, it might be said, is finding and polishing diamonds in the rough. No wonder, then, that more firms are venturing off the beaten path in search of uncut gems. With...

Ebbing away; Ukraine still lacks a stable political system; The president of Ukraine sees his authority slip.
January 18, 2007... Ukraine's president sees his authority slip Ukraine's cabinet has scored a major victory over the president, as parliament has overturned a presidential veto of a law giving the cabinet more power. Authority is slipping away from President...

Better Broadcasting Corporation; On being Bagehot; Notes from our political editor.
January 19, 2007... From the notebooks of "Bagehot", our political editor Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday Friday TESSA Jowell, the culture secretary, says the BBC will have to make do with a rather lower licence fee settlement,...

Another mouse in the house; For your entertainment; The computer industry targets the living room.
January 19, 2007... The computer industry targets the living room LAST week's headlines were grabbed by Apple's gorgeous iPhone; a nifty high-definition video disc from Warner: and a high-definition video-disc player from LG Electronics that can cope with two...

Mexico's economy; Tortillas and monopoly power; An outcry over a spike in tortilla prices.
January 19, 2007... Monopolies and tortillas What do telecommunications, television and tortillas have in common? They are all industries in Mexico that are dominated by one or a few private players. Although Mexico's government has long been called on to...

Bobbing back up? Inflation is quietly on the rise; Is it time to start worrying about inflation?
January 19, 2007... Concerns about inflation are growing around the world PERHAPS it is time to feel uneasy. Though not very powerful now in much of the world, inflation is an uncomfortable force that may be getting stronger. Last week, the Bank of England...

Oh brother; Britain's obsession with celebrity and class; A row over reality television and race in Britain.
January 19, 2007... A row over reality TV says more about class than race MORE magazines documenting the ups and, better, the downs of celebrities are sold in Britain than anywhere else, relative to the size of its population. The reasons given for the...

Bobbing back up? Inflation is quietly on the rise; Is it time to start worrying about inflation?
January 20, 2007... Concerns about inflation are rising again PERHAPS it is time to feel uneasy. Though not very powerful now in much of the world, inflation is an uncomfortable force that may be getting stronger. Last week, the Bank of England startled...

Tettamanti's testament; The Tettamanti collection; Works by Rothko, Burri and others.
January 20, 2007... A great post-war Italian art collection for sale RICCARDO Tettamanti was an Italian paper magnate. It wasn't until he was almost 40 that he bought his first painting. Yet within a decade he'd virtually abandoned his business to devote...

A boost for the Radicals; Serbia's elections boost the nationalists; Serbians vote.
January 22, 2007... The nationalists do well, but are unlikely to take office SO THE Radicals did well, again. Already the largest party in parliament before Serbs went to the polls on Sunday January 21st, the nationalist Radical Party has apparently won 28.3%...

Good spots, bad spots; Unlike AIDS and polio, measles is slowly being beaten; The World Health Organisation has done well in its fight against measles.
January 22, 2007... Some 7.5m lives are saved. But don't fail now THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has many grand ambitions for beating dreadful diseases. By 2005, for example, some 3m HIV-positive poor people were supposed to be getting drugs to mitigate...

New ideas from old Europe; Greenhouse design; How America might learn from Europe's slip-ups on carbon trading.
January 22, 2007... How an American carbon-trading system should work IN RECENT weeks, a rush of climate-change bills has started circulating in America's new Congress. Eminent names are behind them: in the Senate, Joe Lieberman and John McCain have sponsored...

Balkans Diary; On the road with our man in the Balkans; Missives from a forgotten bit of Europe.
January 22, 2007... A week on the road with a roving correspondent Monday As the bus from north Mitrovica pulled into the station in Belgrade, on time to the very minute that it was supposed to arrive, six hours after leaving Kosovo, I felt vindicated....

Ties that bind; Colombia's ruling party is accused of ties with paramilitaries; A troubling relationship in Colombia.
January 22, 2007... How close is Colombia's ruling party to paramilitaries? There have been reported links between Colombian legislators and the paramilitary Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC) for many years, but the issue has become increasingly prominent...