Global Agenda articles from January 2008

Global Agenda archives from January 2008

Kenya's unsound election.
January 1, 2008... Violence after a dubious result THE electoral commission of Kenya declared a winner in the country's bitterly fought presidential election on Sunday December 30th: the sitting president, Mwai Kibaki, was returned to power. The voting three...

Eastern Europe in 2008; Europe.view; Hoping for good news in the coming year.
January 1, 2008... Hoping for good news in the coming year THE most urgent thing to hope for is a soft landing for economies grown complacent amid perpetual sunshine and friendly faces. Large imbalances and a global credit crunch are an alarming mixture. Lars...

Trimmers; Village New Year's diary; Fear and competition as we decorate the tree.
January 1, 2008... Fear and competition as we decorate the tree Tuesday THERE are no trees in Bethlehem. I wonder if we have left it too late, but then we pass several cars with trees strapped to their roofs. I learn that when trees go up (and are...

Syria's foreign politics; Sarko's pique; France's President Sarkozy gives up on his efforts to work with Syria to resolve the Lebanese presidential crisis.(Nicolas Sarko)
January 1, 2008... France gives up on Syria, over Lebanon THE French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, has made good on his threat to take action against Syria on account of its presumed role in blocking the election of a new president of Lebanon. Speaking in Cairo...

In BB's wake; Pakistan's election may be delayed after the murder of Benazir Bhutto; Why Pakistan's election may be delayed.(Benazir Bhutto)
January 1, 2008... Pakistan’s election may well be postponed AFTER four days of rioting, slaughter and political grandstanding, the bereaved followers of Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan’s assassinated opposition leader, began negotiating with the camp of...

Intelligent design; Village New Year's diary; When does a town become a resort?
January 2, 2008... When does a town become a resort? Tuesday | Wednesday Wednesday ON BROOKLYN’S Grand Army Plaza, not far from where I used to live, Richard Meier, a contemporary American architect whose buildings are more Corbusier than...

Karimov’s meaningless win; Karimov’s meaningless win in Uzbekistan; Uzbekistan's old president wins re-election.(Islam Karimov )
January 2, 2008... Uzbekistan's president is returned to office, surprise Incumbent Islam Karimov has been confirmed as the overwhelming victor in Uzbekistan’s presidential election. As he faced no serious opposition, the result was never in doubt and...

In BB's wake; Pakistan's election has been delayed after the murder of Benazir Bhutto; Pakistan's election is delayed.(Benazir Bhutto)
January 2, 2008... The election is put back to February 18th AFTER four days of rioting, slaughter and political grandstanding, the bereaved followers of Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan’s assassinated opposition leader, began negotiating with the camp of...

Twilight robbery; Violence flares in Kenya; At least 300 are killed in post-election violence in Kenya.
January 2, 2008... Ethnic violence comes to Kenya THE decision to return Kenya's 76-year-old incumbent president, Mwai Kibaki, to office was not made by the Kenyan people but by a group of hardline Kikuyu leaders. They made up their minds before the result...

Silent night; Village New Year's diary; No store, no cars, no music.
January 3, 2008... No store, no cars, no music Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday Thursday NOT every town in this area has gone grumblingly into that good weekenders’ night: some have rushed to greet it. For dinner we head into the fanciest of the...

And they're off; The Iowa caucuses get underway; Iowa's caucuses get underway.
January 3, 2008... The Iowa caucuses begin the most open presidential race in decades WEATHER forecasts, adverts not being shown, the Orange Bowl football game. In the Iowa caucuses, the first step in nominating America’s president that takes place on...

Tsar struck; Europe.view; Man of the year, or scandal of the decade?
January 3, 2008... Man of the year, or scandal of the decade? CHOOSING a "Man of the Year" is a risky business and writing about him even more so. Take this sentence: "His was no ordinary dictatorship, but rather one of great energy and magnificent...

The $100 barrel; The $100 barrel of oil is here; Why the $100 barrel of oil?
January 3, 2008... Oil and gold hit new highs TRADITIONALLY, the beginning of the year is a time for bargain-hunters to snap up excess stock on the cheap. Not, this year, on the commodity markets. On Tuesday January 2nd, the first business day of the new...

Venezuela's new bolivar; A new bolivar for Venezuela; Venezuela's new currency will not cut inflation.
January 3, 2008... A redenominated currency will not tame inflation Venezuela’s revamped and renamed currency, the "bolivar fuerte" (strong bolivar), made its debut with the New Year, in a move designed not only to simplify transactions but also to...

Going home; Village New Year's diary; Our revels now are ended.
January 4, 2008... Our revels now are ended Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday Friday GLENN GOULD, in one of his radio broadcasts, proposed the existence of a socialisation ratio that varies from person to person: for every hour spent in other...

The $100 barrel; The $100 barrel of oil is here; Why the $100 barrel of oil?
January 4, 2008... Oil and gold hit new highs TRADITIONALLY, the beginning of the year is a time for bargain-hunters to snap up excess stock on the cheap. Not, this year, on the commodity markets. On Wednesday January 2nd, the first business day of the new...

One clunky laptop per child; Tech.view; Great idea. Shame about the mediocre computer.
January 4, 2008... Great idea. Shame about the mediocre computer IT WOULD be a stunt, but one perhaps worth performing, to write this column on the tiny, green and white, $200 XO computer from One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) that sits idle before your columnist....

A call for change; Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee win in Iowa; A call for change from Iowa?
January 4, 2008... Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee enjoy big wins in Iowa. But neither race is over EVERYBODY likes a good story, but the establishment always wins. Such is the analysis of George Bush's victory over John McCain in the 2000 Republican contest,...

An uneasy handover; South Africa's uneasy politics; Jacob Zuma, head of South Africa's ruling party, faces a fresh corruption trial.
January 4, 2008... Political uncertainty will continue in South Africa After five years of above-average growth, South Africa enters 2008 with a lengthening list of political and economic problems. Jacob Zuma’s convincing victory in the African...

A call for change; Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee win in Iowa; A call for change from Iowa?
January 5, 2008... Both races are still open EVERYBODY likes a good story, but the establishment always wins. Such is the analysis of George Bush's victory over John McCain in the 2000 Republican contest, or, arguably, of John Kerry's triumph over Howard...

A test of democracy; Georgia's important election gets underway; A big election in Georgia.
January 6, 2008... A big election in Georgia THE presidential election in Georgia on Saturday January 5th is a landmark in the history of the ex-communist world. Mikheil Saakashvili, a charismatic figure who has by turns dazzled and disappointed his many...

Unhappy new year; Market.view; A rise in unemployment augurs a rocky 2008.
January 6, 2008... A rise in unemployment augurs a rocky 2008 FINANCIAL markets reacted to Friday’s non-farm payroll data from America with alarm. Shares and the dollar quickly fell; government bonds rose as investors opted for their safe-haven status....

The week ahead; What may be in the headlines this week; News of the coming days.(Brief article)
January 7, 2008... What may make the headlines * CHARLES TAYLOR, Liberia's former president and a one-time warlord in the country, is due to go on trial for war crimes at the United Nations-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague on Monday January...

Branding land; Green.view; Conservation marketers choose land over beast.
January 7, 2008... Conservation marketers choose land over beast FOR decades, conservation organisations have known the value of a flagship species. The so-called charismatic megafauna--giant pandas, tigers, mountain gorillas, African elephants and blue...

Escaping the bubble; Isaan diary; A long way from the Bangkok Skytrain.(Travel narrative)
January 7, 2008... A long way from the Bangkok Skytrain Monday AS A foreigner who lives in central Bangkok (when not away travelling) I often feel like I am in a bubble within a bubble. Middle-class Bangkokians live in a metropolitan bubble, cut off from...

Thai politics; Thailand's election result is in question; Thailand's election result is in question.
January 7, 2008... The election result is called into question A sweeping probe into alleged election fraud and a legal case against the country's leading political party suggest that the military backers of Thailand's September 2006 coup are now trying to...

Getting out of a mess in Georgia; Georgia's president wins re-election; A win for for Georgia's president.
January 7, 2008... A win for the president IF YOU had not known that Georgia was holding a presidential election on Saturday 5th January, but happened to be in Tbilisi, its capital, on that day, you may have thought that Georgia had just won a football...

A hill to climb; Barack Obama is expected to win in New Hampshire; Great expectations for Barack Obama in New Hampshire.
January 7, 2008... Barack Obama appears poised to win the New Hampshire primary. Where does Hillary Clinton go from here? "WORDS are not action", said Hillary Clinton at a Democratic debate on Saturday January 5th in which she attempted to brush off her...

No longer quiet; Isaan diary; The changing face of the Thai countryside.
January 8, 2008... The changing face of the Thai countryside Monday | Tuesday Tuesday UBON Ratchathani has grown from a quaint rural backwater into a sprawling city with traffic-clogged roads, a handful of big hotels, several big shopping centres...

A hill to climb; Barack Obama is expected to win in New Hampshire; Great expectations for Barack Obama in New Hampshire.
January 8, 2008... Where does Hillary Clinton go now? "WORDS are not action", said Hillary Clinton at a Democratic debate on Saturday January 5th in which she attempted to brush off her stinging defeat by Barack Obama in the Iowa caucus. She contrasted her...

The laptop wars; Business.view; Will charity or profit end the digital divide?
January 8, 2008... Will charity or profit end the digital divide? WHEN a plan to create a $100 laptop was announced three years ago at the World Economic Forum, it seemed like a stroke of genius. Here was an opportunity for the global business elite gathered...

Taiwan's elections; Taiwan's pending elections; Going to the polls in Taiwan.
January 8, 2008... Resurgent nationalists in Taiwan Voters in Taiwan go to the polls on January 12th, in the first of two major national elections to be held by end-March. Next Saturday's parliamentary election, which will feature major changes to the voting...

Not enough froth; Starbucks runs into trouble; The world's biggest coffee-shop chain looks for a caffeine boost.
January 8, 2008... Troubled Starbucks ousts its boss and brings back an old hand HOWARD SCHULTZ is not trying to pass the buck. Starbucks is in trouble and much of it is self-inflicted. "I’m here to tell you that just as we created this problem, we will...

Thai story; Isaan diary; One upwardly mobile family in Isaan.
January 9, 2008... One upwardly mobile family in Isaan Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday Wednesday I CONTINUE to find that Isaan, Thailand’s north-east region, is nowhere near as backward as I had expected, considering the dismissive way Bangkok...

Not enough froth; Starbucks runs into trouble; The world's biggest coffee-shop chain looks for a caffeine boost.
January 9, 2008... Trouble at Starbucks HOWARD SCHULTZ is not trying to pass the buck. Starbucks is in trouble and much of it is self-inflicted. "I’m here to tell you that just as we created this problem, we will fix it," he promised on Monday January...

Comparing dynasties; Asia.view; Pakistan's Bhuttos can never be its Nehru-Gandhis.
January 9, 2008... Pakistan's Bhuttos can never be its Nehru-Gandhis BENAZIR BHUTTO, in her autobiography "Daughter of the East", makes no secret of her fascination with Indira Gandhi, a former Indian prime minister. They met when Bhutto was a teenager; she...

Hillary Clinton's surprise win.
January 9, 2008... Hillary Clinton outshines Barack Obama, while John McCain reignites his hopes, in the New Hampshire primaries RARELY have pollsters and pundits been so wrong. Riding a wave of momentum from the Iowa caucuses, which he came from behind to...

Charles Taylor's trial; Prosecuting Liberia's Charles Taylor for war crimes; Liberia's Charles Taylor appears in court.
January 9, 2008... Liberia's former president is tried for war crimes The war crimes trial against Liberia's former president has resumed--with the court funding Charles Taylor's defence. The trial will fuel debate over the creation of a war crimes tribunal...

Dam lies; Isaan diary; Fishermen’s tales on the Mun river.
January 10, 2008... Fishermen’s tales on the Mun river Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday Thursday IN THE mid-1990s the Mun river, which flows through Ubon Ratchathani province before pouring into the Mekong, was dammed to generate...

Hillary Clinton's surprise win.
January 10, 2008... The bounce back RARELY have pollsters and pundits been so wrong. Riding a wave of momentum from the Iowa caucuses, which he came from behind to win, Barack Obama had every reason to expect a second victory over Hillary Clinton in the New...

Love in a cold climate; Europe.view; A surprisingly sunny outlook for the east.
January 10, 2008... A surprisingly sunny outlook for the east HOW well is eastern Europe placed in an era of global tightening? At first sight, it looks grim. The region has worrying imbalances at a macro level, and over the past ten years has failed to reform...

Kenya's fragile economy; Political upheaval may cost Kenya dear; The price of turmoil in Kenya.
January 10, 2008... How political turmoil might cost Kenya dear The economic ramifications of Kenya's disputed presidential elections could prove substantial, not least because Kenya is not the economic powerhouse that it is often portrayed. Mediation...

A "people's car" from India; Tata Motors reveals its one-lakh car; A "people's car" from Tata Motors.
January 10, 2008... Tata Motors reveals a dirt-cheap model RATAN TATA, chairman of the Tata group of companies, has a cerebral and cordial manner. But the so-called "one-lakh car", which Tata Motors unveiled in Delhi to a rapt public on Thursday January 10th,...

Stepping beyond subprime; Gloomy prospects for banks from the credit crunch; More bad news to come for banks from the credit crunch.
January 10, 2008... The credit crunch promises more gloom yet for banks THIS week saw another round of bloodletting as bankers grappled with the effects of the credit crunch. Barclays Capital and CIBC joined the long list of lenders to jettison senior...

Global tendrils; Isaan diary; Tesco and other foreign invaders.
January 11, 2008... Tesco and other foreign invaders Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday Friday FINDING signs of globalisation’s pervasiveness in and around Ubon Ratchathani is easy. Even the smallest coffee shops sell Coca-Cola, Pepsi and...

Stepping beyond subprime; Gloomy prospects for banks from the credit crunch; More bad news to come for banks from the credit crunch.
January 11, 2008... Banks face more gloom THIS week saw another round of bloodletting as bankers grappled with the effects of the credit crunch. Barclays Capital and CIBC joined the long list of lenders to jettison senior investment bankers. And, to...

Life after cyber-death; Tech.view; How to outfit a recycled computer.
January 11, 2008... How to outfit a recycled computer GOT a new computer over the holiday? So, what are you going to do with the old one? Hand it down to a younger sibling or offspring? Odds are they already have a fairly recent one, and won’t be too...

More instability; Kenya's woes continue; More instability for Kenya.
January 11, 2008... Kenya's protests are expected to restart KENYA is sinking deeper into political turmoil with the continued refusal of its disputed president, Mwai Kibaki, and its opposition leader, Raila Odinga, to meet face to face. A panel of African...

South Korea; A fraud investigation in South Korea; Probing fraud in South Korea.
January 11, 2008... The new president faces investigation for fraud A fraud investigation will overshadow the lead-up to Lee Myung-bak's inauguration as South Korean president, after the constitutional court on January 10th rejected a petition seeking to...

Bank of America’s big gamble; Bank of America buys Countrywide; Countrywide is sold to Bank of America for $4 billion.
January 11, 2008... In a risky but possibly rewarding move, America’s most valuable lender will take over Countrywide AFTER America’s savings-and-loan crisis in the 1980s, in which hundreds of mortgage banks went bust when interest rates moved...

Silence isn't golden; Market.view; A quiet corporate-bond market augurs trouble.
January 13, 2008... A quiet corporate-bond market augurs trouble DEVOTEES of old Westerns will recall the point at which one character inevitably says, "I don’t like it. It’s too quiet." Cue the sudden death of a cast member as an arrow thuds into...

Bank of America’s big gamble; Bank of America buys Countrywide; Countrywide is sold to Bank of America for $4 billion.
January 13, 2008... Buying Countrywide for $4 billion AFTER America’s savings-and-loan crisis in the 1980s, in which hundreds of mortgage banks went bust when interest rates moved against them, fortunes were made by those who sifted through the wreckage...

The week ahead; The Michigan primary, and other news of the week ahead; The coming days.(Calendar)
January 14, 2008... The coming days * THE focus of America's primary-election season turns on Michigan on Tuesday January 15th, where the Republican Mitt Romney desperately needs to get some momentum. His rival, Mike Huckabee, is expected to do well in South...

Uptown, downtown; The dead of New York diary; Memories of Manhattan's small-town beginnings.(Travel narrative)
January 14, 2008... Memories of Manhattan's small-town beginnings Monday TO GET to my grandmother’s house my family had to drive past the graveyard where W.B. Yeats is buried, in County Sligo. As children, my siblings and I would beg my parents to...

Point and shoot; Green.view; Killing African animals may help conserve them.
January 14, 2008... Killing African animals may help conserve them TOURISM is a ready source of hard currency for developing countries, but can tourist dollars encourage landowners to protect wildlife? Nature-, green- or eco-tourism has certainly taken off...

A spat between the Democrats; A spat over racial politics in the Democratic party; The Democrats snipe over race.
January 14, 2008... The Democratic nomination process sours as Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton spar over race "DR KING’S dream began to be realised when President Johnson passed the civil-rights act...it took a president to get it done". Hillary...

Booming Africa; Africa's economic boom time; Africa's economies are, mostly, doing well.
January 14, 2008... African growth is set to rise a record 6.4% Provided commodity prices remain firm Sub-Saharan growth should buck the global trend in 2008, with output rising a record 6.4%. Gloomy forecasts for the world economy--mostly attributable to...

Old souls; The dead of New York diary; Rescuing the graveyards of Queens.
January 15, 2008... Rescuing the graveyards of Queens Monday | Tuesday Tuesday PEOPLE call Stanley Cogan "the Head Stone", an apt nickname for a retired teacher who, until Alzheimer’s made it impossible, spent his twilight years caring for...

A spat between the Democrats; A spat over racial politics in the Democratic party; The Democrats snipe over race.
January 15, 2008... The nomination process sours "DR KING’S dream began to be realised when President Johnson passed the civil-rights act...it took a president to get it done". Hillary Clinton’s remark to a journalist last week, the day before the...

On balance, less awful; Could one dare to hope in Iraq? Looking for reasons to hope in Iraq.
January 15, 2008... Could one talk of a turning tide? IT IS a measure of low expectations in Iraq that a suggestion that 150,000 people might have died violently since the American-led invasion in 2003 (until mid 2006) could be considered as relatively good...

Doing an Alwaleed; Business.view; Time for foreign investors to buy American?
January 15, 2008... Time for foreign investors to buy American? ONE of the greatest investments in the history of capitalism took place in 1991, when Saudi Arabia’s Prince Alwaleed bin Talal acquired a 15% stake in Citibank at the absolute bottom of the...

KMT landslide; Taiwan's parliamentary elections; The nationalist KMT wins an emphatic victory in Taiwan's parliamentary elections.
January 15, 2008... The nationalists win in Taiwan's parliamentary elections Taiwan's main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT, Nationalist Party), won a landslide in legislative elections on January 12th. The KMT picked up 81 seats, compared to just 27 for...

Citi’s kitchen-sink moment? Citigroup's dreadful quarter; A miserable quarter for Citigroup.
January 15, 2008... The world’s biggest bank delivers dreadful results, but hopes the worst is over VIKRAM PANDIT has just celebrated his 51st birthday, but this will not be the best week of his year. His first set of quarterly results as boss of...

Heart of marble; The dead of New York; Where gentlemen lie and Hell's Angels watch.
January 16, 2008... Where gentlemen lie and Hell's Angels watch Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday Wednesday FOR years I wondered about the New York Marble Cemetery in Manhattan’s East Village. Its entry, guarded by two locked black iron gates, is...

Still wide open; Mitt Romney wins in Michigan; Mitt Romney's win in Michigan means the Republican race remains wide open.
January 16, 2008... Mitt Romney wins in Michigan, pushing aside John McCain. The Republican nomination remains up for grabs HE HAS a silver tongue, and distinguished silver hair at the temples, but finally Mitt Romney can enjoy some serious gold. After...

Citi’s kitchen-sink moment? Citigroup's dreadful quarter; A miserable quarter for Citigroup.
January 16, 2008... Dreadful results, but some hopes VIKRAM PANDIT has just celebrated his 51st birthday, but this will not be the best week of his year. His first set of quarterly results as boss of Citigroup was one for the history books, for all the wrong...

In defence of politics; Asia.view; And in praise of Taiwan’s democratic variety.
January 16, 2008... In praise of Taiwan’s democracy THE main opposition in Taiwan’s parliamentary election on January 12th--the Nationalists, or Kuomintang (KMT)--fared even better than expected, winning in a landslide. Its candidate, Ma Ying-jeou,...

Budget turnaround; Hungary's economy; The budget deficit fell to well below target in 2007 and will shrink again this year.
January 16, 2008... Hungary's fiscal roller-coaster is over Hungary has completed a remarkable turnaround in its public finances, with the budget of deficit falling to just 5.7% of GDP in 2007 from close to 10% of GDP a year earlier. The prospects for...

Green fields; The dead of New York; Massive cemeteries in Brooklyn and the Bronx.
January 17, 2008... Massive cemeteries in Brooklyn and the Bronx Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday Thursday A MAGNIFICENT gothic revival arch gateway greets visitors to Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery. It’s hard to miss the hundreds...

Still wide open; Mitt Romney wins in Michigan; Mitt Romney's win in Michigan means the Republican race remains wide open.
January 17, 2008... Mitt Romney wins in Michigan HE HAS a silver tongue, and distinguished silver hair at the temples, but finally Mitt Romney can enjoy some serious gold. After finishing second in two Republican votes that were considered "must-win" for him,...

A fact of life; Europe.view; Patience, resolve in the West’s approach to Russia.
January 17, 2008... Patience, resolve in the West’s approach to Russia WHAT should the West think about Russia? That is the subject of a powerful new study by James Sherr, a senior lecturer and fellow at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom,...

A delicate condition; The twin fears of recession and inflation; Fearing both inflation and recession.
January 17, 2008... Fears of both recession and inflation HAVING a little bit of inflation is like being a little bit pregnant. Is that old adage worth bearing in mind as consumer prices across the globe accelerate? Even as America flirts with recession,...

Prodi under pressure; Italy's government suffers a setback; Romano Prodi's coalition is deeply divided.
January 17, 2008... An early general election in Italy is on the cards Romano Prodi's fragile left-of-centre coalition government has suffered yet another setback. On January 16th the justice minister, Clemente Mastella, resigned from the cabinet after a judge...

Hard landing at Heathrow; A crash at London's Heathrow airport; A plane crash at Heathrow, the world's busiest international airport.
January 17, 2008... Small incident, not many hurt IT IS a sight to make even a hardened flyer gulp. The pictures of a British Airways (BA) jet lying askew on its belly, wings crumpled in a sea of foam, will travel to the four corners of the world served by...

Final view; The dead of New York; The unclaimed and the deeply claimed.
January 18, 2008... The unclaimed and the deeply claimed Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday Friday OF COURSE, not every New Yorker is buried in an expensive mausoleum or a marble vault. Those with no money and with no one to claim their...

Bumpy ride for biofuels; Tech.view; Behind Detroit's sudden embrace of ethanol?
January 18, 2008... Behind Detroit's sudden embrace of ethanol TWO technological trends, both unimaginable a year ago, dominated last week’s motor show in Detroit, the premier showcase for carmakers worldwide. One was the U-turn in the past...

Pressure to pump; Saudi Arabia struggles to boost oil production; Saudi Arabia's efforts to pump more oil.
January 18, 2008... Saudi Aramco struggles to boost oil production No encounter between the US president, George W Bush, and King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia in recent years has been complete without a plea from the American leader for OPEC...

A winter of Iran’s discontent? An icy winter in Iran, and grumbles about the economy; Pressures at home for Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
January 18, 2008... Iran's president is under pressure at home IF THE Israelis were ever to attack, Iran would "make them regret it" with a "fierce response" said Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran’s president, on Thursday January 17th. He spoke after Israel...

Great chess bore; What we thought of Bobby Fischer in 1972; Bobby Fischer has died. What we thought of him in 1972.(Obituary)
January 18, 2008... Bobby Fischer has died From July 8th, 1972 WITH that elderly ailing yachtsman, Sir Francis Chichester, safely where he belongs (in hospital) we can devote our undivided attention to that other mid-summer non-event: moody Bobby Fischer,...

All fall down? America's troubled bond insurers; Huge problems loom in an obscure part of America's capital markets.
January 18, 2008... A little-known part of America’s capital markets could cause huge problems AMERICA’S big bond insurers, which have underwritten some $2.4 trillion of private and public-sector bonds, usually go about their business largely...

Revival sale; Art.view; Beautiful, and perhaps born in Arizona.
January 19, 2008... Beautiful, and perhaps born in Arizona AN "IMPORTANT notice to all buyers" in the catalogue for Bonhams Egyptian Revival sale states: "Please note that everything included in this sale is, in our opinion, post 1750 in date." This is...

All fall down? America's troubled bond insurers; Huge problems loom in an obscure part of America's capital markets.
January 19, 2008... Huge new problems in the capital markets? AMERICA’S big bond insurers, which have underwritten some $2.4 trillion of private and public-sector bonds, usually go about their business largely unnoticed. But now they are looking...

Baltic woes; Market.view; The fall of a shipping index portends trouble.
January 20, 2008... The fall of a shipping index portends trouble FACED with the difficult task of assessing the planet’s financial health, economists naturally look for some short cuts. For example, because Belgium is at Europe’s trading...

A love-hate relationship; An Anglo-Russian spat drags on; Souring relations between Britain and Russia.
January 20, 2008... The bear and bulldog are snarling again A RECENT radio advertisement nicely hinted at Russia's dual attitude towards Britain. Just as the Kremlin ordered the British Council to shut down its regional offices in Russia, a popular Moscow...