Global Agenda articles from January 2009

Global Agenda archives from January 2009

Everybody does it; Politics and the Internet; Who has a closet without a skeleton?
January 2, 2009... Who has a closet without a skeleton? WHY is a beer better than a woman? Because a beer won't complain if you buy a second beer. Oops. There go your correspondent's chances of working for Barack Obama, America's president-elect. In...

Everybody does it; Politics and the Internet; Who has a closet without a skeleton?
January 5, 2009... Who has a closet without a skeleton? WHY is a beer better than a woman? Because a beer won't complain if you buy a second beer. Oops. There go your correspondent's chances of working for Barack Obama, America's president-elect. In...

The customary gas stand-off; Russia cuts its gas supply to Ukraine; Russia has cut supplies of gas to Ukraine, but a deal will soon be reached.
January 5, 2009... Russia has cut supplies of gas to Ukraine, but a deal will soon be reached Russian gas supplies to south-eastern Europe have been disrupted by the now customary dispute over pricing between Ukraine and Russia which has led the latter to...

A giving recession? Philanthropy; The downturn poses new challenges for philanthropy.
January 6, 2009... The downturn poses new challenges for philanthropy AMONG the more difficult things to forecast for 2009 is what will happen to giving. On the one hand, the turmoil in financial markets has reduced the assets of many prominent givers, both...

Waiting for Obama; Cuba's president offers to meet Barack Obama; Raul Castro has made overtures to Barack Obama.
January 6, 2009... Cuba's Raul Castro has made overtures to Barack Obama In the wake of the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution, President Raul Castro has made overtures to the US president-elect, Barack Obama. Seizing on Mr Obama's statements on the...

Unguided democracy; Elections in Asia; Hardy political perennials in Thailand and Bangladesh.
January 7, 2009... Hardy political perennials in Thailand and Bangladesh THE swearing-in this week of Sheikh Hasina Wajed as Bangladesh's prime minister has brought national celebration. There is much to cheer: the return of democratic rule after two years of...

Thorns in the east; Barack Obama and eastern Europe; Pipelines, missiles and maybe something worse.
January 8, 2009... Pipelines, missiles and maybe something worse GAZA, rather than gas, is likely to be top of the new American administration's to-do list. If the ex-communist world gets any early attention, it will be in search of Russian help over Iran and...

Hacking the hybrid; Hybrid engines; Why wait for the plug-in Prius? Make your own.
January 9, 2009... Why wait for the plug-in Prius? Make your own PRIUS owners are a lot like Macintosh fans. They appreciate the product's clean design, ingenious packaging, user friendliness and clever engineering. Also like many Macintosh owners, few Prius...

Iceland faces the worst of times; Economic activity will severly decline in Iceland; Economic activity in Iceland is forecast to decline by more than 10% in 2009.
January 9, 2009... Economic activity in Iceland will decline by more than 10% in 2009 Attempting to manage the fallout from the most severe global financial crisis since the 1930s is proving a stern test for policymakers across the world. Few economies,...

Back in the game; Investment forecasts; Who needs to move for the markets to move.
January 11, 2009... Who needs to move for the markets to move IF THERE is a consensus view of financial markets in 2009, it is that things will be very difficult in the first half of the year but could then pick up in the second half as investors anticipate...

Schemers and squinters; Old Masters; An unknown work from the Italian Baroque comes to market.
January 12, 2009... An unknown work from the Italian Baroque comes to market THE two most prominent paintings in Sotheby's forthcoming sale of Old Masters in New York are a vast Mediterranean landscape by Turner from the private collection of Richard Feigen, a...

A new leaf; The year ahead; Good and bad green resolutions.
January 12, 2009... Good and bad green resolutions THE wanton excesses of Christmas are over and as the world steps gingerly into 2009, your correspondent wondered about green New Year's resolutions. According to the American government's list of popular...

Turning the gas tap back on; The EU has brokered a deal between Russia and Ukraine; A deal has apparently been brokered between Russia and Ukraine.
January 12, 2009... A deal has apparently been brokered between Russia and Ukraine The complete halt in Russian gas deliveries to Europe via Ukraine looks likely to end soon, following a three-way deal on the deployment of monitors in Ukraine and Russia....

Move over, Goldman; The new technocrats; It is McKinsey's turn to try to sort out Uncle Sam.
January 13, 2009... It is McKinsey's turn to try to sort out Uncle Sam BARACK OBAMA will almost certainly preside over an era of big government--bigger even than George W Bush's fiscally bloated administration. The trillion (or ten trillion) dollar question is...

Felipe Calderon and Barack Obama meet; Mexico's head of state and Barack Obama meet; Economic and security issues were discussed.
January 13, 2009... The leaders of Mexico and America are both preoccupied by the economy A week before his inauguration, President-elect Barack Obama sat down with Mexico's head of state, Felipe Calderon, on January 12th to discuss a host of economic and...

India's extended family; India's diaspora; What India wants from its brethren abroad, and vice versa.
January 14, 2009... What India wants from its brethren abroad, and vice versa THERE was a time when India's government paid little attention to its diaspora--a vast extended family of about 25m people on whom the sun never sets. A 2001 report complained that...

Trial period in South Africa; South Africa's ANC leader Jacob Zuma may face another trial; Jacob Zuma faces the prospect of another trial in South Africa.
January 14, 2009... Jacob Zuma faces the prospect of another corruption trial South Africa's president-in-waiting may face a third corruption trial, even as the country gears up for national elections. Such a trial won't stop him becoming president if the...

Move over, Goldman; The new technocrats; It is McKinsey's turn to try to sort out Uncle Sam.
January 15, 2009... It is McKinsey's turn to try to sort out Uncle Sam BARACK OBAMA will almost certainly preside over an era of big government--bigger even than George W Bush's fiscally bloated administration. The trillion (or ten trillion) dollar question is...

The spy who remained in the cold; Ryszard Kuklinski; A new film honours a hero of the cold war.
January 15, 2009... A new film honours a hero of the cold war WATCHING Daniel Craig, an actor best known as James Bond, playing a Jewish resistance fighter successfully battling the Nazis is an unbeatable combination for film audiences in the western world....

In your face; Television; Is 3D television finally ready for prime time?
January 16, 2009... Is 3D television finally ready for prime time? TELEVISION was called a medium, the sadly missed Ernie Kovacs once wryly remarked, because it was neither rare nor particularly well done. That's still largely true, though it's at least...

Aso's woes; The pressure increases on Japan's prime minister; The ruling LDP is likely to lose the next election in Japan.
January 16, 2009... Japan's prime minister, Taro Aso, is under intense pressure, and the ruling LDP is likely to lose the next election Japan's beleaguered prime minister, Taro Aso, is coming under increasingly intense pressure to call a snap election. The...

Sex, drugs and deep, deep eyes; Amadeo Modigliani; How Modigliani illuminated the soul.
January 17, 2009... How Modigliani illuminated the soul AMEDEO MODIGLIANI, an Italian Jew who painted mostly in France, craved many things during his short, unhappy life: hashish, absinthe, women. He longed so much to be a sculptor he would steal limestone...

On to Dunsinane; British forests; Bringing trees back to Britain.
January 19, 2009... Bringing trees back to Britain THE symbol of Hertfordshire, a commuter county just north of London, is a stag. But standing in the countryside just outside St Albans, a mid-sized city, it is hard to see anywhere that a deer might call...

It begins; Inauguration; Washington's festive, hectic, crowded week.
January 19, 2009... Washington's festive, hectic, crowded week ON A wet, chilly morning in Washington, DC last week, an African-American raised his hand on the steps of the capitol and recited the oath of office. He then addressed those assembled before him:...

Gathering gloom; The world economy will contract; Prospects for the world economy grow gloomier.
January 19, 2009... Prospects for the world economy grow darker The Economist Intelligence Unit has made further downgrades to its forecast for global GDP growth. This primarily reflects significant downward revisions to our forecasts for Germany, Japan and...

From kaching to kerplunk; The retail industry; The dawning of the age of frugality.
January 20, 2009... The dawning of the age of frugality DETERIORATION may be slowing in the banking industry, despite continuing losses. (On January 19th, Royal Bank of Scotland announced record losses for a British firm of [pounds sterling]28 billion,...

Cutting rates, at last; Mexico cuts rates at last; The central bank in Mexico responds, at last, to the slowing economy.
January 20, 2009... The central bank in Mexico responds, at last, to the slowing economy Faced with deteriorating economic conditions, Mexico's central bank, Banco de Mexico (or Banxico), on January 16th cut it benchmark interest rate by half a point, to...

Off of the junk; Asian finance; The troubling opacity of Chinese banks.
January 21, 2009... The troubling opacity of Chinese banks TWO radically different opinions are emerging to explain the apparent resilience of China's financial system to the current global collapse. The first, which seems by far the more widely circulated,...

Robert Mugabe won't share power; Zimbabwe's power-sharing deal has collapsed; The latest attempt to revive Zimbabwe's power-sharing agreement has failed.
January 21, 2009... The latest attempt to revive Zimbabwe's power-sharing agreement has failed Four months after a power-sharing agreement was signed, Zimbabwe still does not have a permanent government. Robert Mugabe isn't interested in sharing power--but he...

Feeling the pinch; Estonian film; Uncomfortable echoes of uncomfortable times.
January 22, 2009... Uncomfortable echoes of uncomfortable times "ECONOMIC collapse undermines national security". Two years ago, when the script for "December Heat", Estonia's lavishly produced new historical thriller, was being written, that seemed a theme...

Another bail out; Denmark's government continues to support the banks; Denmark's government unveils more support for banks.
January 22, 2009... More support for Denmark's banks With the global financial crisis forcing governments across the region to amend their economic policy priorities, the Danish government has announced a second package of measures to support the banking...

When feathers meet metal; Aviation safety; How best to keep birds and planes apart?
January 23, 2009... How best to keep birds and planes apart? GLASS, from ceiling to floor, covers two sides of Mayhem Manor. An overhanging roof shades the windows from direct sunlight. Double-glazing and low-emission glass keep the house cool during summer....

Alleviating the pain; Singapore's weakening economy; Singapore's government tries to stimulate the economy.
January 23, 2009... Singapore's government unveils a budget designed to stimulate growth Singapore's government has unveiled an unprecedented stimulatory budget in the face of rapidly weakening economic conditions. Announced on January 22nd, the budget...

Scattered to the winds; Yves Saint Laurent; A great French collection goes on the block.
January 24, 2009... A great French collection goes on the block BEHIND an unassuming courtyard door off the rue de Babylone on the rive gauche in Paris, an art-and-design collection like no other awaits dispersal. Yves Saint Laurent, a French fashion designer...

Return of the Nifty Fifty; Stocks; Which blue chips will remain cerulean?
January 25, 2009... Which blue chips will remain cerulean? PROFIT forecasts are being shaved round the world. Societe Generale estimates that 2008 and 2009 numbers have been cut by $1 trillion since the end of October. As occurs so often in recessions,...

Deep-fried kittens; Fish; PETA's dangerous new campaign.(People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)
January 26, 2009... PETA's dangerous new campaign PEOPLE FOR THE ETHICAL TREATMENT OF ANIMALS (PETA) claims 2m "members and supporters", making it the world's largest animal-rights organisation. Much of its popularity likely derives from some important...

Devaluation dilemmas; Kazakhstan appears poised to devalue its currency; Kazakhstan may be ready to devalue its currency.
January 26, 2009... Kazakhstan may be poised to cut the value of its currency The Kazakh president has reappointed the veteran Grigori Marchenko as head of the central bank, stoking speculation that the country is poised to devalue its currency. In contrast to...

Mountain reboot; The financial crisis; Can Davos Man save capitalism?
January 27, 2009... Can Davos Man save capitalism? IT'S that time of year again, when the Swiss mountain resort of Davos hosts the World Economic Forum's annual talking-shop for the planet's biggest movers and shakers from business, civil society and...

In need of resuscitation; Puerto Rico's economy goes from bad to worse; The island's economy has been mired in recession for three years, and the new government is running out of cash.
January 27, 2009... Puerto Rico's economy has shrunk for three years running Puerto Rico's new governor, Luis Fortuno, has been quick to acknowledge the scale of economic problems facing the US commonwealth. The island economy has already been mired in...

Mountain reboot; The financial crisis; Can Davos Man save capitalism?
January 28, 2009... Can Davos Man save capitalism? IT'S that time of year again, when the Swiss mountain resort of Davos hosts the World Economic Forum's annual talking-shop for the planet's biggest movers and shakers from business, civil society and...

Brave new connections; Big ideas; Will America's "network power" trump the "Asian century"?
January 28, 2009... Will America's "network power" trump the "Asian century"? EVERY few years a piece of writing comes along that throws the global intelligensia into a tizzy. The rise and fall of great powers gives way to the end of history, which must make...

Done with depreciation? Russia halts the rouble's depreciation; The stage is set for speculative attacks, but the target may prove elusive.
January 28, 2009... Russia arrests the decline of the rouble Russia's authorities have signalled an end to the policy of gradual rouble depreciation, although the new wide trading band allows the currency room to weaken further against the dollar/euro basket....

Brave new connections; Big ideas; Will America's network power trump the Asian century?
January 28, 2009... Will America's "network power" trump the "Asian century"? EVERY few years a piece of writing comes along that throws the global intelligensia into a tizzy. The rise and fall of great powers gives way to the end of history, which must make...

Mission accomplished? British newspapers; An oligarch buys influence for a pound.
January 29, 2009... An oligarch buys influence for a pound HOW about this for a thriller plot: an ex-KGB officer in London in the Soviet era returns 20 years later to buy its main local newspaper. Trained at the Red Banner Institute to find out secrets and...

Trying times for Taiwan's judiciary; A former president on trial in Taiwan; The prosecution of a former president may be compromising judicial integrity in Taiwan.
January 29, 2009... The prosecution of a former president may be compromising judicial integrity As the high-profile trial of Chen Shui-bian, president of Taiwan from 2000 to 2008 who is accused of committing corruption while in office, gets under way, the...

The BarackBerry; Smartphones; The president's new phone is no lightweight.
January 30, 2009... The president's new phone is no lightweight MARKETING men reckon the kerfuffle over Barack Obama's beloved BlackBerry has been worth something like $50m in free publicity to Research In Motion, the iconic smartphone's Canadian maker....

Depressed in Davos.
January 30, 2009... Calls for more policy co-ordination are made at the World Economic Forum in Davos As political leaders and businesspeople gather in Davos, Switzerland, this week, the atmosphere for the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) is...