Global Agenda articles from May 2007

Global Agenda archives from May 2007

Smog city; Hong Kong diary; Our Asia editor returns, ten years after decolonisation.
May 1, 2007... Our Asia editor sniffs the Hong Kong air--and regrets it Monday | Tuesday I CLOSED yesterday's diary by noting how much more polite I found people here in Hong Kong, compared with 20 or 30 years ago. Now an altogether more sinister...

Fertiliser, treason and plot; Five Britons guilty of planning a massive bomb attack; Convictions for terror planning in London.
May 1, 2007... Guilty of planning a terror attack THE young men debated endlessly how best to carry out their attack, considering explosions on Britain's gas-distribution network, poisoning London's water supplies, seizing and crashing an airliner or...

Turkey's turmoil; The growing row over who will be Turkey's next president; An early election is likely in Turkey.
May 1, 2007... An early election looks increasingly likely, after a court blocks the only presidential candidate FIRING tear gas and wielding truncheons, police in Istanbul broke up the latest street protest in Turkey on Tuesday May 1st. On this occasion...

Israel botched it from the start; An official review of Israeli failure in the war in Lebanon; How Israel failed in Lebanon last year.
May 1, 2007... Stinging criticism of Israel's rulers ALTHOUGH it said nothing new of substance, the sharpness of the Winograd Commission's words took Israeli politicians' breath away. The commission--government appointed and led by a former judge--on...

Omigod! There's no business like show business; Omigod, investing in musicals is totally hot.
May 1, 2007... Investing in stage musicals is, like, totally hot! "LEGALLY BLONDE", born a gently comical chick flick, has grown into a harder-edged and very funny Broadway musical, which opened on April 30th. The tale of--omigod!--a totally ditzy,...

Still feuding; A row between Estonia and Russia; Why Russia and Estonia are growling at each other.
May 1, 2007... Icy relations between Russia and Estonia Rioting in Estonia's capital, Tallinn following the removal from the city centre of a memorial to Soviet soldiers underlines the divisions within society and is threatening a full diplomatic rupture...

A sorry affair; BP's boss resigns; Lord Browne quits BP early.
May 1, 2007... Lying in court costs BP's Lord Browne his job BRITAIN'S press has shot down some big game over the years. The resignation of the boss of BP, an oil firm and the country's biggest company, might be expected to take pride of place in the...

Rich and strange; Hong Kong diary; Our Asia editor overhears some scandalous gossip.
May 2, 2007... Our Asia editor overhears some scandalous gossip Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday Hong Kong's courtesy extends itself into outrageously generous hospitality. During an interview punctuated by insistent offers of champagne, a local tycoon,...

Turkey's turmoil; The growing row over who will be Turkey's next president; An early election is likely in Turkey.
May 2, 2007... An early election looks increasingly likely FIRING tear gas and wielding truncheons, police in Istanbul broke up the latest street protest in Turkey on Tuesday May 1st. On this occasion left-wingers wanted to mark the anniversary of the...

From Bambi to Bliar; A decade of Tony Blair. He'll soon be gone; Blair prepares to go.
May 2, 2007... After a decade, Britain's prime minister is set to go WITHIN weeks Britain will have a new prime minister. If anyone still had doubts, on Tuesday May 1st Tony Blair said that he will shortly be leaving office, almost certainly to be...

Who is winning? Assessing the strength of al-Qaeda; How strong is al-Qaeda?
May 2, 2007... Despite setbacks, al-Qaeda is not broken ON PAPER, it has been a bad few days for al-Qaeda. Western and Arab counter-terrorist teams that have been trying to hunt it down seem to be enjoying a rare streak of success, with a string of recent...

It started with a kiss; Indian kisses; Public displays of affection are still taboo.
May 2, 2007... India's moral police blow their whistles A seasoned traveller to India, Richard Gere might have known that it would come to this. The Hollywood star was last week ordered to appear before a court in Jaipur, Rajasthan, on a charge of public...

A sorry affair; BP's boss resigns; Lord Browne quits BP early.
May 2, 2007... Lying in court costs Lord Browne his job BRITAIN'S press has shot down some big game over the years. The resignation of the boss of BP, an oil firm and the country's biggest company, might be expected to take pride of place in the trophy...

Indian business; ICICI Bank aims to grow; India's second-largest lender wants to raise around $5bn in New York and India to finance its growth plan.
May 2, 2007... ICICI Bank aims for growth as the economy booms India's second-largest bank, ICICI Bank, plans to raise around US$5bn through public offers in the US and India, highlighting the growing demand for capital being generated by a booming...

A normal country; Hong Kong and Taiwan diary; Our Asia editor compares China's satellitesc.
May 3, 2007... Our Asia editor finds Taiwan changed for the better Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday Thursday Third, refreshingly if rather dispiritingly from my selfish journalistic standpoint, no one seems to give two hoots about Hong...

From Bambi to Bliar; A decade of Tony Blair. He'll soon be gone; Blair prepares to go.
May 3, 2007... After a decade, he'll soon be gone WITHIN weeks Britain will have a new prime minister. If anyone still had doubts, on Tuesday May 1st Tony Blair said that he will shortly be leaving office, almost certainly to be replaced by his finance...

It started with a kiss; Indian kisses; Public displays of affection are still taboo.(actor Richard Gere charged for public indecency)
May 3, 2007... India's moral police blow their whistles A seasoned traveller to India, Richard Gere might have known that it would come to this. The Hollywood star was last week ordered to appear before a court in Jaipur, Rajasthan, on a charge of public...

Murdoch goes trophy hunting; News Corp bids for Dow Jones; Rupert Murdoch's News Corp has offered a large sum of money for Dow Jones.
May 3, 2007... Is the bid for Dow Jones just about vanity? THERE have been mutterings in recent months that Rupert Murdoch is starting to show his age. But Mr Murdoch's recent behaviour shouts that he is still the bold, innovative big spender, bent on...

The black hole that ate Moldova; Moldova and Transdniestria; A bad settlement may bolster Russian influence.
May 3, 2007... A glimpse inside Transdniestria EMBARRASSINGLY sleazy, expensive and indefensible--but ours, and we are bloody well going to hang on to it. That was West Berlin during the cold war, seen through NATO eyes. And it may also explain why Russia...

Thank oil; Sub-Sahara's booming economies; Africa's growth is at its highest level in 35 years.
May 3, 2007... African growth is at its highest level in 35 years Economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is likely to reach 6.8% this year, while output in the region's ten oil exporters is expected to hit double digits (and no less than 35% in...

The final countdown; Last days of France's presidential election; Judgment day beckons for Sego and Sarko.
May 3, 2007... A gripping election campaign draws to an end in France THIS weekend's presidential election has captured the imagination of the French like nothing else for years. On Wednesday May 2nd, a huge 20m-plus people tuned in to a...

Long-haired radicals seize power; Hong Kong and Taiwan diary; Our Asia editor compares China's satellites.
May 4, 2007... Our Asia editor finds old friends in high places Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday Friday IT IS always good to find old acquaintances doing well. When I used to visit him in Taipei in the late 1980s and early 1990s...

The final countdown; Last days of France's presidential election; Judgment day beckons for Sego and Sarko.
May 4, 2007... The end of a gripping campaign THIS weekend's presidential election has captured the imagination of the French like nothing else for years. On Wednesday May 2nd, a huge 20m-plus people tuned in to a two-and-a-half-hour television debate...

Patently absurd; America's patents; Restoring order to a legal free-for-all.
May 4, 2007... The Supreme Court strikes a blow for common sense THE DIRTY little secret about American patents is that they are too easy to file, too easy to defend, and too easy to use for nobbling legitimate competition. The patents exploited last year...

A bargain; How to tackle climate change; A UN report on how to stop climate change.
May 4, 2007... What it would cost to tackle climate change--about 0.1% of world GDP, a year THE Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), set up under the auspices of the United Nations to establish a consensus on global warming and what to do...

Sharm offensive; America's Condoleezza Rice meets her Syrian counterpart; The summit in Sharm al-Sheikh.
May 4, 2007... Condi cosies up to her Syrian counterpart The gathering of some 50 foreign ministers in the Egyptian resort of Sharm al-Sheikh is ostensibly devoted to co-ordinating regional and international efforts to bring security and stability to...

A bargain; How to tackle climate change; A UN report on how to stop climate change.
May 5, 2007... About 0.1% of world GDP would do it THE Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), set up under the auspices of the United Nations to establish a consensus on global warming and what to do about it, has now completed its fourth...

Oenos gone wild; Bottoms up; The year the fine-wine market went mad.
May 5, 2007... When wine becomes too expensive to drink WINEMAKING is an ancient agricultural skill: the juice of crushed grapes becomes wine when the yeast on the skin of the fruit reacts with the sugar in its juice and turns into alcohol. But these days...

The week ahead; What may make the news this week; France aside, what may make headlines this week.(Calendar)
May 6, 2007... What may make the news * POPE BENEDICT XVI takes a four-day trip to Brazil, his first long-haul journey since becoming pope two years ago. At a conference of bishops from Latin America and the Caribbean, which is meant to set the course...

A cagey game; A meeting over Iraq fails to warm relations between Iran and America; Iran and America fail to improve their relationship.
May 6, 2007... America and Iran spar over Iraq AT THIS week's meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh, an Egyptian resort, a group of representatives from Middle Eastern and other countries gathered to talk about Iraq. But the buzz was not directly about that...

A force for change; Sarkozy steals the show; France's new president.
May 6, 2007... Nicolas Sarkozy is comfortably elected as president. He immediately calls for France to change THE French turned out en masse on Sunday May 6th to elect Nicolas Sarkozy as their new president, handing him 53% of the vote, next to 47% for...

Nuns mug orphan! Food prices; "Agflation" may roil governments and securities markets.
May 6, 2007... Soon we'll all be fighting for food NUNS mug disabled orphan for bag of crisps. As a headline, it certainly grabs the attention. This is the title of the latest note from the iconoclastic fund managers at Bedlam Asset Management, and it...

Smells like team spirit; Seattle diary; Our correspondent heads for the football.
May 6, 2007... Our correspondent yearns for David Beckham WHEN one has a free evening in Seattle and the rain holds off, why not wander over to a soccer game? Your correspondent, an intermittent sports fan, decided to catch the Seattle Sounders' opening...

The tragedy of the commons; Preserving forests; Population growth may not be the problem.
May 7, 2007... Property rights may be the way to preserve forests IT IS a truism that people and forests do not mix, particularly in the tropics. But just how true is this truism? And to the extent that it is true, what is its cause? One hypothesis...

A cagey game; A meeting over Iraq fails to warm relations between Iran and America; Iran and America fail to improve their relationship.
May 8, 2007... America and Iran spar over Iraq AT THIS week's meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh, an Egyptian resort, a group of representatives from Middle Eastern and other countries gathered to talk about Iraq. But the buzz was not directly about that...

A force for change; Sarkozy steals the show; France's new president.
May 8, 2007... Nicolas Sarkozy wants reform in France THE French turned out en masse on Sunday May 6th to elect Nicolas Sarkozy as their new president, handing him 53% of the vote, next to 47% for his Socialist rival, Segolene Royal. Ms Royal conceded,...

Oenos gone wild; Bottoms up; The year the fine-wine market went mad.
May 8, 2007... When wine becomes too expensive to drink WINEMAKING is an ancient agricultural skill: the juice of crushed grapes becomes wine when the yeast on the skin of the fruit reacts with the sugar in its juice and turns into alcohol. But these days...

Genocide in the boardroom; Ethical investing and Darfur; Warren Buffett does well to take activists seriously.
May 8, 2007... A moral dilemma interrupts Warren Buffett's love-in THE Woodstock of capitalism, as Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting has become known, is lots of fun if you like that sort of thing--a festival of love for Warren Buffett, the firm's boss...

Frothing at the mouth; Seattle diary; Our correspondent opts for a skinny latte with an extra shot.
May 8, 2007... Our correspondent turns to drink Monday | Tuesday I STAYED up a good part of last night writing. The recourse is obvious: Starbucks. I risk a latte only about once every two weeks, though. I've done the math. Much as I would like at...

Go take a hike; Seattle diary; Our correspondent takes a hike, and meets an elk.
May 9, 2007... Our correspondent does, and encounters an elk Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday ONE benefit of being a foreign correspondent is the limited supervision you get from editors. No eyebrows are raised when you head off--during a quiet week, of...

History in the making; Northern Ireland gets a government; An historic day in Northern Ireland.
May 9, 2007... A power-sharing government, at last WILL Tuesday May 8th be marked, in years to come, as a day of celebration in Northern Ireland? There are many reasons to hope so. After generations of bloodshed, followed by nearly a decade of angry...

Diseases without borders; Diplomatic malaise; Taiwan's exclusion from the World Health Organisation is dangerous.
May 9, 2007... Taiwan's unhealthy exclusion from the WHO A TINY island-nation in the Lesser Antilles, with a population of about 170,000, St Lucia is not a big force in international politics. Yet Taiwan's government has been celebrating as a triumph its...

Is Castro coming back? Fidel Castro on the mend; Cuba's president is said to be ready to return to office.
May 9, 2007... Cuba's president is getting healthier Uncertainty continues to surround the future of Cuba's president, Fidel Castro, who has been absent from public view since he handed over power on a temporary basis to his brother and deputy, Raul...

No way to win hearts and minds; The human cost of war in Afghanistan; Civilian deaths in Afghanistan.
May 9, 2007... America apologises for killing more civilians in Afghanistan THE American army delivered an apology and blood money on Tuesday May 8th to the families of 19 Afghan civilians killed in March by marines. As in similar cases in Afghanistan and...

Nature calls; Seattle diary; Our correspondent tackles the green agenda.
May 10, 2007... Our correspondent explores left-coast living Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday IN RUSSIA, if you are hung over, the local remedy is always "drink more vodka". I decide to test an American variation: if your legs are knackered...

No way to win hearts and minds; The human cost of war in Afghanistan; Civilian deaths in Afghanistan.
May 10, 2007... America apologises for killing civilians THE American army delivered an apology and blood money on Tuesday May 8th to the families of 19 Afghan civilians killed in March by marines. As in similar cases in Afghanistan and Iraq the killings,...

How to fight back; An ineffective bully; Russia's recent spat with Estonia.
May 10, 2007... Responding to Russia's inept bullying IT HAS been a depressing couple of weeks for those who worry about Russian imperialism and sympathise with the underdog. But it has not been entirely hopeless. Things started off badly: Estonia's...

Tony Blair's farewell; Tony Blair says goodbye; Britain's prime minister prepares to go.
May 10, 2007... Britain's prime minister says he will leave office on June 27th SO TONY BLAIR, Britain's long-serving prime minister, will be gone by the end of June. During a well-crafted speech in his constituency in the north-east of the country--the...

Philippines politics; A troubled election in the Philippines; A wave of pre-election violence sweeps the country.
May 10, 2007... Violence mars the run-up to mid-term elections On May 9th an aide to a provincial-level candidate was the 100th person to be killed in a wave of pre-election violence in the Philippines. Despite appallingly high levels of voter...

The dream factory; Seattle diary; Our correspondent watches planes being born.
May 11, 2007... Our correspondent watches aeroplanes being born Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday PERVERSELY for an outdoors-obsessed city, the Seattle area is also home to the world's biggest building--a Boeing plant measuring 472...

When Irish eyes are smiling; Irish paintings; The micro-market for art from Ireland.
May 11, 2007... The flourishing market for art from Ireland Irish paintings form a micro-market in the art trade, and a healthy one. There are sufficient good-quality paintings and interested buyers for both Sotheby's and Christie's to hold Irish sales in...

Tony Blair's farewell; Tony Blair says goodbye; Britain's prime minister prepares to go.
May 11, 2007... He will go on June 27th SO TONY BLAIR, Britain's long-serving prime minister, will be gone by the end of June. During a well-crafted speech in his constituency in the north-east of the country--the same spot where he launched his political...

Timor-Leste's fresh start; Timor-Leste gets a new president; Hopeful in Timor-Leste.
May 11, 2007... Jose Ramos-Horta, a Nobel peace laureate, wins the presidency LAST May, Timor-Leste descended into violence as its police and army collapsed, prompting the hasty dispatch of a UN peacekeeping force. This week, with UN troops and police...

Luddites in cyberspace; Laggards; A surprisingly large share of consumers barely use new technology.
May 11, 2007... Half of Americans barely use new technology THEY are the first on the block with the latest gizmo. They think nothing of paying $750 for a Nokia N95--that ultimate of go-anywhere, cell-cum-everything accoutrements. They upload digital...

Tremble for your old age; Who will pay for your retirement? A global pensions crisis.
May 11, 2007... A new report suggests how to tackle the world's chronically underfunded pensions IT MAY not be as certain as death and taxes, but, in the rich world, living to a ripe old age is an increasingly safe bet. Unfortunately, financing the long,...

Ukraine's turmoil; Ukraine's political instability; An early election for Ukraine.
May 11, 2007... An early election, alone, will not end the instability Ukraine's sparring president and parliament have agreed to hold early elections, ostensibly promising an end to the stand-off that began in early April when President Viktor Yushchenko...

Tremble for your old age; Who will pay for your retirement? A global pensions crisis.
May 12, 2007... The world's underfunded pensions IT MAY not be as certain as death and taxes, but, in the rich world, living to a ripe old age is an increasingly safe bet. Unfortunately, financing the long, leisurely retirement to which people aspire is a...

Green market forces; Everyone is getting into carbon trading; The hopes and failings of carbon trading.
May 13, 2007... What hope for carbon-trading schemes? GONE are the days when hemp-shoed Greens hurled invective at besuited businessmen, while corporate leaders derided environmental types for seeking an unattainable utopia. Increasingly the rival sides...

The gamble; Technology; Contrarian investors may be hungry for tech funds.
May 13, 2007... Betting on the technology sector "Tech funds see mass exodus of investors". It is the kind of headline that should have contrarian investors licking their lips. The May 7th edition of Investment Adviser, a specialist weekly in Britain,...

The week ahead; What may make the news in the coming days; News for the coming days.(Calendar)
May 14, 2007... What may be in the headlines • RUSSIA gets a visit from Condoleezza Rice, America's secretary of state, at the beginning of the week and an EU delegation led by Germany's chancellor, Angela Merkel, arrives later in the week. Ms Rice...

The country that Europe forgot; Moldovan diary; Our correspondent explores the country that Europe forgot.
May 14, 2007... Our correspondent takes refuge in an ex-brothel Monday MOLDOVA is not only the poorest ex-communist country in Europe; it is also last in the queue for love and attention. It lacks central Europe's glorious culture, the pungent romance...

Making buildings behave better; Buildings and climate change; The biggest carbon savings could come from office blocks, not industry.
May 14, 2007... It's not just your car, it's your garage too UNLESS you were a specialist in the matter you probably didn't rush to read the report of the third working group of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), when it came out...

Pining for the cold war; Russia's relations with the West; How Russia sees the West.
May 14, 2007... The view from the Kremlin RUSSIA is a strong, sovereign and prosperous country, surrounded by enemies and traitors who are bent on undermining its geopolitical power. Upstarts such as Estonia and Poland are trying to spoil Russia's far...

Putting the shine back on; Selling Chrysler; A private-equity firm takes on Chrysler.
May 14, 2007... Can a private-equity firm repair Chrysler? FOR SALE: used Chrysler; one owner since 1998; was good runner but in now need of some attention; cost $36 billion; any reasonable offer considered. Call Stuttgart and ask for Dr Z. Earlier...

China's momentous trading; China's booming exchanges; The Shanghai index makes records.
May 14, 2007... The Shanghai Composite Index is roaring along The Shanghai Composite Index has surged past the 4,000 mark, setting a new series of record highs for China's leading stock exchange. While there is almost universal concern that the market is...

Driven by desperation; Moldova diary; Our correspondent explores the country that Europe forgot.(Diary entry)
May 15, 2007... Our correspondent dissects the Moldovan government Monday | Tuesday Tuesday MOLDOVA is run by Vladimir Voronin, the only serving head of state in the world to have won a contested election on a communist ticket. His views have...

Pining for the cold war; Russia's relations with the West; How Russia sees the West.
May 15, 2007... The view from the Kremlin RUSSIA is a strong, sovereign and prosperous country, surrounded by enemies and traitors who are bent on undermining its geopolitical power. Upstarts such as Estonia and Poland are trying to spoil Russia's far...

Putting the shine back on; Selling Chrysler; A private-equity firm takes on Chrysler.
May 15, 2007... Can a private-equity firm repair Chrysler? FOR SALE: used Chrysler; one owner since 1998; was good runner but now in need of some attention; cost $36 billion; any reasonable offer considered. Call Stuttgart and ask for Dr Z. Earlier...

Greed is still good; The next Gordon Gekko; Who on Wall Street would make the best Hollywood bad guy?
May 15, 2007... But who is Gordon Gekko now? A SEQUEL is planned for Oliver Stone's 1987 film, "Wall Street". And, as The Economist feared, the character of Gordon "greed--for want of a better word--is good" Gekko looks set to be played by Michael...

General disarray; Violent and unstable Pakistan; Is Pervez Musharraf's grip on Pakistan loosening?
May 15, 2007... Pervez Musharraf's grip may be loosening IN THE past few days the port mega-city of Karachi, a seething Asian bazaar, has been restored to the violence that has scarred its modern history. At least 41 people were killed and scores injured...

The prints of darkness; How a ripple may indicate the existence of dark matter; Dark matter is "seen" at last.(dark matter found in clusters)
May 15, 2007... A ghostly ripple of dark matter is "seen" by the Hubble space telescope EITHER Newton and Einstein were wrong, or there is something missing from the universe. The reason is that galaxies do not behave in the way that they should if the...

Europe's rogue state; Moldova diary; Our correspondent explores the country that Europe forgot.(exploring political aspecsts of Transdniestria)(Diary entry)
May 16, 2007... Our correspondent explores Transdniestria Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday Wednesday IN THEORY, Transdniestria is scary. It is the sort of place where thugs in leather jackets tote their guns in restaurants, a place where anything can...

Greed is still good; The next Gordon Gekko; Who on Wall Street would make the best Hollywood bad guy?
May 16, 2007... But who is Gordon Gekko now? A SEQUEL is planned for Oliver Stone's 1987 film, "Wall Street". And, as The Economist feared, the character of Gordon "greed--for want of a better word--is good" Gekko looks set to be played by Michael...

The prints of darkness; How a ripple may indicate the existence of dark matter; Dark matter is "seen" at last.(dark matter in cluster of galaxies collides)
May 16, 2007... Spotting dark matter, at last EITHER Newton and Einstein were wrong, or there is something missing from the universe. The reason is that galaxies do not behave in the way that they should if the laws of gravity are correct. Most galaxies...

Counter-revolution in the car park; Civil society in China; The middle class demands, and gets, parking spaces.
May 16, 2007... Local disputes speed the growth of Chinese civil society CAR owners the world over fret about parking, but in China the competition for spaces can be especially fierce. Within just a few years urban China has undergone a transformation....

Out of control? Violence in Gaza; Bombs and bullets in the Palestinian territories.
May 16, 2007... The Palestinian disunity government AT LEAST 40 people have been killed, so far, in this week's fighting between Fatah and Hamas gunmen in Gaza. It is the worst violence since the two parties formed a unity government in March, and it...

Do you want to be in my gang? Will Myanmar really go nuclear? Mixing nukes and dictators is a bad idea.(development nuclear technology can only cause destruction, Myanmar should avoid nucler reactor planning)
May 16, 2007... It is a bad idea to let repressive leaders have nuclear toys ONE may take a bet on extraordinary things. Gambling websites, and more traditional bookies, will give you odds on whether Osama bin Laden will be captured, Elvis will return, or...

On the road; India needs new roads, rail and ports; Investing in India's infrastructure.
May 16, 2007... India's transport system needs a massive upgrade India's acute need for better transport and power infrastructure is opening doors for foreign investors to finance projects in the country. There are even rumours that the Indian government...

The minister of fear; Moldova diary; Our correspondent explores the country that Europe forgot.(Transdniestria)
May 17, 2007... Our correspondent meets Transdniestria's chief spook Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday Thursday THE misnamed Hotel Druzhba (Friendship) used to be the only place to spend the night in Tiraspol. For connoisseurs of truly...

Do you want to be in my gang? Will Myanmar really go nuclear? Mixing nukes and dictators is a bad idea.
May 17, 2007... Dictators should not have nuclear toys ONE may take a bet on extraordinary things. Gambling websites, and more traditional bookies, will give you odds on whether Osama bin Laden will be captured, Elvis will return, or even on the prospect...

Michael of Romania; Exiled monarchs; A former king has managed to coexist with his country's rulers.
May 17, 2007... Romantic, royal and retiring UNTIL the collapse of communism, being an exiled monarch was merely thankless. Since then it has been cruelly disappointing. In Albania, Georgia, Hungary, Montenegro, Russia and Serbia the monarchist cause has...

An inclusive government; France's Nicolas Sarkozy picks a government; France's new government.
May 17, 2007... President Nicolas Sarkozy is poised to pick a surprising Socialist as France's foreign minister THE polished brass hats, shiny trumpets and 21-gun salute that marked the investiture of Nicolas Sarkozy as president in place of Jacques...

Economic freedom in Africa; Economic reforms are stalling in much of Africa; Africa's stalling economic reforms.
May 17, 2007... Where has all the progress gone? Although economic liberalisation in Africa's economies is greater than ever before, there are signs that many have reached a "freedom plateau" where they will remain unless and until third-generation...

The lie of the land; Moldova diary; Our correspondent explores the country that Europe forgot.(exploraing economic aspects of Transdniestrian)(Travel narrative)
May 18, 2007... Our correspondent learns of fraud most fowl Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday FINDING the offices of the only English-language paper in a foreign city is hardly a tough assignment--except when the paper is the Tiraspol...