Global Agenda articles from November 2007

Global Agenda archives from November 2007

The rebels of Red Square; Diary: In Russia's shadow; Our diarist admires eight Soviet freedom-fighters.
November 1, 2007... Our diarist remembers eight Soviet freedom-fighters Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday Thursday THE Tallinn military cemetery is home to Estonia's most controversial statue, the Bronze Soldier. A Soviet-era war memorial,...

A friend of a friend bombed Bali.(Kunio Hatoyama speaks on investigating foreign tourist before entering Japan to avoid terrorism)
November 1, 2007... Or so I heard from a mutual acquaintance IF YOU want your speech to make the newspapers in Japan, the Foreign Correspondents' Club in Tokyo can be a good place to give it. Lunchtime talks are followed by questions from the floor. The long...

Do I look like a pushover? America's Federal Reserve cuts interest rates; The Fed cuts rates by a quarter of a percentage point.
November 1, 2007... America's interest rates are cut FAINT-HEARTED or far-sighted? On Wednesday October 31st the Federal Reserve gave financial markets what they had wanted and expected: a quarter-point cut in the federal funds rate, to 4.5%. Despite some...

Moldova looks for a deal.(republic of Transdniestria)
November 1, 2007... Frozen conflict hits sell-by date IT IS not quite the land that time forgot, although the division of Moldova into the breakaway self-proclaimed republic of Transdniestria and the rest of the country is certainly anachronistic. It is...

Vote early; Canada faces an early election; An early election for Canada could follow a parliamentary no-confidence vote.(Stephen Harper made decelration for advance election)
November 1, 2007... The opposition could trigger an early election in Canada Once again, there is talk of the possibility of an early election in Canada. Although the prime minister, Stephen Harper, insists that he has no wish to advance elections before the...

Super-spiked; High oil prices; Despite current lofty heights the oil price may fall.
November 1, 2007... The oil price should fall--eventually BACK in 2005, in an apparent flight of fancy, analysts at Goldman Sachs predicted a "super-spike" in the oil price to $105 a barrel. On Wednesday October 31st, the prediction came as close as it ever...

The Katyn deniers; Diary: In Russia's shadow; Our diarist muses on mass graves and mass media.(Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
November 2, 2007... Our diarist muses on mass graves and mass media Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday Friday THE week ended in Prague, at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), and a conference marking the first anniversary of Anna...

Super-spiked; High oil prices; Despite current lofty heights the oil price may fall.
November 2, 2007... The oil price should fall--eventually BACK in 2005, in an apparent flight of fancy, analysts at Goldman Sachs predicted a "super-spike" in the oil price to $105 a barrel. On Wednesday October 31st, the prediction came as close as it ever...

Desperate housewives on the phone.
November 2, 2007... Coming soon to a screen in your hand ONCE we would gobble breakfast, grab the newspaper, run for the bus or train--and catch up on world events, last night's game and local gossip from a newspaper while strap-hanging our way to work....

That shrinking feeling; Chrysler announces yet more cuts; Chrysler cuts jobs and models.
November 2, 2007... Can Chrysler make enough cuts to match its dwindling market? WHEN private equity and America's ailing car industry meet there is only one likely outcome. On Thursday November 1st, just days after hourly workers narrowly ratified a new...

Egypt's nuclear push; Egypt's nuclear-power programme; A push for more nuclear power in Egypt.
November 2, 2007... A nuclear-power programme is a model for other Arab states Egypt's renewed interest in nuclear power first came to light a year ago during a party conference statement by Gamal Mubarak, the president's younger son and possible successor....

That shrinking feeling; Chrysler announces yet more cuts; Chrysler cuts jobs and models.
November 3, 2007... Cutting to match a dwindling market WHEN private equity and America's ailing car industry meet there is only one likely outcome. On Thursday November 1st, just days after hourly workers narrowly ratified a new contract, Chrysler announced...

An expensive dinner; Food prices around the world are rising; Alarm is growing over the steeply rising costs of basic foodstuffs.
November 3, 2007... Alarm is growing about rising food prices "THE world's most vulnerable who spend 60% of their income on food have been priced out of the food market," is the alarming warning from Josette Sheeran, head of the United Nations' World Food...

The week ahead; What may make the headlines this week; News of the coming days.
November 4, 2007... What may make the headlines * GEORGE BUSH plays host to two of Europe's most important leaders. On Tuesday November 6th he begins two days of talks with Nicolas Sarkozy, France's president. Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, arrives on...

Roller coaster; Market.view; Riding out the subprime crisis.
November 4, 2007... Riding out the subprime crisis HAVING recently endured (for the sake of his daughter) the Disney ride called Space Mountain, your correspondent can report that just when you think it's finally over, there is another sickening lurch...

Features of faith; Utah diary; Eternal marriage, a human God, lots of offspring.
November 5, 2007... Eternal marriage, a human God, lots of offspring With a Mormon running for president, many people want to know: what do Mormons believe? Mitt Romney, the candidate in question, casts little light on the matter. When pressed, he lists only...

Coup number two; Pakistan's political crisis; General Pervez Musharraf grabbed power.
November 5, 2007... General Musharraf seizes power again OSCILLATING between military takeover and civilian disarray, Pakistan often seems consigned to a classical form of governmental perdition. Yet the coup that General Pervez Musharraf, the country's...

Creative kazis; Green.view; How to make the perfect compost lavatory.(Sulabh International Social Service Organisation uses human waste to make compost)
November 5, 2007... How to make the perfect compost lavatory THERE are few international conferences these days at which delegates can hope to be presented with a souvenir ball of dried human faeces. Indeed the World Toilet Summit, which was convened in Delhi...

Chucking in the towel; Citigroup's boss resigns; Chuck Prince leaves the investment bank before he is pushed.
November 5, 2007... Chuck Prince, Citigroup's boss, is the latest casualty of the credit crunch AS THE number of risky mortgage borrowers being turfed out of their homes escalates, so does the rate of Wall Street chief executives trudging dejectedly out of...

Diminishing clout; Colombia's politics; President Alvaro Uribe has a tough time in local elections.
November 5, 2007... The authority of Colombia's president takes a knock The results of Colombia's recent local and regional elections were mixed for the conservative government of President Alvaro Uribe. Whereas his right-wing allies remained strong in most of...

Soul fishers; Utah diary; Why a Mormon president makes missionaries uneasy.
November 6, 2007... Why a Mormon president makes missionaries uneasy Monday | Tuesday Tuesday YOUNG Mormons, especially men, are expected to go on missions. Mitt Romney went to France (where he nearly died in a car crash). Stephen Covey (a self-help...

Creative kazis; Green.view; How to make the perfect compost lavatory.(Sulabh International Social Service Organisation has constructed million toilets to make composting)
November 6, 2007... How to make the perfect compost lavatory THERE are few international conferences these days at which delegates can hope to be presented with a souvenir ball of dried human faeces. Indeed the World Toilet Summit, which was convened in Delhi...

Chucking in the towel; Citigroup's boss resigns; Chuck Prince leaves the investment bank before he is pushed.
November 6, 2007... The credit crunch claims another scalp AS THE number of risky mortgage borrowers being turfed out of their homes escalates, so does the rate of Wall Street chief executives trudging dejectedly out of their corner offices. On Sunday November...

Finding another Prince; Business.view; Citigroup's search for a fresh hand at the helm.(Chuck Prince retires from his position)(Citigroup Inc. in troble and can breakdown)
November 6, 2007... Citigroup's search for a fresh hand at the helm "THERE is no natural successor at Citigroup because the company is itself an unnatural act," argued the Wall Street Journal's Deal Journal blog after Chuck Prince, Citi's boss, quit on...

Pumped up; PetroChina's public offering; China's stockmarkets are going wild.
November 6, 2007... A heady public offering in Shanghai SHARES in PetroChina went on sale in Shanghai on Monday November 5th at a valuation that gave even China's exuberant investors pause for thought. The price on the Shanghai exchange made the company worth...

Thailand's pre-election jostling; Thailand's election looms; A general election in Thailand may restore democracy.
November 6, 2007... The polls may restore democracy but not stability Thailand is scheduled to hold a general election on December 23rd, and the country's political scene is heating up as political parties jostle for position ahead of the polls. Having been...

Is this the right key? The EU reports on prospective members; Applicants for EU membership have some way to go.
November 6, 2007... The latest bunch of EU applicants will find it tough to get through the door TO TURKEY'S prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, foreign relations must feel a little bizarre this week. On Tuesday 6th November he flew home from Washington,...

Et al; Utah diary; Non-Mormons live in Salt Lake City too.(belief in mormonism)
November 7, 2007... Non-Mormons live in Salt Lake City too Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday Wednesday SALT LAKE CITY is the Mecca of Mormonism. The city was founded by Mormon pioneers escaping persecution back east. It houses the church's global...

Pumped up; PetroChina's public offering; China's stockmarkets are going wild.
November 7, 2007... A heady public offering in Shanghai SHARES in PetroChina went on sale in Shanghai on Monday November 5th at a valuation that gave even China's exuberant investors pause for thought. The price on the Shanghai exchange made the company worth...

Is this the right key? The EU reports on prospective members; Applicants for EU membership have some way to go.
November 7, 2007... The latest applicants are assessed TO TURKEY'S prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, foreign relations must feel a little bizarre this week. On Tuesday 6th November he flew home from Washington, DC, with what seemed to be tacit American...

Stuck in neutral; Asia.view; Why the UN cannot stay out of domestic politics.(United Nations. Development Programme )
November 7, 2007... Why the UN cannot stay out of domestic politics IT IS never pleasant for a foreign diplomat or aid worker to be summoned by an angry host government. In Myanmar, the unpleasantness is compounded by the length of the journey--several hours...

Ahead of the boys; Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign; Can a Republican or a Democrat stall Hillary Clinton's progress?
November 7, 2007... Republicans are struggling and Hillary Clinton leads the Democratic presidential field. Can anyone stop her? KENTUCKY'S Republican governorship was short-lived. After over 30 years of a Democrat in the governor's mansion, Ernie Fletcher...

Not just oil; Nigeria's non-oil economy; Nigeria's has more than just oil to fall back on.(growth in the non oils sector is rapid)
November 7, 2007... Nigeria's non-oil sector is performing strongly Nigeria is the somewhat surprising source of evidence that there is more to Africa's economic resurgence than just commodity prices. During the country's two-year reform programme under a...

Holdout; Utah diary; The sad legacy of a self-appointed prophet.
November 8, 2007... The sad legacy of a self-appointed prophet Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday Thursday MANY Americans falsely assume that Mormons are polygamous. In fact, the church renounced plural marriage, as it was known, in 1890. So Mitt...

Over a barrel; Europe.view; The oily politics of silence.(Enayat Fatullayev)
November 8, 2007... The oily politics of silence TIME was when a word from Washington, DC made wheels turn on the other side of the world. Not any more, as shown by the case of Enayat Fatullayev, a jailed Azeri journalist. The authorities in Baku have...

Ahead of the boys; Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign; Can a Republican or a Democrat stall Hillary Clinton's progress?
November 8, 2007... A whiff of hope for Hillary Clinton's rivals KENTUCKY'S Republican governorship was short-lived. After over 30 years of a Democrat in the governor's mansion, Ernie Fletcher served just one term before another Democrat, Steve Beshear, won...

Pegged on; Hong Kong and the dollar; Hong Kong's peg to the American dollar is unlikely to end soon.
November 8, 2007... Hong Kong's dollar is set to stay tied to the American one Strong upward pressure on the Hong Kong dollar has been fuelling speculation that the currency's 24-year-old peg to the US dollar may be abandoned, probably in favour of a link to...

Ready for a rout? The sliding dollar; The dollar keeps on falling.
November 8, 2007... The dollar's decline accelerates YOU know that nerves are taut when a couple of stray comments set off a flurry of selling. The dollar fell sharply on Wednesday November 7th after mid-ranking Chinese officials, not actually responsible for...

The big dig; BHP Billiton bids for Rio Tinto; The world's biggest mining company makes a bid for a rival.
November 8, 2007... BHP Billiton, the world's biggest mining firm, makes an audacious bid for a rival WHEN Marius Kloppers succeeded Chip Goodyear as chief executive of BHP Billiton, an Anglo-Australian mining giant, he assured investors that their attitudes...

Going west; Utah diary; How Mormon history parallels America's.
November 9, 2007... How Mormon history parallels America's Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday Friday DRIVING across Utah, I am struck by the majestic scenery, the wide open spaces and the realisation that the early Mormons covered it all...

The big dig; BHP Billiton bids for Rio Tinto; The world's biggest mining company makes a bid for a rival.
November 9, 2007... BHP Billiton audaciously bids for a rival WHEN Marius Kloppers succeeded Chip Goodyear as chief executive of BHP Billiton, an Anglo-Australian mining giant, he assured investors that their attitudes to mergers and acquisitions were "almost"...

Unfriendly skies; Tech.view; Why punctuality and safety remain up in the air.
November 9, 2007... Why punctuality and safety remain up in the air IF YOU'RE changing planes anywhere in America this coming winter, give yourself an extra hour or so between arrival and departure. So far this year, the number of flights arriving on time at...

Silencing the opposition; The political crisis in Pakistan; General Pervez Musharraf attempts to stifle protests against martial law.
November 9, 2007... Benazir Bhutto, leader of the Pakistan People's Party, is put under house arrest TO THE undoubted relief of many of her supporters, Benazir Bhutto, leader of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), was placed under house arrest in Islamabad on...

Conservative split; South Korea's presidential race; An independent makes a surprising bid for the presidency.
November 9, 2007... A surprise entry into South Korea's presidential race Pre-election political manoeuvrings in South Korea have produced an unexpected twist. For months polls have been predicting that Lee Myung-bak, the candidate of the conservative Grand...

Silencing the opposition; The political crisis in Pakistan; General Pervez Musharraf attempts to stifle protests against martial law.
November 10, 2007... Benazir Bhutto under house arrest TO THE undoubted relief of many of her supporters, Benazir Bhutto, leader of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), was placed under house arrest in Islamabad on Friday November 9th. Thousands of her followers...

Quick fix; Art.view; Laughing all the way to the Banksy.
November 10, 2007... Laughing all the way to the Banksy THE phenomenon of Banksy, an English graffiti artist, seems to have got out of hand. Banksy, who trades heavily on his anonymity, began drawing on walls alongside streets in north London and Bristol, his...

Georgia, no peace I find; Georgia's political crisis; Georgia's leader, Mikheil Saakashvili, has declared a state of emergency and called snap election.
November 11, 2007... Snap elections will not end the woes GEORGIA'S current political mess started with allegations of cronyism and abuse of power at the highest level. It continued with demonstrations, mostly peaceful but with some violence. They were broken...

The week ahead; What may make the headlines this week; News of the coming days.
November 11, 2007... What may make the headlines * WORKERS at SNCF, France's state railway company, are set to begin the next in a series of rolling strikes on Tuesday November 13th in protest at Nicolas Sarkozy's plans to change their pension privileges....

Mean times; Market.view; Why an iconoclast came back to earth.(Bill Miller gives view on the stock price of Legg Mason Value Trust)
November 11, 2007... Why an iconoclast came back to earth BILL Miller established a stellar reputation in the fund management industry by beating the S&P 500 index for 15 years in a row. If one allows for costs of even a modest 1% a year, and assumes the market...

Fishing for compliments; Green.view; Why catching fewer fish means catching more fish.(spaniards are asking government to construct marine parks so as to save marine fishes)
November 12, 2007... Why catching fewer fish means catching more fish EVERY story about overfishing tends to involve the same dramatis personae. There are the heroic conservationists urging restraint, the dithering politicians who must balance the needs of...

Cold wind, hot air; Midwest diary; Chicago prepares for winter, greatness.
November 12, 2007... Chicago prepares for winter, greatness Chicago is a city of American beauties. The ivy-covered walls of Wrigley Field. Louis Sullivan's Carson Pirie Scott building, one of America's first skyscrapers. The bundled rods of the Sears Tower,...

A French fix? Syria stands to gain from Lebanon's presidential crisis; Fearing war, France intervenes in Lebanon's politics.
November 12, 2007... France tries to resolve political troubles in Lebanon France, the former colonial overlord of Lebanon and Syria, is pulling out all the diplomatic stops in a bid to resolve the crisis over the election of a new Lebanese president. A stream...

What to do about Iran? America, Germany and France ponder how to tackle Iran; The West is divided over Iran.(George Bush talks with Angela Merkel german chancellor and Nicolas Sarkozy france president about Iran nuclear trade)
November 12, 2007... George Bush meets two counterparts from Europe and discusses how to put a squeeze on Iran IN 2006, George Bush famously gave Angela Merkel, the German chancellor a brief, impromptu neck-rub at a summit. At the weekend, though there was no...

Quick fix; Art.view; Laughing all the way to the Banksy.
November 13, 2007... Laughing all the way to the Banksy THE phenomenon of Banksy, an English graffiti artist, seems to have got out of hand. Banksy, who trades heavily on his anonymity, began drawing on walls alongside streets in north London and Bristol, his...

Oink; Midwest diary; Dressing like an astronaut to visit a pig farm.
November 13, 2007... Dressing like an astronaut to visit a pig farm Monday | Tuesday Tuesday CLIMB the Sears Tower on a clear day, and you can see four states stretching before you: Illinois directly below, Michigan across to the east, Indiana south...

What to do about Iran? America, Germany and France ponder how to tackle Iran; The West is divided over Iran.
November 13, 2007... How to cure the headache of Iran IN 2006, George Bush famously gave Angela Merkel, the German chancellor a brief, impromptu neck-rub at a summit. At the weekend, though there was no massage, the two leaders discussed a topic that has been...

From behind a blockade; Benazir Bhutto turns against Pakistan's Pervez Musharraf; Pakistan's Pervez Musharraf is told to quit by Benazir Bhutto.
November 13, 2007... Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto tells Pervez Musharraf to quit INVITING unhappy comparisons with Mahatma Gandhi and Mao Zedong, Benazir Bhutto, who leads the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), was foiled in her plan to lead a "long march" from Lahore...

What witch doctors? Business.view; Management theory is not hocus pocus after all.(management techniques used by companies )
November 13, 2007... Management theory is not hocus pocus after all ONCE again, scepticism about management theory--at least as business schools teach it--is growing. In his latest book, "The Future of Management", Gary Hamel notes that several top...

Labour pains; Dubai's strikers have returned to work but at what cost? Strikes expose the frailty of Dubai's economic boom.
November 13, 2007... Strikes expose the frailty of Dubai's economic boom The workers are back on Dubai's building sites after almost two weeks of industrial action that has brought several major projects to a standstill, including Burj Dubai, the tallest...

Frankfort pride; Midwest diary; A long celebration of Kentucky blue.
November 14, 2007... A long celebration of Kentucky blue Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday Wednesday "HEY-YAH! Jim-MEE!" one woman to my left shouts. "How ya beeen?" Then to my right, "Hiya Suze! Long time no see! Wheredja get that drink? Good night to be...

From behind a blockade; Benazir Bhutto turns against Pakistan's Pervez Musharraf; Pakistan's Pervez Musharraf is told to quit by Benazir Bhutto.
November 14, 2007... BB tells Pervez Musharraf to quit INVITING unhappy comparisons with Mahatma Gandhi and Mao Zedong, Benazir Bhutto, who leads the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), was foiled in her plan to lead a "long march" from Lahore to Islamabad on...

Japan's media don; Asia.view; The most powerful publisher you've never heard of.(The Yomiuri Shimbun)
November 14, 2007... The most powerful publisher you've never heard of FOR its Tokyo bureau The Economist rents a room in the headquarters of the conservative Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan's most popular newspaper that also happens to own the country's best-known...

Sweet and sour; Midwest diary; A visit to Chocolatetown, USA.(trend in cocolate industry)(elections in Kentucky)(United States. Environmental Protection Agency new rule on animal feeding)(Column)
November 15, 2007... A visit to Chocolatetown, USA Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday Thursday VAGABONDS of legend carry their worldly possessions in a small sack at the end of a stick, slung carelessly over one shoulder. Today's vagabonds,...

People power; Europe.view; Ex-communist politicians now face demanding voters.
November 15, 2007... Ex-communist politicians now face demanding voters THE gloomy story of east European politics goes like this. Politicians are out of touch and voters don't care; outside pressure can be safely ignored; reform stalls or goes backwards. That...

Fear of foreigners; Denmark's election and what it says about Europe's far right; How the far right fares in Europe.
November 15, 2007... Denmark's telling election FOR A time, it seemed that something new might be stirring in Danish politics. The New Alliance, a moderate centrist party headed by a Syrian-born Muslim, Naser Khader, surged and appeared to be poised to shake...

Let battle commence; Will strikers defeat reforms in France? The battles on the streets over reforms in France.
November 15, 2007... President Nicolas Sarkozy faces his toughest fight so far in his efforts to reform France IN A wintry November 12 years ago, a first-term French president brought weeks of chaos to the streets and paralysis to the railways by trying to end...

The surge in Iraq; Iraq's fiscal surge; Encouraged by the recent drop in violence, Iraq's government plans to spend.
November 15, 2007... The fiscal one, that is The Iraqi cabinet has passed an expansionary budget for 2008, based on the expectation that the recent improvements in security have created conditions for a big increase in investment in reconstruction and...

A room with a view; Midwest diary; Looking over the city of big shoulders.
November 16, 2007... Looking over the city of big shoulders Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday Friday WHENEVER I return to my office in Chicago after a trip, I am struck yet again by the sight of it. Not of the office itself--the room is...

Let battle commence; Will strikers defeat reforms in France? The battles on the streets over reforms in France.
November 16, 2007... Nicolas Sarkozy's Thatcher moment IN A wintry November 12 years ago, a first-term French president brought weeks of chaos to the streets and paralysis to the railways by trying to end the country's generous "special regimes" for...

Haunted in Canada? A whiff of scandal in Canada; Allegations of corruption in Canada.
November 16, 2007... Allegations of past wrongdoing stir up Canada's politicians today ANY whiff of corruption is so much more potent when sniffed amid air as pure as Canada's. Few countries have such a reputation for honesty. According to Transparency...

Xohm's law; Tech.view; Can WiMAX overcome cellular's aversion to change?
November 16, 2007... Can WiMAX defeat cellular's resistance to change? INNOVATORS in the wireless world got a cautionary reminder last week that early adopters often end up with arrows in their backs. WiMAX, an upstart wireless-communications technology that...

Angola's uncertain future; Angola without its oil; How will Angola survive when the oil runs dry?
November 16, 2007... What happens when the oil runs dry? Angola continues to post strong growth rates, thanks to the booming oil sector. However, the industry is going to start shrinking from 2010 according to government figures, and it is far from clear that...

What crisis? Art.view; Are we finally seeing the beginning of a decline?
November 17, 2007... Are we finally seeing the beginning of a decline? SALES of contemporary art at Sotheby's and Christie's in New York last week fetched a shade under $641m, including buyers' premiums. That is the opposite of a crisis, but the art market is...

Escaping from limboland; Kosovo votes, and frets about its future; Voting in Kosovo, as calls for independence grow.
November 18, 2007... Kosovo's uncertain future OUTSIDERS can be forgiven for not being able to tell much--from the names at least--about the Democratic Party of Kosovo, the Democratic League of Kosovo, the New Kosovo Alliance and the Alliance for the Future of...

The new small thing; Market.view; The risks of snapping up unconsidered trifles.
November 18, 2007... The risks of snapping up unconsidered trifles INSTITUTIONAL investors have been looking for "uncorrelated" assets ever since the equity bear market of 2000-2002. They realised that they made too big a bet on the stockmarket and wanted to...

The week ahead; What may make the headlines; The coming days.(Calendar)
November 19, 2007... What may be in the headlines * LEBANON'S parliament is supposed to pick a new president for the country on Wednesday November 21st, but the Lebanese are not yet close to doing so. The president is traditionally a Christian in the...

Haunted in Canada? A whiff of scandal in Canada; Allegations of corruption in Canada.
November 19, 2007... Allegations of past wrongdoing ANY whiff of corruption is so much more potent when sniffed amid air as pure as Canada's. Few countries have such a reputation for honesty. According to Transparency International, an anti-corruption activist...

Suburban grumblings; Australian election diary; Now is the autumn of their discontent.
November 19, 2007... Now is the autumn of their discontent Monday MY ROAD to Australia's general election on November 24th starts in Eastwood, a prosperous, leafy suburb in northern Sydney. I am jostling for space at a parade in honour of Maria "Granny"...

Now see this; Green.view; An unlikely band of DIY environmentalists.
November 19, 2007... An unlikely band of DIY environmentalists FAR above the treetops, in Indonesia's remote Papuan provinces, the spotter planes are circling. They are looking for a place to strip the forest and produce the big cash crop of the moment: palm...

Same old faces; Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner keeps most of her husband's cabinet.
November 19, 2007... Argentina's post-election cabinet is full of familiar figures Argentina's president-elect, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, revealed on November 14th the cabinet members that will accompany her when she takes office on December 10th....

Yet another calamity; Bangladesh is hit by a cyclone; Yet another natural disaster besets Bangladesh.
November 19, 2007... The death toll from Bangladesh's cyclone could reach 10,000 THE heinously overcrowded patch of delta that is Bangladesh found itself in a painful and familiar position on Monday November 19th. The country is struggling to cope with the...

Not easy being green; Australian election diary; Australia's environment minister faces a challenge.
November 20, 2007... Australia's environment minister faces a challenge Monday | Tuesday Tuesday I AM waiting at a traffic light near my home in eastern Sydney, when one of the angriest placards I have seen so far in the Australian election campaign...

Yet another calamity; Bangladesh is hit by a cyclone; Yet another natural disaster besets Bangladesh.
November 20, 2007... The death toll could hit 10,000 THE heinously overcrowded patch of delta that is Bangladesh found itself in a painful and familiar position on Monday November 19th. The country is struggling to cope with the aftermath of a natural...

The book is dead; Business.view; Long live the book (in some form).
November 20, 2007... Long live the book (in some form) JEFF BEZOS loves to read books--that much is clear. The founder of Amazon.com, an online bookseller that now flogs everything from gourmet food to power tools, Mr Bezos is such a voracious reader that he...