In The News

Kosovo’s Independence Could Mean a New Conflict

Humphrey Hawksley November 5, 2007
After World War II, Kosovo became a province of Serbia in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Kosovo, with its majority of ethnic Albanians, enjoyed near-autonomy until 1989 and the oppressive rule of Slobodan Milosevic. The Albanians resisted throughout the 1990s, atrocities ensued, leading finally to intervention by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1999. Yugoslavia splintered...

Globalization and the Corrupt States

Branko Milanovic November 2, 2007
Corrupt states thrive on producing goods and services that are illegal but increasingly profitable in the global world. Due to low costs of transportation, more illegal goods enter middle-class markets. Once criminal groups start controlling an economy, they throw their support behind corrupt politicians in government, complicating the work of local activists or international organizations that...

Dare to Compare?

Kathy Tzilivakis November 2, 2007
The nations of Europe offer a mixed bag when it comes to welcoming immigrants, according to a study from the British Council and the Migration Policy Group, a Brussels-based think tank, partially funded by the European Commission. The Migrant Integration Policy Index assesses countries based on labor-market access, family reunification, long-term residence, political participation, access to...

When I'm 64

Hans Ulrich Maerki November 1, 2007
Europe's population is rapidly aging - the proportion of people over age 65 will increase by 50 percent over the next two decades - posing challenges to private and public pension systems as well as presenting a shortage of skilled workers. Hans Ulrich Maerki of IBM in Europe suggests that older people remain in the workforce longer, endorsing government social-welfare programs that target...

Bhutto’s Return Brings Pakistani Politics to a Boil

Carlotta Gall October 31, 2007
Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto returned to Pakistan, ready to run for office, force General Pervez Musharraf to share power and combat terrorism. Crowds of passionate supporters greeted her when she arrived in mid-October, along with a bomb blast that killed 140 people. Confusion and questions have emerged since her return to a country divided about its relationship with the US. Opponents...

Consumer Mouse That Is Roaring

Peter Kell October 29, 2007
The marketing of some products, particularly those targeting children, is irresponsible. Some firms make outlandish claims, all to make a profit. As a result, global consumer trust has declined both in rich and poor countries. Still, some countries regulate products and marketing more heavily than others. "As consumers we face the reality that product standards in other countries can have a...

The United States Risks Walking Into a Trap in Iran

David Ignatius October 29, 2007
The West, including Russia, is serious about keeping nuclear weapons out of the Middle East. The 2003 invasion of Iraq removed a dictator – but cost billions, ruined the nation’s economy and displaced millions of refugees, even though no weapons of mass destruction were found. Other countries in the region now worry that the US plans an attack on Iran for refusing to stop a nuclear program that...