In The News

July 29, 2008
Newspapers have had to contend with lots of competition. Reporters are likely to run their own blogs, fewer people read newspapers, and the internet has become a popular source for the news. Yet newspapers are still thriving, especially in Asia and Latin America. The newly literate regard newspaper reading as a sign of their achievements. In countries like India, the government and NGOs lead...
Jeremy Seabrook July 28, 2008
Europe is enthralled by Barack Obama, the Democratic presumptive nominee for US president. But columnist Jeremy Seabrook offers the reminder that real leadership requires more than charisma, humbleness or intelligence – and entails delivery of services and policy that improve communities and the world. A crowd of more than 200,000 turning out for Obama’s speech in Berlin demonstrates how global...
Keith Bradsher July 28, 2008
Governments try to help out their citizens by subsidizing fuel. But such subsidies also encourage growth in the oil markets and remove incentives to conserve. “The oil company BP, known for thorough statistical analysis of energy markets, estimates that countries with subsidies accounted for 96 percent of the world's increase in oil use last year – growth that has helped drive prices to...
Peter S. Goodman July 24, 2008
The US has long been wary about moral hazard in financing – the fact that any expectation of rescues can increase risk-taking behavior. In the past, US capitalists urged stern measures, expecting companies and countries to pursue risks and accept losses if their ventures failed. As an economic recession looms, the US government increasingly engages in its own interventions, including a measure to...
Laura H. Kahn July 22, 2008
With the world's population booming and the food prices skyrocketing, biotechnologists suggest that genetically modified foods could boost supplies. However, genetically modified foods are greeted with wariness in many regions, particularly Europe, for many reasons. Some question whether such food products pose a safety hazard for humans, while other critics express concern about the...
Nayan Chanda July 22, 2008
At the Tallberg Forum in late June, it became apparent that politicians and scientists are often on different wavelengths. Scientists accept with much certainty that the Arctic ice sheet is melting and that temperatures are rising. Others worry about the increasing amounts of fossil fuels being emitted into the atmosphere. Scientists recognize that the current situation will lead to droughts,...
Philip Stephens July 21, 2008
As Barack Obama travels to Europe, he suggests that he will invigorate relations between the US and the continent, which have almost come to a standstill during the Bush administration. Europeans are less pleased, however, about Obama’s suggestions that Europe needs to contribute more to the alliance that’s essential for global security. Some critics contend that Europeans prefer talk to action,...