Many countries in the world are undergoing demographic transition, with fertility rates below replacement level for more than 80 nations, about half of the world’s population. Women are choosing to have fewer children for many reasons related to financial and personal costs as well as uncertainty...
Falling population, dropping support: A sharp drop in population is reported for Ukraine, and the United States is among the nations with low public spending for family benefits
NEW YORK: The fertility rate, or the average number of births per woman...
Less than a week after a recent Russian airline tragedy, a female suicide bomber attacked a Moscow subway station; evidence indicates that Chechen separatists were likely the perpetrators of both attacks. According to Russia analyst Ben Wetherall, the government's approach to the Islamic...
Chechen rebels may be responsible for the crash of two passenger jets. Can Russian diplomacy prevent future attacks? (Photo: AFP)
LONDON: The majority of Russians awoke the morning of August 25 to familiar scenes...
The US will supply arms to Kurdish forces to retake Raqqa from the Islamic State in Syria. “Turkey warned the United States on Wednesday that a decision to arm Kurdish forces fighting Islamic State in Syria could end up hurting Washington, and accused its NATO ally of siding with terrorists,”...
Crises give countries an incentive to adjust, and the 2008 financial crisis – following on the heels of the costly war in Iraq – eroded confidence in US leadership and capitalism. Likewise, Europe struggled with the euro crisis and a stream of migrants fleeing unrest and conflict in the Middle East...
Foreign investors are less keen to own US government bonds, but domestic investors pick up the slack for now. “Foreign ownership of U.S. government debt has been decreasing since it reached a peak of about 55% during the financial crisis in 2008, falling below 40% in November for the first time...
Globalization has been heralded both as the savior and the damnation of the world. Especially the attitude of Islamic countries towards all that globalization brings has been a matter of intense debate. In the first of two-part series, Middle East scholar Barry Rubin argues that unlike regions like...
McDonald's outlet in Kuwait
Probably no area in the world resists--at least explicitly--globalization to an extent equaling that of the Islamic Middle East. The majority of regimes, opposition movements, and intellectuals in the region are...
In India, the Aam Aadmi Party, or Common Man’s Party, has shaken the establishment. A successful appeal to many can rely on promises of quick fixes and protection of special interests. “While AAP has plenty of positive attributes and is doing important work in terms of promoting transparency and...
A rare bit of good news for economic reform in India was obscured by excitement over the emergence of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) — Common Man’s Party — and its agenda of easy fixes.
Early last month, British retailer Tesco became the first...
Trade offers many benefits for economies, and the outlook for the United States is not as grim as some political leaders suggest. Still, there are challenges for the US-Chinese trade relationship, explains Farok J. Contractor, professor at Rutgers Business School. The United States does have a...
China balance: Chinese exports in good to the US surge – and so do American technology and service exports to China
NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY: Acting on his campaign rhetoric that China is “raping our country,” US President Donald Trump announced...
