Politics & Current Affairs

In our period of economic uncertainty, it may seem wrong to question the growth imperative. But, then again, perhaps this is exactly the occasion to rethink the goals of global economic policy.

After the drink company left South Africa during apartheid, it set up shop in neighboring Swaziland. But now its tax payments support the country’s notorious dictator, Mswati III.

With less than a week to go before the Iowa Caucus, it looks like former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum finally has some momentum. According to the latest CNN poll, Santorum […]

Americans are unhappy about just one thing: the erosion of our meritocracy.

Brazil’s rapid economic development–it is now the 6th largest economy in the world–is likely to come at the expense of the Amazon and its indigenous people, fauna and forests.

The unprecedented protests in Moscow at the weekend were new proof that Russia’s growing opposition movement won’t stand by idly watching Putin march to power.

Legal experts have joined the chorus of complaints about the proposed PROTECT IP and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) legislation, saying they’ll hinder bids for better online security.

What would you do if Google, Facebook, Paypal or another site you and your business depend on suddenly decided, on the basis of a fraud detection algorithm, you were dodgy?

Nine months into Syria’s uprising and the peaceful protests against the regime of Bashar Assad are now accompanied by a growing insurgency.

Will the conflict between intellectual property and the value of sharing knowledge be resolved?  

Kim Jong-un’s youth means he’s likely to keep his head down for a few years while North Korea is run by elder statesmen. Stability is expected to ensue, which China will welcome.  

Withdrawing the troops from Iran is about the only truly popular thing Obama has done in the last two years. But many still think the invasion was the right decision.

Europe is falling apart, and a frustrated international community appears unwilling to lend Beijing a hand. China’s problems are still manageable, but they require strong leadership.

Along with Nelson Mandela and Lech Walesa, the former Czech Republic president and leader of the Velvet Revolution was seen as an emblem of democracy for millions worldwide.

Since, at its heart, Occupy Wall Street is a conversation about values that is leading to direct action — a beta test for a better society — people should not despair that it is a “leaderless movement.”

Eric Sanders, an active participant in Occupy Wall Street, offers advice to protesters for maintaining peaceful relations with the police.

A group of entrepreneurs led by PayPal founder Peter Thiel are hoping to circumvent U.S. visa restrictions by floating a business incubator on a ship anchored 12 miles off the coast of California.

America’s anti-piracy bill, “OPEN”, is at least a useful starting point, unlike an earlier alternative, SOPA/PROTECT-IP, which was “blatant rent-seeking,” says Eric Goldman.

Assessing a momentous year for new technology, John Naughton says Twitter rules and BlackBerry crumbles, and warns politicians that silicone start-ups generate few local jobs.

It’s time for a constructive foreign policy debate, so let’s drop the appeasement nonsense and argue instead about democratic realism, which is what Obama is really practising.

A few months ago some said the U.S. was on the verge of a recession. Instead, the economy and efforts to renew stimulus are making headway. But for how much longer?

Thanks to its resilient economy, Germany is now steering the European Union. In Angela Merkel, the continent has a leader that must choose between regrettable options or face peril.

In Britain a young lady was ‘caught’ having sex with her brother. The brother is 21, while his sister is 18. According to the law, they should be convicted for incest.

David Cameron has refused to subject Britain to a series of financial regulations demanded by the European Union. As a result, a new financial bloc has been formed outside the E.U.

The shuttle program having been terminated and a budget crunch looming, the national space program lacks a clear purpose. One astronomer says NASA should focus on saving the planet.

Calls are rising in the West for tougher actions against Iran. Here’s why Obama must strongly embrace a cold-war-style strategy of containment. Patient vigilance is called for.

Egypt’s euphoria over the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak in February later gave way to a creeping realization that the regime had not been toppled at all. What lies ahead?

After long wallowing in slow growth, there is cautious optimism that Africa now has a real chance to follow in the footsteps of Asia, thanks partly to the commodities boom.

Even though it’s beneficial for the US to cooperate with the Chinese wherever and whenever possible, we must have the confidence and will to compete with them in markets where we can press our advantage and fortify our own economy.

Historian Niall Ferguson responds to a recent study suggesting that the US is on the verge of a manufacturing renaissance. He believes that major legal and economic reforms would have to take place first.