Indian Tata Motors company announced a new car over the weekend: the Nano. It’s cheap, and meant to be consumed by the “common man” in India. While Detroit’s auto makers are failing, and Sweden’s Saab appears to be even worse off, Tata is so far putting its best foot forward and hoping a cheap product […]
It’s been almost a week now since the Pope told a reporter that condoms increase the number of AIDS cases. And yet the evidence is incontrovertible, the science sound, the facts are there. Condoms prevent the spread of infectious disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is explicit Latex condoms, when used consistently and […]
The Ascent of Money By Niall Ferguson (Penguin Press, 2008) For both the financial history enthusiast and the newcomer to the global financial markets alike, Prof. Niall Ferguson offers an excellent survey of the development of money in his latest of financially themed books. Ferguson, regarded as one of Britain’s most noted […]
More than 1 billion people live without access to safe water and 2.6 billion people do not have access to basic sanitation. Today is World Water Day, and as was stated in post earlier this month, Life or Death in Each Drop, that while we in developing nations take each sip of life saving water […]
Russia has almost always been a thorn in the side for American diplomats. And under the watch of President George W Bush, Russia-US relations reached what many called Cold War-like lows. A growing number of commentators and analysts suggest that ties may be warming now. Both the Obama administration and the Medvedev administration have been […]
There is an absolutely fabulous story in today’s “NY Times” called Is a Food Revolution Now in Season? There is also a great story on the new White House vegetable, fruit and herb garden from Thursday by the veteran food reporter, Marian Burros, and a “Room for Debate” page on it. Check out the “Week […]
Democracy is not free. The Indian Premier League is set to begin in weeks, but the cricket matches will not be played in India. The tournament, scheduled during the height of upcoming national elections, will be moved out of the country due to security concerns. The world’s most populous democracy remains on high alert for […]
China and Trade – Steven Chu suggested at a recent hearing in the House, as Reuters reported here, that “…once Washington develops a system limiting carbon emissions, if other countries do not impose a cost on carbon emissions the United States will be at a disadvantage.” Chu said that one idea in the mix is […]
For all the brainpower that Barack Obama has brought to Washington, the only senior official with the right touch for articulating policy via the media seems to be the President himself. Last week he scored big in two TV firsts — a taped for broadcast greeting to Iran and an appearance on Jay Leno’s Tonight […]
The New York Times published an article on the falling price of domestic natural gas, which, in part, it attributes to an increase in imported liquefied natural gas (LNG). A lower price of natural gas may spur additional use of it in the transportation sector, reducing net CO2 emissions — a positive development not just […]
Namibia declares emergency in areas hit by floods Namibia’s president has declared a state of emergency in areas hit by what he said could be some of the worst floods in recent memory. President Hifikepunye Pohamba told reporters 92 people had drowned since flooding began in early February and 5,032 people had been left homeless. […]
Bob Schieffer, a journalist with more than five decades of experience, said it best during a recent event at the New York Press Club: “A free press is vital to a healthy democracy.” What an encouraging thought at a time of dramatic changes in the news business. And what a fitting prinicple in light of […]
Children’s mouths speak the truth. -Chinese proverb. Listen to the words that come out of the mouths of babes and you will hear the truth. Just ask any parent who has shuddered in horror as their child asks an overweight person if they are pregnant, or just yelled “mommy, that guy is fat”. When I […]
The Kenya Food Security Steering Group – a consortium of Kenyan government officials, UN agencies, foreign aid officials, and NGOs – stated in a new report that the food security of 2.5 million Kenyans is threatened by an extended drought period in certain parts of the country. There are also more than 7 million Kenyans […]
“How China sees the world” is on the cover of this week’s Economist. The article discusses China’s ascent and increasing assertiveness in international affairs. “Already a big idea has spread far beyond China: that geopolitics is now a bipolar affair, with America and China the only two that matter.” But, as the piece correctly points […]