Whether he likes it or not, Ben Bernanke will be running the world’s central bank, says Edwin Truman. If he does it well, it will be good for America too On February 2, the Greenspan Federal Reserve will become the Bernanke Federal Reserve. It will be in good hands. The reason is not because Ben…
The problems posed by ageing are manageable, says Adair Turner. Far more worrying is the population explosion that threatens to overwhelm economic and social progress in developing countries The challenges created by an ageing society are major political issues in many developed countries and will increasingly be on the agenda in some developing countries, China…
Governments should lift outdated rules on who can own airlines and where they should fly, says Willie Walsh The airline industry is at the heart of globalization. Without commercial jet travel, companies and countries could not do business with each other, economic growth would fade away and the people of the world would be poorer….
America needs a laser-like focus on innovation, says Mark Warner, governor of Virginia If you watch the news out of Washington or, for that matter, listen to the most passionate speeches in the chambers of many of America’s statehouses, you might think that the republic faces a series of crises about posting the Ten Commandments,…
In 2005 millions rallied to the war on poverty, but poor countries also have a responsibility to use aid effectively and transparently, says Paul Wolfowitz This past year, the international community has rallied around high-profile summits, concert stadiums and street demonstrations to demand action in the global fight against poverty. These events triggered a series…
London faces immense challenges, says its mayor, Ken Livingstone, but it will rise to them The year 2005 was challenging and exhilarating for London, and July was undoubtedly the most significant month. News that our bid to stage the 2012 Olympics had been successful, confounding the pundits and triggering an un-British euphoria, was followed within…
We should concentrate on preventing the spread of AIDS, malaria and remedying dietary deficiencies, rather than waste money on climate change, says Bjørn Lomborg The World Economic Forum’s mission is improving the state of the world. Ideally, dealing with the world’s woes would be simple: we ought to deal with them all. We should win…
The European Union has offered steep cuts in farm tariffs as its contribution to the Doha “development” trade round, says Peter Mandelson. But developing countries could achieve even more trade benefits were they to cut their own manufacturing and services tariffs With a few months’ hindsight it is likely that the hard-won deal at the…
The digital revolution has highlighted the need for lighter, rather than tighter, intellectual property rights, says Ed Mayo Just when you think you live in a seamless global economy, you find that you can’t play the DVD you bought on your last trip abroad. Or, perhaps, that you don’t know if you are committing a…
Europe still has a long way to go if it is to have a shot at becoming the world’s most competitive economy. Central to this effort, says Angela Merkel, are Germany’s ambitious reforms The increasing pace of globalization and the relentless shift in Europe’s demographics are placing ever-increasing pressure on European economies to shore up…
