The Qatar Investment Authority, the agency that invests the country's oil wealth, is a front-runner to clinch a deal to buy a nearly 30 percent stake in the London Stock Exchange. That follows a recent $4 billion bid for OMX,…

The global financial markets' August upheavals have generated endless commentaries on the reasons for their liquidity problems. The identified culprits range from American subprime mortgage-lenders, to securities-rating agencies, to central banks.

Characteristic of these analyses is a tendency to study the…

Amidst the anti-inflationary policies presently pursued by most of the world's important central banks, the global economy continues to grow impressively. Even a number of Europe's lackluster economies are beginning to register respectable growth rates.

One dark cloud, however, overshadows these…

Of all things, an indiscreet tampering with the trade of provisions is the most dangerous, and it is always worst in the time when men are most disposed to it; that is, in the time of scarcity. Because there is…

Now that the World Bank's civil war over its former President, Paul Wolfowitz, is over, attention may turn to a more substantial matter: the institution's future in a world with decreasing need of its financial services.

The World Bank's own 2007…

March 26 marked the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome — the beginning of a formal integration of Europe that manifests itself today as the European Union.

Given 20th-century Europe's tortured history as the epicenter of…

By most standards, Switzerland is surely one of the world's most inoffensive nations. Resolutely neutral, this small landlocked country is often associated with gentle pastimes such as clock-making, skiing, and Alpine scenery. Many will be therefore surprised to learn that…

Any system of social and economic life that aspires to be truly humane needs to reflect the nature of human beings. Communism imploded, at least in part, because it denied certain truths about humans, most notably the fact that we…

Since its creation in July 1944, the World Bank has poured billions of dollars in loans and aid into developing nations’ economies. In 2005 alone, World Bank loans totaled approximately $25 billion. Given the sums involved, it is hardly surprising…

Throughout the world today, the cry to engage in extensive debt forgiveness of some of the world’s most underdeveloped nations continues to echo. Every western politician, from presidents to prime ministers, is regularly told by religious leaders, actors, and rock…