Topic: Economist Intelligence Unit Ltd.

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Caretaker government for Greece until June elections

Panagiotis Pikramenos, a senior judge, will lead an interim government of 16 until elections are held.
New elections for Greece as talks collapse

The parties who won seats in the May 6 election could not form a coalition government, triggering new elections.
Sweden cash-free? It's getting there.

Sweden cash-free moves include public buses, a few stores, and even some bank offices that don't handle cash anymore. But it could take 20 years before consumers see a Sweden cash-free.
Africa Rising: First it was China, now the Gulf discovers the African market

A decade ago, many African economies seemed locked in stagnation. Now they are booming, and Gulf investors are moving in to take advantage of the growth.
Oil prices soar as Iran cuts off supply

Oil prices jumped to $105 per barrel Monday after Iran halted exports to Britain and France. Oil prices are now at a nine-month high.
Can Islamists share power with secularists? Tunisia is about to find out.

Two secular parties look set to join Tunisia's dominant Islamist Al Nahda party in an alliance that would collectively represent as much as 60 percent of the vote in Sunday's election.
Terrorism & Security
'A cheap ruse': US slams Russia and China for vetoing UN resolution on Syria

Russia and China's vetoes of a UN resolution against Syria's regime illustrate a stark divide on the role the international community should play in the Arab Spring.
Peace is profitable: time for the US to invest

The US ranked an abysmally low 82 on the recent Global Peace Index. Unless America invests in the structures to promote peace, it will continue to find itself at war. The peace dividend is worth it: The world could have saved $8 trillion if it had been at peace last year.
Editorial Board Blog
Global economic reality check: beyond doom and gloom, a quiet boom

Robin Bew, chief economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit, discusses debt levels in the West, Obama's handling of the economy, capitalism in China, and why a message of fear often drowns out one of the great 'good news' stories of our time.
Will Arab world’s freedom wave reach Iran or China?

Both Beijing and Tehran are reacting defensively, seeking to silence pro-democracy protesters and retain totalitarian control.
Africa Monitor
Renegade Ivory Coast leader Gbagbo won't pay off debts, say opponents

Ivory Coast President-elect Alassane Ouattara accuses renegade President Laurent Gbagbo of paying his loyalist armed forces while neglecting to pay international creditors.
Donald Marron
How corrupt is the United States?

Transparency International recently reported on the world's perceptions of America's corruption.
Global News Blog
Vienna ranked best city in world; Baghdad worst

Mercer's 2010 Quality of Living Survey ranks 221 cities, with Vienna at the top, Baghdad at the bottom, and Honolulu as the best in America. But the list of best places to live arguably values comfort over dynamism.
New chill enters US-Cuba relations after Obama's brief thaw

President Obama has made several goodwill gestures toward Havana, giving US businesses the hope that Cuba relations could improve. But the Castro regime appears unwilling to compromise.
Global News Blog
Journalist's 20-year sentence casts chill in Sri Lanka

Tamil columnist J.S. Tissainayagam, whom US President Barack Obama had recognized as an example of a persecuted journalist, was charged with fomenting communal disharmony and sentenced to hard labor.
Albania's electoral shortcomings could delay EU bid

The Balkan nation's vote Sunday struggled to meet international standards – potentially embarrassing the US, which backed Albania's successful bid for NATO membership.
Congo rebels push toward key city

Civilians displaced by fighting pelted the UN compound in Goma with rocks on Monday. They blame UN peacekeepers for failing to protect them from rebels.
Congo blames Rwanda for fresh fighting

Clashes between government forces and Tutsi rebels could force 30,000 people from their homes in eastern Congo.
Is democracy a natural state of mankind?

Maybe Alexander Hamilton, not Thomas Jefferson, was right after all.