India holds the key in NATO's world view

Fri, 5 Oct 2007 19:00:00 +0700
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization's agenda is centered on its further enlargement as well as lengthening its reach to undertake missions with new partners in every corner of the world. Many of its main challenges are in the Indian Ocean region, which makes a friendly India a priority. Washington fully backs a NATO-India partnership, while Delhi has some critical decisions to make. - M K Bhadrakumar

BOOK REVIEW : Reaping what is sown ; The Age of Turbulence by Alan Greenspan

Fri, 5 Oct 2007 19:00:00 +0700
Greenspan became the public face of, and easily the most important single personage representing, the triumphal capitalist revolution that would come to rule the planet. Yet at times his book reads more like a sales manager reporting the quarter's results to the home office. And the former Fed chief takes no blame for all the rescues that acted to reward those who engaged in moral hazard. - Julian Delasantellis

Myanmar turns cameras on dissidents

Fri, 5 Oct 2007 19:00:00 +0700
Taking a leaf from China's book, Myanmar is using images captured from websites, TV broadcasts, cell phones and other media to identify and arrest thousands of protesters following last week's popular uprising and military clampdown. Official Myanmar state media has also called critics such as President George W Bush "hypocrites" for arrests in Washington during recent anti-war protests. - Richard Ehrlich

COMMENT : Myanmar and the loss of legitimacy

Fri, 5 Oct 2007 19:00:00 +0700
It may not be the monks who will directly effect change in Myanmar, but ultimately they may have contributed to the shape of things to come. Buddhism is the essential element that binds Myanmar society, and actions by the younger monks combined with disquiet among military members means that the revolt's legacy will not be stilled by the enforced silence that now blankets the cities. - David I Steinberg

Koreas have something to cheer about

Fri, 5 Oct 2007 19:00:00 +0700
From sending a joint cheer group to next year's Olympics in China to increased economic cooperation, South and North Korea made welcome progress at their three-day summit. As always, though, delivering on all the promises will be the hard part. - Donald Kirk

Memories of monarchies revived

Fri, 5 Oct 2007 19:00:00 +0700
A television series about the life of Farouk I, the last king of Egypt, now showing in the Middle East, has thrown into focus the role of monarchies in the Muslim world. Several monarchs-in-waiting, including Reza Pahlavi, son of the last ruling Shah of Iran, are roaming Europe and the United States, but their exile could be a very long one. - Sami Moubayed

Lust lost in (Beijing's) translation

Fri, 5 Oct 2007 19:00:00 +0700
China's moral guardians are attempting to purge the country of "inelegant images", and it's no coincidence that the latest campaign to turn a country of 1.3 billion into a seemingly sexless nation comes prior to the 17th National Congress. Among the casualties, which include lingerie ads, is Ang Li's erotic, award-winning film, Lust, Caution, which has had its story line lost to the squeamish censors' edits. - Kent Ewing

CHAN AKYA : Ram-ming the Indian economy

Fri, 5 Oct 2007 19:00:00 +0700
India's central government has taken to playing the religious card in its efforts to keep a center-left alliance in place for the next elections, in moves that will play havoc on the country's economy. Unnecessary intervention in economic development is a major reason for India to vastly underperform on its growth potential, and there are no signs of the situation improving any time soon.

North Korean-China trade hotter than kimchi

Fri, 5 Oct 2007 19:00:00 +0700
Economic activity between China and North Korea is picking up steam, especially at border areas such as northeast China's Dandong City. Bilateral trade has grown almost 17% in the first eight months of this year, with North Koreans clamoring for goods ranging from soybean oil to used air conditioners. - Ting-I Tsai

THE MOGAMBO GURU : Oil produces expensive Caesar salad

Fri, 5 Oct 2007 19:00:00 +0700
"Then, last Thursday, I was pretty well 'adjusted' and could barely hold my head up off the bar, when … Wham! The oil future shot up over $2.79 to $83.09! Hahaha! I was right! Absolutely correct, from an investment perspective ..."

FOREX COMMENTARY

Fri, 5 Oct 2007 19:00:00 +0700
Even a glimmer of good news for the US dollar may have an unusually large impact if all the bad news is already "in the price". - Jack Crooks