Russia and the Global Economic Crisis
Any international economic crisis afflicts different countries in different ways, but an unfortunate few experience every painful dimension of it. In the current crisis, Russia is confronting virtually all the negatives at once–sharply declining export earnings from energy and metals, over-leveraged corporate balance sheets and a chorus of [...]

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The global financial crisis is sparking a new wave of anti-Americanism in Europe, where the intensity of America-bashing in some countries is reaching levels not seen since the United States invaded Iraq in 2003.
The turmoil on Wall Street has been greeted with a smug chorus of ridicule emanating from nearly every European country, whether big [...]

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Friday’s announcement was the first tangible sign of any new cooperation. The Itar-Tass news agency reported a vessel from Russia’s Black Sea fleet had begun restoring facilities at Syria’s Mediterranean port of Tartus for use by the Russian military.
The two countries’ naval chiefs also met in Moscow on Friday and discussed “further strengthening mutual trust [...]

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While no text of the agreement was published, the news apparently represents a major potential realignment of the Middle East’s geopolitical realities, made all the more extraordinary by the fact that, beginning 29 years ago and continuing through the entire Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia matched, dollar for dollar, the United States’ covert assistance [...]

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America is losing its lead in the space race as other countries challenge its dominance on the “final frontier”, the head of Nasa has warned.
The more obvious rivals such as Russia and Europe have been joined by countries as diverse as Brazil, Israel and India, which are all launching their own space programmes.
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Russia has overtaken Niger to become the world’s fourth largest uranium producer, after Canada, Australia, and Kazakhstan. Russia received its new rating in 2007, when it produced 3,527 tons of uranium.
It has ambitious plans to mover even further up the league, based on promising deposits in Eastern Siberia and other regions, and opportunities for mutually [...]

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The consequences of a nuclear-armed Iran are obvious. Its leaders are theologically motivated and believe Israel should be wiped off the map. It is the chief global sponsor of terrorism through groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas. Middle East experts believe a nuclear-armed Iran would soon be followed by Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, and [...]

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DEVIN STEWART: I’m Devin Stewart, from the Carnegie Council.
Welcome. Thank you very much for coming.
The “rise of the rest” is a huge topic in the academic world, as well as the policy world and the world in general.
What does the rise of other countries besides the United States—the rise economically, politically, and culturally—what does it [...]

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“The big story is productivity in China,” he asserts, noting it is an incredible 9%, or three times the level of productivity in the US during its 1990s peak. Admiral Owens attributes this to the country’s high-quality infrastructure. It will allow the Chinese economy to soon become the second-largest in the world, with a GDP [...]

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Gates took on Ma’s claims that China wants only to defend itself with intercontinental ballistic missiles and is focused on defensive systems.
“I don’t know what you use them for if it’s not for offensive capabilities,” Gates told reporters Sunday. While that kind of system might be considered a deterrent for other countries, Gates said it [...]

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Why do some countries succeed when others struggle? That’s what Nobel laureate A. Michael Spence and the Commission on Growth and Development set out to discover in their landmark study of the world’s 13 fastest-growing economies.
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An examination of the economic relations between the two countries reveals that, beyond their propaganda value, these relations are of small benefit to Syria and of negligible benefit to Iran. The alliance is driven first and foremost by political and strategic interests, not by economic considerations. While Syria has benefited from Iran’s economic support, this [...]

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