Will the Dollar Be Replaced by the SDR as the Global Reserve Currency?

An analysis by TIME reviews the possibility of a new global reserve currency, the "special drawing right" or SDR, to replace the dollar. The Financial Times reports on what such a move would mean for China, the U .S., and Europe.

Indian Election Coverage

The Indian general elections are right around the corner (April 16), with over 700 million people expected to participate. However, an op-ed in The Times argues that due to the existence of "criminality" throughout many Indian politicial parties, the populace's best option is the current government, despite its "general ineptness on security and defence, [and the fact that] terrorism has risen steadily, culminating in the Mumbai attacks late last year." The Times of India reports that the reliance on minor parties to form coalition governments and the existence of too many parties in the electoral process has hurt Indian democracy. In another story, the opposition party, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has refused to drop Varun Gandhi, after he reportedly made derogotory remarks about Muslims. BBC News reports that the Indian Election Commission has suggested that BJP drop Gandhi.

30,000 Flee Eastern DR Congo

BBC News reports that 30,000 people have fled eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, in response to raids waged by the Hutu FDLR militia. Both the DR Congo and Rwanda have launched attacks against the FDLR, whose leaders have been accused of taking part in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Since 2006, over 1 million have been displaced due to on-and-off fighting with the FDLR and other militias. Another report by BBC News covers DR Congo's invitation to foreign militaries to help it deal with its lawless regions.

El Savador's New President and the China-Taiwan Battle For Its Support

For the first time since the end of its Civil War eighteen years ago, a candidate not from the Arena Party has won the Presidency in El Salvador. BBC News reports "Leftist Mauricio Funes of El Salvador's former Marxist rebel FMLN party has won the country's presidential election." Taiwan's China Post (one of three English-language newspapers in Taiwan) comments on the battle between China and Taiwan to gain diplomatic recognition from El Salvador.

Civil War in Madagascar; World Hunger on the Rise.

BBC News reports on the ultimatum given to Madagascar President Marc Ravalomanana by opposition leaders: resign or face massive protests in the capital city of Antananarivo. Madagascar has been in a crisis for the entirety of this year, due to a power struggle between Ravalomanana and opposition leader Andry Rajoelina, with 135 people dying amidst violence. The Boston Globe is reporting that Ravalomanana has defied the ultimatum and is refusing to step down, allowing the deadline to pass.


An opinion piece in The Los Angeles Times reports that while employment around the world has shrunk due to the global economic crisis, food prices have stayed the same, leading to a rise in world hunger.

Sri Lanka Crisis Update: Up To 200,000 Civilians Remain in Harm's Way

The New York Times reports that "[a]s many as 200,000 civilians are trapped in a war zone in northern Sri Lanka," sleeping in the open or hiding in trenches as food, water and medical supplies run out and artillery shells explode among them." The 25-year civil war has claimed at least 70,000 lives thus far, including 14 deaths on Tuesday from a suicide bombing. The Economist provides a helpful summary on the situation. Time reports on today's death of a senior Tamil Tiger leader.

The End of the EU? Western Europe Must Bailout "New Europe" to Save the Euro Zone

The Economist recently published a series of articles about the future of the European Union, which has been put in jeopardy by the devastating economic problems of the Eastern European countries. A shortage of capital in "New Europe" has left "Old Europe" with the bill in hand, and the tensions resulting from such could break-up the EU. What Western Europe need fear most is the rise of nationalist and populist in dictators in Eastern Europe should it now come to the East's aid; Germany's close geographic proximity to these countries and status as Europe's largest economy make it likely that aid will be flowing out of Berlin. Finally, an articles covering the sharp divisions within the EU and how interdependence is the source of the rift.

Taxation with Representation? DC's Fight For A Vote In Congress

The residents of Washington DC are one step closer to having a voting representative in the House of Representatives, as the Senate voted to debate a bill (62-34) authored by Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT). If the bill is passed by both houses of Congress, the District of Columbia and the State of Utah would gain a seat in the House, currently composed of 435 members, in 2011. This would represent the first increase in the size of the House since New Mexico and Arizona became states one hundred years earlier in 1911 (although, as many commentators have failed to note, the House briefly grew to 437 seats when Alaska and Hawaii gained statehood, before returning to 435 following the next reapportionment). However, as The New York Times notes, many legislative, political, and legal battles loom large before the nearly 600,000 Washingtonians can drop their "Taxation Without Representation" motto.

The Reluctant Peacemaker: Egypt's Role in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Egypt is indeed the quagmire of the Middle East; formerly (and, in some respects, currently) the leader of Arab nations, Egypt remains one of only two Middle Eastern nations to have made peace with Israel (Jordan is the other). Thus, there is significant international (and national) pressure for Egypt to step in and negotiate a long term peace deal between Israel and Hamas--especially from Hamas sympathizers. Time reports that Hamas officials are currently in Egypt, trying to begin peace negotiations. Earlier this year, The New York Times covered Egypt's potentially efficacious role in prolonging the ceasefire in Gaza.

CNN is currently reporting that a truce agreement between Israel and Hamas is close, after representatives from both sides met in a Cairo hotel.

The Plagued American West: The Financial Woes of California and Nevada

As the federal government debates over economic stimulus plans, the American state governments face massive deficits which threaten to (and are) profoundly affecting their residents' lives. Two western states in particular, California and Nevada, face particularly immense strains. The New York Times reports on the furloughs enacted in California, which have given over 200,000 state employees their Friday's "off" indefinitely. A program that employs 1,300 young Californians appears set to be axed by Governor Schwarzeneggar in the coming weeks. An article from last August in The Economist highlights the downfall of some Californian suburbs. Nevada, which currently has the highest foreclosure rate in the country, also faces a downturn in the tourism dollars it relies on.

Mexico's War With Drug Cartels

Recently described as a "civil war" by former US House Speaker Newt Gingrich, the Mexican government has stepped up its assault on the powerful drug cartels operating within Mexico's borders. Both sides have struck; the killing of former a brigadier general and recently-named anti-drug official took place in Cancun this week, marking one of the first instances of cartel-related violence taking place in Mexico outside of the northern cities. Meanwhile, Mexican authorities this week apprehended a key cartel coordinator outside of Mexico City and charged another man last month in Tijuana with disposing over 300 bodies for the cartels in acid over the last decade.

Dangerous Times in Somalia

Times are rough in Somalia, a country which UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon has deemed too dangerous for any UN peacekeepers. An attack on African Union troops in Mogadishu on Monday left 2o dead, the New York Times reports. Meanwhile, the new Somali President, Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed, is seeking military aid to battle 'extremists'. This comes just as the BBC reports that Ethiopian troops may have reentered Somalia, after leaving the country two weeks ago as part of a peace deal.

Is a New UK Government All But Certain? The Plight of Gordon Brown

A Sindy (The Independent on Sunday) columnist discusses the fate of Gordon Brown, and the mystery behind what a David Cameron Government may look like.

The state of the British economy has put Mr. Brown's job on the line. From adjustments in foreign policy, discussed here in The Economist, to domestic strikes, which the Prime Minister has criticized in an interview with the BBC, financial affairs have domineered Mr. Brown's premiership.

Sri Lanka Crisis: Child Death Toll

A report on how the conflict threatens children at BBC News

A general report on the Sri Lankan crisis by the New York Times