The recent hysteria over Romanian immigrants says much about Italy and the fragile state of its politics ITALIAN political leaders are not generally held in high esteem outside (or indeed inside) their home country. ... Continua

IN EVERY war, information is a weapon. In a “war against terrorism”, where the adversary wears no uniform and hides among the civilian population, information can matter even more. But does that mean that torture can sometimes be justified to extract information? The answer in international law is categorical: no. ... Continua

Civil liberties under threat The real price of freedom It is not only on the battlefield where preserving liberty may have to cost many lives “THEY hate our freedoms.” So said George Bush in a speech to the American Congress shortly after the attacks on America in September 2001. ... Continua

China is rapidly buying up Africa’s oil, metals and farm produce. That fuels China’s surging economic growth, but how good is it for Africa? IN HIS office in Lusaka, Zambia’s capital, Xu Jianxue sits between a portrait of Mao Zedong and a Chinese calendar. ... Continua

“Wrong model, right continent”, The Economist, 26 October 2006 China knows what it wants from Africa and will probably get it. The converse isn’t true THE characters for “Africa” in the Mandarin language mean “wrong continent”. ... Continua

“The host with the most”, The Economist, 17 May 2007 Where do Africa’s top bankers have a meeting? Shanghai, of course LIKE another international bank, safely ensconced in Washington, DC, the African Development Bank (AfDB) has shared some of the indignities its borrowers suffer. ... Continua

From China’s investments in the rest of Asia are booming China’s outward investment drive has become the subject of growing media and political attention, as increasingly internationally minded Chinese companies have begun scouring the globe for takeover targets. ... Continua

China’s investment in Blackstone shows how government investors are flourishing at the heart of the financial system WITH $1.2 trillion in foreign-exchange reserves and the pool growing by more than $1 billion every day, China casts a giant’s shadow over the global financial markets, even if it has mostly used the money to pile up American Treasury bonds. ... Continua