The Fed and the bond markets
Mar 27th 2021JEROME POWELL does not want you to misunderstand him. The Chair of the Federal Reserve knows that communication is a big part of how monetary policy works. Mr Powell speaks plainly. He is not an economist, but that probably helps, because he is less likely to resort to confusing jargon. His messages at…
India and China are finding vaccine diplomacy tricky
Mar 27th 2021A YEAR AFTER China barred entry to most foreigners as the covid-19 pandemic spread, its embassies in India and a score of other countries have just declared that they will make it easier for expatriates who had been living in China to return. They must be vaccinated first. But there is a bigger…
As it turns 50, Bangladesh is doing well, despite its politicians
Mar 25th 2021IN COLONIAL TIMES the eastern half of Bengal was one of the poorest parts of British India. After independence and partition in 1947, it became one of the poorest bits of Pakistan. And after it declared itself an independent country, Bangladesh, in 1971, it became poorer still, as the rump of Pakistan fought…
Iraqis are getting fed up with Iran
“A STAIN ON Iraq’s sovereignty.” That is how an Iraqi army officer describes the billboard glorifying Qassem Suleimani, a stunningly successful Iranian commander who was killed in an American air strike on Iraqi soil in January 2020. The hoarding looms over Baghdad’s administrative district, known as the Green Zone. Many Iraqis once hailed Suleimani as…
Saudi Arabia is struggling to end its war in Yemen
SIX YEARS have passed since Saudi Arabia declared victory in what it dubbed Operation Decisive Storm, the opening salvo of its war in Yemen. Yet the kingdom is still trying to find its way out of the squall. On March 22nd it offered a ceasefire to its opponent, the Houthis, a Shia militant group that…
Aircraft carriers take to the air
Mar 24th 2021AIRCRAFT-CARRIERS are juicy targets. They are also increasingly vulnerable ones. Like medieval castles in the age of the cannon, technological advance threatens to make them redundant. Satellites and over-the-horizon radars mean pinpointing their locations is easier. And a single well-aimed, well-armed missile may be enough to render a carrier useless, even if one…
Just possibly, a route to the much-sought “new physics” has opened
An odd result from the LHC cannot easily be explained awayMar 24th 2021THE STANDARD model of particle physics is one of the most powerful theories in science. It is, though, incomplete. It describes a suite of fundamental particles and the forces through which they interact, but it fails to include gravity and dark matter (mysterious…
Just how anchored are America’s inflation expectations?
The legacy of the Biden stimulus—and of Jerome Powell—may depend on the answerMar 24th 2021SINCE DEMOCRATS proposed a $1.9trn fiscal stimulus in January, hawks have warned that America’s economy might overheat. With cheques for $1,400 now landing in bank accounts, President Joe Biden reportedly considering spending another $3trn on infrastructure and the Federal Reserve showing…
Congo-Brazzaville’s president is re-elected after his rival dies of covid-19
After nearly four decades in power, Denis Sassou-Nguesso has no plans to retireMar 24th 2021“WE ARE CELEBRATING the victory of our president,” says Arnaud Oyaba, standing next to a sweaty, chanting crowd. “And because they will give us some money to buy juice,” he adds, as an afterthought. The president of the Republic of Congo,…
‘Ellen DeGeneres Show’ Loses Over 1M Viewers Due To Toxic Workplace Scandal
Since crewmembers publicly stated there’s a toxic workplace at The Ellen Show, she’s hemorrhaged 1.5 million viewers over the past 180 days.The drop marks a 43% decrease in viewership, descending it below rivals like Dr. Phil and Live: With Kelly and Ryan, which each show averaging roughly 3 million. Ellen has also witnessed a plunge…