EIU Country Analysis

No need for alarm; but some Chinese ring bells anyway "WITH grain in our hands there is no need to panic," according to China#; s prime minister, Wen Jiabao. But officials worry about how to keep China near self-sufficiency

Disgruntled small investors in Canada flex their muscles IN A world where might often prevails, a group of Canadian grannies and other small investors has successfully forced a number of financial firms to repay the millions that they lost on

The grim skills of identifying and analysing human remains are being transferred from one benighted place to another AT THE new "family viewing facility" in the divided capital of Cyprus, human bones extracted from mass graves across the island are

Il Cavaliere gets a third term as prime minister. But he is unlikely to change his ways, or bring Italy out of economic decline SILVIO BERLUSCONI is the great Jack-in-the-box of European politics. In a general election

Under its new boss Disney has staged an impressive creative turnaround--and is making synergy work IN "RATATOUILLE", the most recent animated film from Pixar, a film studio owned by Disney, a talented cook named Remy, who happens to be

Brazilians are waiting nervously to see what the world has in store for their fragile economy, but have already done a lot to make their country stronger VIEWED from a height of ### metres, it is hard to see how

Business After months of negotiations, Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines announced their intention to merge, and so create America#;s biggest domestic carrier. However, the $#.# billion all-share deal faces stiff opposition from Northwest#;s pilots, who

The presumptive Republican nominee offers a sketchy economic vision JOHN MCCAIN#;S economic instincts may be sound--he is, after all, the only solid free-trader in the race, and a genuine hater of government waste--but on present form

The Colorado Party#;s ##-year grip on power may be at an end IF THE poll numbers hold, the world#;s longest-ruling political party will be dismissed by Paraguay#;s voters on April ##th. The Colorado Party, which

See graphic below.

The French government succumbs to the power of the big family COME this weekend, Paris railway stations will be jam-packed with small children and large suitcases, heading off on their school holidays aboard France#;s high-speed trains. Many

The OFT finds the building business riddled with price-fixing "DIM or devious?" may well be a sensible question to ask oneself of the builder peering thoughtfully about and scratching his head before producing a quote to repair the roof

One of America#;s most violent cities has suddenly become less so--thanks to smarter policing FEW places are gloomier than a ghetto on a cold, wet night. Boarded-up houses back onto rubbish-strewn alleys. Shopkeepers shelter behind bullet

Three accounts of the war in Iraq are defined by anger and wry humour AT ITS worst, Iraq#;s rhythm of violence was so predictable that Oliver Poole, the Daily Telegraph#;s correspondent, reckoned he could tell the time in

Pedro Zaragoza Orts, mayor of Benidorm, died on April #st, aged ## ON THE Mediterranean coast of Spain there is a way of catching tuna called the almadraba. Instead of launching drift nets or putting out a rod and line

Reforming a corrupt and politicised police force will be tough IN THAILAND#;S most sensational crimes, the prime suspects are often the police. Among current cases are a group of border police accused of abducting innocent people and extorting money

The firm must take bolder action if it is to lose the whiff of corruption LIKE the jet fighters it builds--wraithlike in the air yet with a surprising ability to shrug off battle damage--BAE Systems has proved adept

Latin America and the Caribbean have the most unequal income distribution, according to the #### World Development Indicators from the World Bank. Here, the share of income of the richest fifth of the population is almost ## times bigger than

Migrants are mostly law-abiding, but the police need more cash to do their job IMMIGRANTS, long the focus of much excitement in Britain, are turning out to be a reassuringly boring bunch. Wild theories about their economic impact (miraculous

Business confidence is ebbing fast, according to the latest global business barometer, a quarterly survey of more than #,### executives conducted for The Economist by the Economist Intelligence Unit, its sister company. The overall confidence index, which measures the

Making food cheaper is not impossible IN RANGPUR, one of Bangladesh#;s poorest districts, prices of rice, wheat, cooking oil and pulses have doubled in the past year. About ##% of people there live on less than $# a day

Oil could transform Brazil#;s economy. But not necessarily for the better THE legend is that Brazil never lives up to its vast potential. When Stefan Zweig, an exiled Austrian writer, said in #### of his new home that it

How Peter Munk built the world#;s biggest gold miner from scratch in just ## years PETER MUNK is as sprightly an ##-year-old as you are likely to meet. That is just as well. On March ##th Barrick

The lesson of London#;s funny but sad mayoral election IN POLITICS, jokes can be serious. A skilful rhetorician--such as William Hague, the shadow foreign secretary--can use humour collusively, recruiting his audience via their laughter. Boris Johnson MP

Credit derivatives continue to boom, but the old order is under threat BANKERS gathering in Vienna this week for the annual bash of the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) had some big numbers to celebrate. The overall market for

The country is frozen in a frightening post-election limbo, while regional leaders are still failing to shove Robert Mugabe into retirement ACCORDING to Thabo Mbeki, South Africa#;s president, there is no crisis in Zimbabwe, though its electoral commission

South Africa#;s president has prolonged Zimbabwe#;s agony CAN Thabo Mbeki, South Africa#;s lame-duck president, truly believe there is no crisis in Zimbabwe? If so, it must be concluded that there is a crisis also in South

Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev plan to rule jointly. It may not work PITY Dmitry Medvedev. He is just three weeks from becoming president, and the man he is meant to replace keeps stealing his limelight--and his power. Vladimir

Italians may come to regret electing Silvio Berlusconi once again ASTONISHINGLY, il Cavaliere is back. At the ripe age of ##, Silvio Berlusconi won a convincing victory in Italy#;s general election on April ##th and ##th, giving him a

China#;s economy is still growing rapidly, albeit at a less breakneck speed than it was last year. GDP rose by ##.#% in the year to the first quarter, according to a preliminary estimate, compared with a growth rate

John McCain has followed the Democrats down the populist road THE presumed Republican nominee tends to bristle at any implication that economics is not his strong suit, though according to the Boston Globe he said late last year that the

Barack Obama has ignited a fiery debate about class BARACK OBAMA has a magic way with words; but when the magic deserts him it deserts him big time. April #th saw Mr Obama making the worst verbal gaffe of this

The first national walk-out in ## years threatens schools and students THE last time teachers around the country downed chalk, Wham! and Boy George topped the charts, shoulder-pads and bubble perms were the height of chic and Margaret