Opinion

Eight years after Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia, five European Union states still refuse to recognize it. They need to relent. They are contributing to an economic and security sinkhole in the heart of the Balkans — and if history is any guide, that’s a bad idea. During a chat with Kosovo’s Prime Minister Isa Mustafa as he passed ...

“Hell,” said Alabama’s Democratic Gov. George Wallace before roiling the 1968 presidential race, “we got too much dignity in government now, what we need is some meanness.” Twelve elections later, Wallace’s wish is approaching fulfillment as Republicans contemplate nominating someone who would run to Hillary Clinton’s left. Donald Trump, unencumbered by any ballast of convictions, would court Bernie Sanders’ disaffected ...

There has been a growing interest in public-private partnerships (PPPs) worldwide in recent years, being a popular way of procuring public-sector infrastructure. This alliance is gaining momentum at a time regional economies face increasing budgetary pressures resulting from the weaker price of oil. Most examples of successful PPPs are in transportation, housing, roads, public parks and others. So the PPPs ...

Foreign ministers from the ten Southeast Asian countries said Saturday that they were “seriously concerned” by recent developments in the South China Sea. China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea has shown few signs of easing, with Beijing positioning a surface to air missile system on Woody Island, one of the disputed Paracel Islands in the northern half of the ...

In a battle against declining economic outcomes, China is attempting to regain a semblance of control by changing existing policies and halting pessimistic statements in the media. The task is overwhelming and endless, as new measures appear to have little effect in the face of declining growth, capital flight, and rising anxiety. Still, Beijing is fighting a downturn on several ...

The fight between Apple and the U.S. government comes down to a technical enigma wrapped in layers of emotional debate. On the surface, people seem to be drawn to opposing sides depending on feelings: fear of terrorism, or suspicion of government, distrust of corporations. But the crux of the disagreement comes down to a technical question, not a gut feeling: ...

Kazakhstan’s first McDonald’s will open March 8 in Astana. The world’s largest fast food chain has been operating in Russia since 1990 and last year opened its 500th store in that country (there are now 545)–while also, for the first time in Russia, permanently closing a store. Moving into the Kazakh market, per Reuters’ report, took more than a decade ...

China is facing an uphill battle on two fronts. At home, government prestige is waning as the economy falters with Chinese people sending their money abroad as the stock market stumbles amid a slowing economy and a deteriorating currency. And as the bad economic news continues to drip out of China so do the dispatches about its military maneuvers in ...

Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook is such a respected figure that it’s easy to overlook the basic problem with his argument about encryption: Cook is asserting that a private company and the interests of its customers should prevail over the public’s interest as expressed by our courts. The San Bernardino encryption case was the wrong one to fight. Apple doubled-down ...

The call given by world’s top economies to focus on structural reforms and look beyond ultra-low interest rates, would not only strengthen the global economy, but also restore confidence in the markets. The holding of G20 meeting is timely and comes amid fears driven by slowing growth in the host nation China, steep falls in world financial markets, and US ...