Democracy, under siege in many parts of the world, received a serious blow in its homeland last week. In a series of jaw-dropping pronouncements, members of the Conservative British government asserted that some people were more equal than others. Home Secretary Amber Rudd proposed forcing companies to disclose how many foreign workers they employ, and threatened to “name and …

  In 1951, U.S. central bankers re-established their autonomy after almost two decades of taking orders from the Treasury Department with the Treasury-Federal Reserve Accord. In 1955-56, the German Bundesbank, which had its autonomy guaranteed in the country’s new constitution, successfully withstood a political assault from Chancellor Konrad Adenauer. In Stockholm, the governor of the Riksbank, Per Ã…sbrink, looked on …

  Remember how some Democrats were making a big deal about voting reforms earlier this year? They promised that if they won they would push for automatic voter registration, voting for ex-felons and better administration of elections. The good news for advocates of making voting easier is that the Democratic national platform wound up having a strong plank supporting reform. …

  German Chancellor Angela Merkel has realized it the hard way that the source of migration needs to be addressed. The jolt she received in the regional polls must have been a rude awakening for her. The outcome of the elections was reason enough for her to delve deeper into the refugee problem and go beyond the open-door policy. She …

Donald Trump’s threat in Sunday night’s presidential debate to appoint a special prosecutor to go after Hillary Clinton’s use of a private e-mail server is legally empty — but it’s genuinely dangerous nevertheless. Federal regulations give the appointment power to the attorney general, not the president, precisely to protect us against a president who uses the special prosecutor as a …

When I talk to friends in asset management, I often hear them express a deep, gnawing worry about low interest rates. Fears that low rates would spark inflation, or cause governments to default on their debt, seem to have receded. I don’t hear many people talk about a “bond bubble” anymore. But one big concern won’t go away — the …

  Noah Feldman A company puts out word that it’s hiring: recent college graduates only, no experienced salespeople need apply. That’s age discrimination, right? Not according to a ruling from a federal appeals court last week. Overturning a half-century of practice, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit held that job applicants can’t benefit from the disparate-impact provision …

  DUBAI / Emirates Business The Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai unveiled on Monday the ‘Global Islamic Business Excellence Centre’ (GIBEC), which aims to expand Islamic economic activities beyond Islamic finance and contribute to the development of an Islamic business ecosystem in line with the emirate’s Islamic economy capital initiative. The Centre will also institute the ‘Global Islamic …

  DUBAI / Emirates Business As visionaries, industry leaders and policymakers come together for this year’s Global Islamic Economy Summit (GIES), the International Halal Accreditation Forum (IHAF) is set to take the stage to push the Halal standardisation agenda forward. HE Mohamed Saleh Badri, Secretary-General of IHAF, said: “The GIES presents an ideal opportunity for IHAF to discuss among key …

  DUBAI / Emirates Business The third Global Islamic Economy Summit 2016 is all set to start at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai under the theme “Inspiring Change”. Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the two-day summit is organised by Dubai Chamber of …