Head of Europe's Central Bank lectures on Dante and Derrida; AIG head-honcho sports Che Guevara shirt. China enjoys interncontinental shopping spree on fire-sale assets, natural resources. The Shining Path reinvents itself with cocaine, reigniting war (great photo gallery, video). Books read by the New York Times
Both reformists and conservatives face a tough battle in Iran's June elections. Meet Adnan Oktar and Turkey's creationist movement. Op: Harazi Kabul and Obama Washington need to get together quickly, says former ambassador. A.I.G. execs should consider honorable suicide Japanese-style, says U.S.
Obama directs Treasury officials to "pursue every legal angle" to rescind bonuses at AIG. Though it may now be too late to get the AIG bonuses back, stricter rules could be attached to the next $30 billion. Thorough: 27 visualizations and infographics to understand the financial crisis. The
The booming industries of recent years, from construction to finance, will not bounce back. The global job market is hungover, recovery is unaided by a ballooning labor force. The "patriotism as disease defense mechanism" hypothesis: natural distrust, fear of strangers. "We used to be in these hills
Europe actually not pleased about taking "the worst of the worst" from Guantánamo. About two-thirds of all Polish mortgage holders now face skyrocketing payments. Lessons learned from Obama's economic blueprints about his policy style. Need style inspiration? Try the fashion of Mad Men creator Matt
Americans see 18 percent of their wealth disappear in 2008. Why Bashar al-Assad, that "lisping former opthamologist who rules Syria with an iron fist," enjoyed the best week ever. Among TIME's world-changing 10 ideas: Africa as a business destination (for China). You know Warhol,
The news, by and large, was bad--just not quite as bad as feared. Wall Street mounts its second surge of the week. Lawmakers overturn Bush-era bill amendment that denied support to nations who wouldn't give the U.S. immunity from the I.C.C. I don&
Next month's G20 summit will see a "narrowing of differences," no "grand bargain to put the world to rights." Uptick noted in amateur American superheroes, armed with the internet and expensive costumes. Industry: shipping. Mexican drug lord makes Forbes billionaire list. With stimulus money
Within hours we knew that half a dozen of our friends had been hit, and that my dinner companion's retirement was over. Madoff's most intimate betrayals. Op: Don't swallow Wall Street's tales of victimhood; in hindsight, the bankers ignored foresight. More from
EU employs new official coffee monitors to make sure commissioners' espresso tastes good. Bankers will not hesitate to enrich themselves at the expense of the public good if they have the opportunity. If you're looking for a socialist revolution in the U.S., focus on guerrilla agriculture.
