Because of the presumed guns vs. butter trade-off, defense expenditures in developing countries are coming under increased scrutiny from the international lending agencies as well as key donors. As a result, defense expenditure cuts have often taken place despite rising security concerns....

Over the last several decades, the economic performance of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has lagged behind many other parts of the world. While a number of factors have been cited as the cause of the region's malaise, the lack of globalization is increasingly mentioned as a possible...

Chinese actions in the rare earths market have raised a number of concerns about the country’s motives in restricting exports. One theory is that the country simply wants to ensure that it has adequate supplies for its future expansion into a number of energyefficient, and high-tech...