The earlier rise of authoritarian, Confucianesque "Asian values" promoted by south east Asian leaders bit the dust, rightly so, when the region's economies hit the wall in 1997. But the concept is now returning with a vengeance, far more powerfully fuelled this time - by the leaders of China who are investing millions of dollars in a global chain of Confucian Institutes.

Will the incoming Congressional majority misread their mandate from the American people? On energy policy they are off to an incredibly fast start.

How often have you heard that the vast majority of families' incomes in the United States are rising little or not at all, that the middle class is shrinking, that real wages are stagnating, that the top 20%, or 5%, or 1% are getting the lion's share of the gains in the U.S. economy? David Henderson with the first of three parts that explains what's really going on in the American economy.

Uplifting News Flash! For the next 25 years, the World Bank estimates in a new report, developing nations will increase their wealth by an average of 3.1 percent per year, above their average of 2.1 percent for the last 25 years. "That rate of increase will produce average per capita incomes in the developing world of $11,000 by 2030, compared with $4,800 today, roughly the level of the Czech Republic today."

I am often asked why a government as authoritarian and corrupt as that of Hugo Chavez wins elections. In my five trips to Venezuela since Chavez took office eight years ago, I have come to a conclusion that many Venezuelans suffer something akin to Stockholm syndrome.

In a cramped jail cell in Alexandria, Egypt, sits a soft-spoken 22-year-old student. Kareem Amer was remanded to over a month in prison for allegedly "defaming the President of Egypt" and "highlighting inappropriate aspects that harm the reputation of Egypt." Where did Amer commit these supposed felonies? On his weblog.