**I'm not here for the next two weeks if someone can pick up the baton**



Did you know :: On June 15, 2006 Iran banned the sale of The Economist when it published a map labelling the Persian Gulf simply as "Gulf" ? a choice that derives its political significance from a claim by certain Arabs resulting in Persian Gulf naming dispute


Leaders
=======
Capital markets
The invasion of the sovereign-wealth funds 

Democracy in retreat
Freedom marches backward 

Ethical capitalism
How good should your business be? 

The militarisation of space
Dangerous driving in the heavens 

Global warming
Get the price right 


Letters
=======
On Pakistan, Belgians, Italy, cliff jumping, China, tribes, Mormons, Ivar Kreuger 


Briefing
========
The militarisation of space
Disharmony in the spheres 


United States
=============
Michigan's Republican primary
All must have prizes 

The Democrats in Michigan
Vote early at your peril 

Sex, race and Democrats
Outrage all round 

On the campaign trail
Primary colour 

The economy
Stampede to stimulus 

University fees
Affording Ivy 

Depopulation
The Great Plains drain 

Lexington
Blood and oil 


The Americas
============
Brazil's economy
This time it will all be different
 
Panama
Party time 

Colombia
Liberation politics 

Barbados
Sweet success 


Asia
====
Taiwan's legislative election
Bowing out 

Japan
The ?caretaker? 

South Korea
The ?bulldozer? 

Australia's new prime minister
Rudd, sweat and tears 

Sir Edmund Hillary
Plain man, mighty deeds 

India's army
Unfit for service 

A bombing in Kabul
A bubble bursts 


Middle East & Africa
====================
George Bush and the Arabs
Hard to make friends 

Iraq
A hint of political compromise at last 

Kenya
A cracked nation holds its breath 

South Africa
Let's all arrest one another 

Zimbabwe
A serious rival, at last? 


Europe
======
Germany's state elections
Pay and punishment  

French defence policy
En garde 

French broadcasting
No English, please 

Serbia
Still surly 

Energy in Poland
Walking on hot coals 

The race for the EU presidency
Blair for president? 

Charlemagne
Roll up, roll up, get your energy here 


Britain
=======
Northern Rock
Running out of time 

Party-funding scandal
Here we go again 

Biofuels
Sugar in the tank 

Children's television
School's out 

Public-sector pay disputes
The pedagogues are revolting [Britain only]

Equality v jobs
Robbing Peter to pay Pauline [Britain only]

Sprucing up cities
The regeneration game [Britain only]

Bagehot
The Scottish Obama 

[Britain only] Articles flagged with this icon are printed only in the British edition of The Economist


International
=============
Measuring liberty
When freedom stumbles 

The World Bank
Lin's long swim 

Broadband
Open up those highways 


A special report on corporate social responsibility
===================================================
Just good business 
The feelgood factor 
The next question 
A stitch in time  
A change in climate  
The good consumer 
Going global 
Do it right 
Sources and acknowledgments 
Offer to readers 


Business
========
The food industry
Son of Frankenfood? 

Corporate law
The battle of StoneRidge 

Regulation in Japan
Crime and punishment  

Italy's violin cluster
Con brio 

Spanish-language publishing
Lost in translation no more 

Media in America
Reading the Metro 

Virtualisation
The rise of the hypervisor 

Face value
Google's guru of giving 


Briefing
========
Sovereign-wealth funds
Asset-backed insecurity 


Finance & Economics
===================
Global inflation
A delicate condition 

Bank losses
A Citi situation 

Buttonwood
Finding default 

Indian IPOs
Power play 

Portuguese banks
Millennium bug 

American house prices
Baby boom and bust 

Economics focus
Selling sex 


Science & Technology
====================
Pricing and the brain
Hitting the spot 

Acoustic shielding
Sound reflections 

A messenger from Mercury 
Syphilis

Montezuma's revenge 
Antarctic science

Snow place like home 


Books & Arts
============
The secret of happiness
It's in Iceland 

America and the world
Big think that gets you a headline 

British post-war history
At the centre 

Crime writing
Death watch 

The American Museum of Finance
Curating capitalism 


Obituary
========
John Harvey-Jones