Pope Benedict XVI’s first year has been quiet and at times confusing to his critics. But experts caution against reading too much of a theological shift into the pope’s tranquil beginnings.

A rise in drug use in Iran is one overlooked consequence of the surge in opium production in the Taliban-run provinces of southern Afghanistan.

Like many others, I expected that Asian currencies – notably emerging Asian currencies – would appreciate against both the euro and the dollar this year.    That hasn’t happened.  Sure, the RMB ha…