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One in every six Americans under the age of 65 did not have health insurance (18%) in 2006, for a total of 46.5 million people.

As throughout most of the 1990s, the number of uninsured has continued to grow steadily every year since 2000.  Between 2000 and 2004, the number of uninsured grew by nearly six million.  In the past two years —and despite an improving economy between 2004 and 2006 — the number of uninsured grew by an additional 3.4 million.

The 2008 World Insurance Report (WIR) explores current distribution models and changes in channel usage, and also takes an in-depth look at successful versus at-risk multi-channel strategies. Find out what’s driving multi-channel usage in mature markets and how changing customer profiles and behaviors are impacting today’s insurance practices.

China has not traditionally presented significant opportunities for foreign dairy companies, but the tastes of Chinese consumers are changing fast and this has been reflected in the recent rapid growth in sales of dairy products. As retail buyers have squeezed the margins in Europe and North America, Asia has become an increasingly attractive market, particularly for suppliers based in Australia and New Zealand.

This study examines the advantages, limitations and implications of involving foreign military assets—personnel, equipment and expertise—in the relief operations that follow major natural disasters. It presents the findings of a research project carried out by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) with the support of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

How much oil will the world consume in 2011? What role will OPEC play in global oil production? Will biofuels become an important part of the oil market? The International Energy Agency’s (IEA) MEDIUM-TERM Oil Market Report tackles these questions, adopting a perspective that goes beyond the traditional shortterm market analysis provided in the IEA’s monthly Oil Market Report.

China-Europe Relations: What Is at Stake for the United States?

Today, as China’s influence in the world grows and as the European Union moves to strengthen its position as a more cohesive and effective voice in international affairs, it is all the more critical for U.S. policy leaders to take careful stock of China-Europe relations and their implications for U.S. interests. Europe-China relations have become increasingly regularized, institutionalized, and mutually beneficial, encompassing a broadening range of political, economic, military, scientific, technological, educational, and cultural ties. The China question has arisen as an area of potential transatlantic disagreement, especially over the arm embargo issue, but also on broader concerns of global order, multipolarity, balancing U.S. power, and economic competition.

A new world order is emerging, with multiple centres of power. But will this order be multilateral, with governments accepting global rules and institutions? Or will the strongest states assert their interests unilaterally, without regard to international law? The relationship between the EU and China could determine the outcome. If the Europeans can persuade China that multilateralism serves its interests, the international system may tilt towards co-operation rather than competition.