China’s Renminbi Is Approved by I.M.F. as a Main World Currency

The International Monetary Fund on Monday designated the Chinese renminbi as one of the world’s elite currencies, a major milestone that underscores the country’s rising financial and economic heft. The decision will help pave the way for broader use of the renminbi in trade and finance, securing China’s standing as a global economic power. Just four other currencies — the dollar, the euro, the pound and the yen — have the I.M.F. designation.
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Solar or Coal? The Energy India Picks May Decide Earth’s Fate

India will make a choice, but it will not be India's alone. By Charles C. Mann.
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Why You Can’t Read the Best Coverage of Washington

Nuts-and-bolts reporting on policy has shifted to subscription-based publications, while the capitol’s traditional outlets have shrunk. By John Heltman.
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BlackBerry leaves Pakistan following government backdoor demands

BlackBerry is pulling out of Pakistan entirely next year, saying it won't sell devices or services there because the government has demanded access to BlackBerry Enterprise Service emails and BBM chats. Pakistan issued a shutdown order on BlackBerry services in July of this year, telling the country’s mobile phone operators the company would no longer be allowed to operate in the country after Nov. 30 due to "security reasons."
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The Man Who Watched Drake Steal His Artwork for the Instagram Likes

“There's no hard feelings, I just want credit.” By Luke O’Neil.
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Thomas Piketty might have the most controversial theory for what's behind the rise of ISIS

Piketty writes that the Middle East's political and social system has been made fragile by the high concentration of oil wealth in a few countries. This concentration of so much wealth in countries with so small a share of the population, he says, makes the region "the most unequal on the planet."
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Cyberwar: Marketing Data Collection Threatens All

Marketers are after every scrap of customer data they can get, in hopes of increasing their company's sales. Do you know they may be putting you at risk in the process? In the last of our three-part series on cyberwar, learn what IT needs to know about potential security threats rising from companies' marketing habits.
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