Employment rates during recessions in US

Underwater mortgages in US by region

(CNN) -- Fourteen out of 27 countries in the European Union had public debt exceeding 60% of their gross domestic product at the end of 2010, according to official statistics.

The report by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, showed that the ratio of government debt to GDP across all 27 member states increased from 74.4% in 2009 to 80.0% in 2010.

For the 17 euro zone countries, the debt is even higher, increasing from 79.3% in 2009 to 85.1% last year.

Michael Kanellos

The world’s most important invention—the technological breakthrough that has fundamentally changed family life for the better nearly everywhere—isn’t particularly extravagant. In fact, you probably have one.

What is it? The car? The computer? The cell phone? Not quite.

Schumpeter

THE enrichment of previously poor countries is the most inspiring development of our time. It is also worrying. The environment is already under strain.

By NEIL MacFARQUHAR

By Richard Black Environment correspondent, BBC News, Nagoya, Japan

Global Conflict Trends