Romesh Ratnesar was named World Editor for TIME in February 2004. Previously, Ratnesar was a staff writer covering foreign affairs.

Since joining TIME in 1997 he has written more than 20 cover stories for the U.S. and international editions, on topics that include the war in Iraq, global terrorism, the hunt for Osama bin Laden and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He spent two years in London as a writer for TIME's European magazine and has reported from Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Israel, India, Paris, Brussels, Bilbao, Prague, the Hague and the Persian Gulf. Prior to joining TIME, Ratnesar was a reporter-researcher at the New Republic, for which he continues to write occasionally. He has also written for Slate, Lingua Franca, the Washington Monthly, Mother Jones and The Washington Post.

Ratnesar, 28, received a B.A. and M.A. in history from Stanford University. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Ratnesar grew up in Hayward, CA.