In The News

Businesses Say New York’s Clout Is Emigrating, With Visa Policies to Blame

Patrick McGeehan March 31, 2008
Among a company’s most valuable assets is its talent, particularly for financial and technology firms. A report by a business-interest group, Partnership for New York City, argues that America’s visa policies, including caps on the number of highly qualified workers and tough restrictions on extended stays, endanger New York City’s ability to attract and retain top talent. Immigration opponents...

Rice Hoarding Pressures Supplies

James Hookway March 31, 2008
Rice is a staple food product for Asians, and its price has more than doubled in the last year. Anticipating higher prices, rice farmers are hoarding crops, which adds to price increases, reports the Wall Street Journal. Contributing to shortages are rising fuel prices; flooding due to climate change; development of farmland for homes and golf courses; reduced global stocks; rising affluence...

Globalization of Soccer Kicks Local Fans

Kanishk Tharoor February 25, 2008
Thousands of years ago, the Chinese, Greeks and Vikings all played games kicking balls about. But the modern game of soccer was born in England and the popularity of that particular sport has taken over the world. Thanks to satellite television, British soccer teams have hundreds of millions of fans all over the world and sport executives look to expand their audiences to more lucrative markets....

India Back In Global Chain

Nayan Chanda February 20, 2008
The Tata-Boeing deal to supply a critical part used in the next-generation Boeing-787 Dreamliner shows that India has a chance to become a key member of the global manufacturing network, once again. Given India's long history of participation in the global world, this comes as no surprise. As Nayan Chanda points out, if Tata can meet the challenge of the production, its reputation will...

The Dollar in Danger

Sebastian Mallaby November 14, 2007
Overseas investors are skittish about investing in the US, in light of the recent sub-prime mortgage defaults. The US government functions by taking on debt. But as foreign investors resist investing in low-yield government notes and similar instruments described as low risk, the dollar sinks in value. The value of many currencies and commodities, including oil, are linked to the dollar. So many...

Israeli Surgeons Helping Swaziland in Drive to Curb HIV

Craig Timberg October 24, 2007
A series of studies conducted in the past several years finds that circumcised men are 60 percent less likely to contract HIV than their uncircumcised counterparts. In response to these results, Israeli doctors, well-versed in the procedure, reach out to areas afflicted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In countries such as Swaziland, with the world’s highest reported rate of HIV infection, the problem...

Promises to Keep

Ayman El-Amir October 11, 2007
The United Nations' membership and mission has grown significantly in the six decades since its founding. Ayman El-Amir, a former director of UN Radio and Television, suggests that a proliferation of issues and the bureaucracy designed to address them have made the organization incapable of efficiently tackling the world's major problems. The stalling of reform initiatives begun in 1997...