In The News

Why Do Terrorists Blow Themselves Up?

Riaz Hassan September 9, 2010
Nine years after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the world shares a perception that suicide attacks are unusual acts committed by the poor, the psychologically impaired, the morally deficient, the uneducated or the religious fanatics. Yet analysis of more than 1500 suicide attacks between 1981 and 2008 by author Riaz Hassan reveals far more complex motivations...

Is Europe Building Big Brother?

Jason Walsh August 30, 2010
As technology increases in speed and variety, governments seek easy access to citizens' electronic data for security purposes. The United Arab Emirates is banning BlackBerry encryption capability and the US proposes greater access to citizen browser histories and e-mail addresses without judicial oversight. One EU proposal would require Google to retain information on millions of users. Yet...

BlackBerry Challenges May Spread as Governments, RIM Collide

Anthony DiPaola, Hugo Miller August 12, 2010
Business people on the go, in need of instant contact and information, appreciate mobile devices and can’t imagine doing without smartphones like the BlackBerry. A major feature of the BlackBerry includes high-level security around communications, with encrypted messages and delivery through protected equipment in Canada and maker Research in Motion. “However, the system also makes it harder for...

The Gulf's Invisible Villain: Natural Gas

Kate Sheppard August 9, 2010
Methane accompanies oil and gas deposits; potentially explosive with machinery, bright light, sparks or pressure, the gas poses a danger to drillers and miners. The odorless and colorless gas can also displace oxygen and catch living creatures unaware. After the oil-rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico, government and media attention focused on highly visible oil rather than invisible methane. Oil...

Maoist Insurgency Trips Up Rising India

Eric Randolph July 29, 2010
Enjoying rapid growth, India looks to make use of rich mineral holdings in its eastern states. But the rural poor and tribal people living near these deposits have been deprived of their rights and often oppressed by corrupt officials in cahoots with developers, explains journalist Eric Randolph. About 40 percent of India’s majority rural population lives in poverty but cell phones and...

Unwanted Immigrants: America’s Deportation Dilemma

Joseph Chamie July 27, 2010
Increased labor mobility has accompanied global population growth and ease of travel. The world has roughly 50 million illegal migrants, about one quarter of which live in the US. Nations widely oppose illegal immigration, but identifying, catching and then deporting violators present a huge challenge, explains Joseph Chamie, research director for the Center for Migration Studies. Attitudes about...

Headless Bodies and Other Immigration Tall Tales in Arizona

Dana Milbank July 16, 2010
Immigration has been a major driver of US economic growth, but at a time of economic distress, it has emerged as a contentious issue. Recent attempts by politicians to exploit concerns over immigration by falsehood or exaggeration could have unintended consequences. Defending a new law targeting illegal immigrants, Arizona politicians claim rising violence along the state’s border shared with...