In The News

Obama, McCain Campaigns Go Global

Linda Feldmann July 8, 2008
Foreign countries may not vote in US presidential elections, but they do offer presidential candidates the opportunity to impress voters with their command of foreign policy and their stature on the world stage. At a time when some US voters are concerned about their country’s poor standing in the world, the candidates may win more votes in the US by building bridges overseas. – YaleGlobal

Tiny Voices Defy Child Marriage in Yemen

Robert F. Worth July 2, 2008
Poverty, combined with families producing more children than they can afford, can end childhood for girls as young as eight years of age. “Pulled out of school and forced to have children before their bodies are ready, many rural Yemeni women end up illiterate and with serious health problems,” writes Robert F. Worth for the New York Times. “Their babies are often stunted, too.” Some Islamic...

McCain’s Delicate Immigration Dance

Michael Scherer July 1, 2008
John McCain must walk a fine line between courting up-for-grabs Latino voters who are sympathetic toward illegal immigrants and retaining traditional Republican voters who demand a harsher line toward those same immigrants. McCain has already earned the enmity of many Republicans over his support for comprehensive immigration reform. For now, the anti-immigration voters have no options – the...

In the Internet Age, a New Cultural Revolution: Chinese Fans Follow American TV Online – for Free

Laura Sydell June 25, 2008
The Chinese government does not allow US television shows on Chinese television networks. But that has not slowed their popularity and could even add to their allure. China has more people online than any other country, and citizens with internet access can download translated shows, available soon after the original broadcast. Volunteer translators provide Chinese subtitles including extra...

Beijing Lights Up the Night

Dan Levin June 25, 2008
Money and instantly accessible foreign culture fuel Beijing’s vibrant nightlife, where young Chinese adults express themselves via impressive dance moves and access to exclusive nightclubs. Dance, alcohol and music blind patrons to dire poverty confronting most of China’s population. The increasing inequality on display could shatter national instability. Beijing Olympics organizers, intent on...

Networks, Olympics Organizers Clash

Stephen Wade June 16, 2008
Foreign media that paid top dollar to cover the Olympics are descending on Beijing – and bristle about rules and regulations. The journalists protest the limits on live coverage and delays in shipping technical equipment. “Any interference with news coverage will be at odds with promises made seven years ago when Beijing was awarded the games,” writes Stephen Wade for the Associated Press,...

Europe’s Old Boys Need to Make Way for Women

Margot Wallström June 9, 2008
Europe has been a progressive leader on many political issues, but women are still underrepresented in continental politics, argues Margot Wallström, vice president of the European Commission in an essay for the Financial Times. In selecting candidates for ministerial positions, top leaders often strive for diversity but overlook glaring gender imbalances, she notes. People naturally tend to...