In The News

Megacities, Mega Dreams for a Connected World

Suketu Mehta June 14, 2007
Throughout the history of the world, cities have lured people for both cooperation and competition. Megacities of the modern era such as Bombay not only symbolize dreams and dashed hopes, they also pose an array of consequences for the interconnected world. The paradoxes are many, with disaster making way for renewal and today’s sacrifices and long-term planning delivering future promise, writes...

Sari Weavers Struggle Amid Economic Boom

Emily Wax June 11, 2007
In India, weaving saris is a common way to earn a living, second only to farming in terms of the country’s most popular occupation. “The father of independent India, Mohandas Gandhi, clad in his homespun loincloth, launched his nationalist movement to defy colonialism by encouraging Indians to stop wearing cheap British machine-made cloth in favor of Indian-made fabrics, partly as a gesture of...

Outsourcing Your Life

Ellen Gamerman June 11, 2007
No longer just a trend for big businesses, outsourcing can also eliminate some pesky personal tasks: categorizing family photos, editing home videos, tutoring, preparing invitations, and design of anything from dresses to garden landscapes to websites. Businesses and individuals alike hunt for projects that can be accomplished over the internet and appropriate freelancers. But choosing the proper...

In Nouveau Riche India, Even the Poor Show Off

Mark Sappenfield June 11, 2007
A nation that once relied on castes to categorize its citizens can now use possessions to reflect self-worth. Enjoying exploding income growth, consumers in India seek out the latest technology to reflect status. This trend emerges across all socioeconomic levels, with a recent study showing that spending across all economic segments is up by about 50 percent, reports The Christian Science...

Traditional Korean Marriage Meets Match on the Internet

Choe Sang-Hun June 6, 2007
Those embarking on traditional marriages in South Korea have rarely relied solely on the whims of parents in selecting spouses – and modern families can now turn to the research capabilities of the internet to locate the perfect mate. With South Korea enjoying higher incomes, combined with more work opportunities, young people are choosy about marriage partners. South Korean customs discourage...

Talk to Foreigners and We Will View You as a Spy, Iran Warns Academics

Robert Tait June 4, 2007
Iran recently claimed to have cracked a spy ring backed by the US Central Intelligence Agency – and amid growing tensions with the West, the government has warned academics not to travel to conferences abroad. Contacts with foreigners may seem innocuous at first, Iranian officials warn, but the relationship could quickly transform into an intelligence-gathering mission. Academics who resist the...

Africa’s Storied Colleges, Jammed and Crumbling

Lydia Polgreen June 4, 2007
Africa’s institutions used to attract the continent’s future engineers and doctors, with many students going on to become leaders of their country. However, since the 1970s, corruption, mismanagement and government policies that favored primary and secondary education over higher education put the universities on a path to decline. African college students contend with crowded dormitories and the...