In The News

Battle in a Poor Land for Riches Beneath the Soil

Lydia Polgreen December 29, 2008
Africa's natural resources – oil, diamonds and now uranium – immediately invite conflict among factions. Increased energy needs of emerging economic giants like China and India, as well as the rising interest in nuclear power as an alternative energy source due to climate change, increase global demand for uranium. On paper, increased trade profits would seem a huge benefit to Niger, one of...

Iraq Needs US Shield for Democracy to Work

Humphrey Hawksley December 10, 2008
Iraq has stood strong against three outside ideological forces that attempt to sway its future: the brutal violence of Al Qaeda, the rigid inflexibility Iran-inspired and aided Shia conservatives, as well as the US neoconservative vision that anticipated an instant switch to democracy and privatization, explains BBC correspondent Humphrey Hawksley. With the approval of a US-Iraq bilateral...

Terrorism in India and the Global Jihad

Bruce Riedel December 3, 2008
India is no stranger to terrorist attacks. “The most dangerous terrorist menace comes from groups with intimate connections to the global jihadist network centered around Usama bin Laden and al Qaeda and its allies in the Pakistani jihadist culture,” explains Bruce Riedel in an article for the Brookings Institution. Extremists target India for its diversity – 80 percent Hindu and 15 percent...

The Forgotten Virtues of Free Trade

Frank Trentmann December 1, 2008
As an economic recession sweeps the world, the countries that have benefited most from free trade have now become wary. “Free trade is far from perfect, but the alternatives are worse,” insists Frank Trentmann, professor of history, in an essay for Project Syndicate. “Protectionism is bad for wealth, bad for democracy, and bad for peace.” Nations may attempt to protect a few select industries,...

After US Breakthrough, Europe Looks in Mirror

Steven Erlanger November 21, 2008
Minorities all over Europe look to Barack Obama’s election as US president, with hope of one day achieving similar success, but most are skeptical of such change taking place in their respective countries. Nations such as France, Germany, the UK and Italy struggle to handle growing minority populations and their integration into society. There is small, if any, minority representation in Europe’s...

The World Looks to Obama – Part III

Shada Islam November 10, 2008
Enthusiastic and relieved, Europe joins the impromptu global celebration of Barack Obama’s election as US president, but problems lurk. This YaleGlobal series examines reactions from around the world, and in the third and final article of the series, journalist Shada Islam reports on how Europe anticipates a stronger transatlantic alliance with greater openness, multilateralism and respect. But...

The World Looks to Obama – Part II

Mary Kay Magistad November 7, 2008
For nations around the globe, the US plays various roles – trendsetter, shopper, policeman, inventor and more. For China, the US, as the largest market for Chinese exports, is a valued customer. This YaleGlobal series examines world reactions to Barack Obama’s victory and his likely approach to critical foreign policy issues. In the second article of the series, journalist Mary Kay Magistad...