In The News

The Challenge of Global Health

Laurie Garrett December 20, 2006
Wealthy nations and their citizens donate billions in cash to end AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and some other high-profile problems in the developing world. But with uncoordinated programs, lacking in sustainability and long-term planning, the fast flow of cash could make problems worse, not better, argues health analyst and author Laurie Garrett. Studies have shown that focusing on high-profile...

NATO after Riga

Joseph S. Nye December 14, 2006
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) survived the end of the Cold War by re-inventing itself and adapting to a changing world, writes Harvard Professor Joseph Nye. Yet even a transformed NATO faces many challenges, particularly as the military alliance undertakes action beyond Europe in Afghanistan. Success in Afghanistan requires more troops and greater flexibility, argues Nye. “One of...

Will Guns Fall Silent in South Asia?

Paula R. Newberg December 5, 2006
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf’s recent announcement that Pakistan is willing to give up its claim to Kashmir under certain conditions has rekindled hopes for a settlement. It also underlines the need for finding peace in Kashmir if South Asia is to break out of the grip of misery. Violent conflict changes the basic equations of governance, and sustained violence makes it all the more...

Bouquet of Roses May Have Note: “Made in China”

Keith Bradsher September 27, 2006
China’s plan to export cut flowers is less about conquering another industry and more about creating jobs in provinces other than those along the crowded, booming coast. Roses from impoverished Yunnan Province, grown and packed by workers who earn about $25 per month, have suddenly swept the global market. The Chinese government invested in greenhouses, airports, roads and other infrastructure...

As Foreign Investment Rises, India Addresses Security Concerns

Saritha Rai August 30, 2006
India appreciates foreign investment, but it also wants to build safeguard to its flourishing telecommunications, media, airline, pharmaceutical and other sensitive industries. A Foreign Investment Promotion Board will review investments, pointing out any that could represent possible threats. With overseas direct investment expected to reach $10 billion this year, the legislation could impact...

A Small Charity Takes Lead in Fighting a Disease

Stephanie Strom August 8, 2006
Diseases that are common among the world’s poor, such as black fever, are not on Big Pharma’s priority list. For the first time, with the help of the Gates Fund, a small charity is bringing a cure to market. Despite skepticism from other researchers, the non-profit Institute for OneWorld Health, based in San Francisco, tackled black fever, the second largest parasitic killer in the world after...

The Taliban’s Silent Partner

Robert D. Kaplan July 21, 2006
While the Afghan government, led by US-backed President Hamid Karzai, controls the country’s major cities, the countryside remains subject to Taliban infiltration. Over 75 percent of Afghanistan’s population lives in rural villages. Thus, using Pakistan as a rear base, Taliban units provide security and other concrete needs to villagers that the government fails to deliver. Pakistani President...