In The News

The Age of Nonpolarity

Richard N. Haass April 18, 2008
US dominance of international affairs is becoming increasingly archaic, asserts Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations. Rather than a multipolar model of states balancing power, Haass sees the 21st century segueing into a nonpolar international system, where the United States is joined by increasingly powerful states as well as centers of power “from above, by regional and...

The Fury of the Poor

Spiegel Staff April 18, 2008
People living in the world’s poorest countries often spend the bulk of their incomes on food. But with the prices of some staples doubling or more, food has become unaffordable. Despair and shame can quickly transform into violence, note a team of writers with Spiegel Online. An unchecked growing world population, climate change and loss of agriculture land, large refugee populations that cannot...

“Telemedicine” Links Africans to Indian Expertise

Barry Malone April 16, 2008
Using its information-technology expertise, India has launched a telemedicine project that allows doctors in Ethiopia to consult on images or lab results online with physicians, based in India, 2000 miles away. “Ethiopia's health problems are mirrored across Africa where doctors and nurses are often overworked and underpaid, villagers have to walk miles to the nearest clinic and drugs and...

China’s Crackdown on Tibet Divides Europe

Shada Islam April 14, 2008
Restricting trade is often a tool for governments that want to show their commitment to human rights. But Europe is divided over the relative importance of human rights versus economic growth or the value of trade in promoting those rights. On one hand, trade with China helps to lift millions out of poverty and benefits European consumers. However, China’s suppression of human rights, as...

US General Says No Plans for Africa Command HQ in Africa

Alisha Ryu April 11, 2008
While US voters remain focused on the Middle East, the US military quietly works on security matters elsewhere in the world. As part of this effort, the US military devotes more attention to Africa. Several key African nations are wary of any new form of colonialism. In an effort to allay those fears, the US military’s new Africa Command insists that its goals are diplomatic and humanitarian....

The Three Revolutions

Henry A. Kissinger April 7, 2008
US policymakers must grapple with radical changes in the structure of international politics, suggests Henry A. Kissinger, US former secretary of the state. The upcoming presidential election has sparked lively debate over US foreign policy, yet this debate focuses on narrow, tactical concerns rather than the broad, strategic challenges. The European state system – the fundamental feature of...

Tibetan Olympiad

Nayan Chanda April 1, 2008
China’s rise as an economic superpower since 1989 has justified Deng Xiaoping's open door policy. As the world’s second largest economy, China seeks to further strengthen global ties by hosting the Olympics. However, as China moves into the spotlight, the country is under extensive scrutiny and protest. Activists in Darfur wish China to end its support for the regime in the Sudan. Anti-...