In The News

Apple Report Reveals Child Labor Increase

Tania Branigan February 15, 2011
Apple, which relies heavily on outsourcing, uses a portion of its record profits to audit suppliers for labor violations. “Apple said it had strengthened its checks on age because of concerns about the falsification of ages by such schools and labour agencies,” reports Tania Branigan for the Guardian. In an annual report on its manufacturers, the company reports that less than a third of audited...

Eighteen Days That Shook the Middle East – Part I

Dilip Hiro February 14, 2011
Protesters in Tunisia and Egypt accomplished much – shaking off fears of security forces, speaking out against corrupt systems and toppling authoritarian leaders. But revolution is far from complete, reminds author Dilip Hiro. By definition, representative government for Egypt requires inclusion of the Muslim Brotherhood. That group – started in 1928 by a teacher and a few workers in British...

China Cocks Its Ear to Arab Freedom Cry

Peter Hartcher February 14, 2011
Measured by market-exchange rates, China’s economy is about 40 percent the size of the US economy. Measured by purchasing power, China is the world’s largest economy, writes Peter Hartcher for the Sydney Morning Herald. The nation’s products, services and labor are comparably inexpensive, often due to great sacrifices of the Chinese people. The government uses an iron hand to keep opposition...

Can the Internet Tame Governments? – Part I

James Cowie February 9, 2011
Debate rages in the West about whether the internet in authoritarian states is a tool for winning freedoms or another device for control. In the wake of Egypt’s mass protests emerged the first case of a government’s attempt to sever an entire nation from internet access. This YaleGlobal series explores governments and the internet, and which is the taming force. The first article, written by...

Egypt Violence Exposes Secret Tools of State Repression

Frank Gardner February 8, 2011
After a week of reporting on Egypt’s pro-democracy protests, international journalists abruptly became the target of harassment and attacks from plainclothes police and men expressing support for President Mubarak. Some reporters were beaten, handcuffed, interrogated – routine intimidation of ordinary citizens by police forces in nations under authoritarian rule. If intended to curtail coverage...

The Arab Rising – Part I

Susan Froetschel February 2, 2011
With the Egyptian president conceding not to seek re-election and his supporters clashing with pro-democracy demonstrators, the country is on edge. Demonstrations have also led to dismissal of the Jordanian government and the Yemeni president agreeing to step down at the end of his current term. The Middle East stands at a crossroads, and this YaleGlobal series explores the challenges faced by...

Turkish PM Backs Egypt Protesters

February 1, 2011
Press around the world has urged democratic governments to take a position on protests in Egypt, and US ally Turkey has weighed in: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak to “listen to the wishes of the people… to create security and stability.” He joined other world leaders in urging protesters not to rely on violence or risk losing the support for their cause...