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...

Today’s Iraqi Refugees Key to Tomorrow’s Stability

Humphrey Hawksley June 7, 2007
On the surface, China’s gradual transition from Tiananmen-era suppression of dissent to controlled-yet-liberating market economics would seem to hold few lessons for turbulent Iraq. After all, Iraq needs many more resources, including an end to sectarian violence, before even attempting to emulate China’s evolution toward a competitive and developed economy, one achieved through careful...

Sarkozy's Victory; Ca Y'est, C'est Fini!!!

June 5, 2007
Nicolas Sarkozy, the son of a Hungarian immigrant to France, campaigned for the French presidency on promises to restrict immigration. Sarkozy policies would limit benefits for immigrants and discourage applicants who cannot provide “qualified labor,” reports this editorial from the Daily Trust in Abuja, Nigeria. After his election, Sarkozy also promised to serve all of France and selected a...

Lack of Women in Eastern Germany Feeds Neo-Nazis

June 1, 2007
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, many East Germans left their communities in search of education, jobs and other opportunity. But the Berlin Institute for Population and Development reports that most of the emigrants have been young women – with some communities in East Germany losing up to 25 percent of their young women. East Germany has the distinction of leading Europe with such a gender...

Worker Visas Intensify Debate on Immigration

Pamela Constable May 29, 2007
The US Congress hears two different tales when it comes to the need for high-tech workers: Older workers, once highly paid, complain that they cannot obtain work and must seek jobs in other industries; the high-tech industry complains of a dire shortage of workers with computer and math skills. A proposed US immigration reform bill gives priority to skilled labor and would almost double the...

Feminist, Socialist, Muslim: Woman Puts Denmark Into Turmoil

Ian Traynor May 17, 2007
Asmaa Abdol-Hamid, 25, upends many people’s assumptions about a candidate for parliament – and not just because of her age. The young social worker is a devout Muslim who declines to shake hands with men and wears a traditional headscarf, but also supports progressive Danish policies including abortion and gay rights. Her positions – and particularly her insistence on wearing a headscarf, which...

A Book Review: Bound Together

Paul Freedman May 17, 2007
Globalization, the process of growing interconnectedness, is not a new phenomenon. All that’s new is the ease and speed of the connections. In his book, Nayan Chanda, editor of YaleGlobal Online, follows the exploits of historical traders, preachers, adventurers and warriors in shaping our world, and identifies their modern counterparts at work today. The categories provide insights into...