In The News

Hard Work, Furtive Living: Illegal Immigrants in Japan

Sharon Noguchi March 2, 2006
As Japan confronts challenges of a low birth rate, an aging population, and a shrinking labor pool, Sharon Noguchi describes the country’s newfound reliance on illegal workers who are employed in low-wage jobs and unprotected from exploitation. Immigrants from China, Latin America and South Asia seek jobs with employers willing to risk legal punishments in order to hire workers at lower wages....

Dubai Limps Into Port

March 2, 2006
Intense bipartisan opposition to Dubai Ports Worldwide, a company from the United Arab Emirates, taking control of six US ports represents extreme and uncontrollable fear, according to this editorial from a Singapore newspaper. The uproar has cast suspicion on a moderate Arab country that has been a key US ally in the war on terror. The US ports are controlled by a British company, and the UK...

Will Fight for Oil

Ted Koppel March 1, 2006
The Bush administration has been sensitive to charges that oil was a central determinant of Iraq war policy. Maintaining that oil was unrelated to US action in Iraq is odd, suggests veteran television journalist Ted Koppel, considering that protecting the flow of Persian Gulf oil has been central to US foreign policy since the mid-20th century. And he also suggests that oil is the reason why...

US Ceded Control of Ports

William Glanz February 28, 2006
The Bush administration’s approval for a United Arab Emirates company’s takeover of operations at six US ports ignited furious debate in Washington over the threat to national security. Yet the deal only reflects the global nature of today’s shipping industry: A Scandinavian ship – flying a Panama flag, carrying Chinese cargo and a Filipino crew – can dock at a California port managed by a...

Truly a World Wide Web

February 24, 2006
As modernization of the world accelerates, access to computers and the internet are also increasing. A recent Pew Global Attitudes poll reveals more people using computers and spending time online than in 2002. Some of the poll’s specifics are surprising: For example, in many countries, new computer use is most prominent among people over 50. However, in countries with low internet use, young...

Mittal Steel Executive Finds Support for a Takeover Bid

Saritha Rai February 21, 2006
The owner of the largest steel company in the world is meeting some resistance after making a $22.7 billion bid for its French rival, Arcelor. The proposed takeover by Mittal Steel, owned by an Indian national, Lakshmi N. Mittal, has sparked an intense concern in Europe. Mittal denies suggestions that a clash of business cultures could result, emphasizing the company’s international character...

China Seeking Auto Industry, Piece by Piece

Keith Bradsher February 21, 2006
With strong backing from the Communist Party, the Chinese company Lifan is making the jump from manufacturing motorcycles to cars, planning to compete with companies like Honda and Ford. The company is bidding to acquire one of the most innovative car engine plants in the industry from Damiler Chrysler and BMW The plant is in Brazil, but Lifan plans to break Campo Largo down and reassemble it in...