In The News

Bertil Lintner September 24, 2013
While the US has restored relations with Myanmar, ongoing improvement hinges on the latter severing ties with North Korea. The US publicly emphasizes democracy and human rights for the nation once known as Burma, suggests journalist Bertil Lintner in Asia Times, yet “Myanmar has emerged as the frontline of the Obama administration's 'pivot' towards Asia, or, in plain language, the...
Sanjeev Sanyal July 25, 2013
Emerging economies are urbanizing at a brisk pace, and mid-level cities should take note of the lessons from the bankruptcy filing of what was once the fifth largest in the United States, suggests Sanjeev Sanyal, global strategist for Deutsche Bank. The internet and other technologies have spurred growth of urban centers, rather than diminished it as analysts once predicted. The young gravitate...
Lydia DePillis July 17, 2013
Quinoa, a grain originating in South America that’s touted for its health benefits, has exploded in global popularity. This newfound fame is driven by wealthy, health-conscious Americans. Quinoa’s story is tied together with the intricacies of international agribusiness, foreign investment and global trade – and the role these play in providing food. Price per pound for the crop tripled from 2006...
James Montague July 4, 2013
Brazil has many soccer fans, but protesters are questioning the conventional wisdom that massive sporting events deliver widespread benefits for host nations. Instead, the ongoing Confederations Cup has set the stage for protests on Brazil’s cost of living, the poor quality of education and high transport costs. “The initial spark for the protests was a rise in bus fares in Sao Paulo,” reports...
Yanzhong Huang June 6, 2013
In just three decades, China has been transformed from one of the world’s poorest nations to the world’s second largest economy. But rapid growth imposes long-term environmental, health and social costs, and other nations should be wary of emulating China’s model, cautions Yanzhong Huang, a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations. Smog choking Beijing and other cities...
Steve Anderson May 24, 2013
Each year many of the world’s developing nations lose out on billions of dollars through corporations’ use of tax havens, notes a report from ActionAid. Companies increasingly focus on tax reduction. According to the report, nearly half the money invested in some nations goes through tax havens, a move that ultimately costs the developing nations a sum triple the amount of annual aid. Developed...
Nayan Chanda April 30, 2013
Subsidies can lead to excess and waste. India is an export leader in water-intensive crops like rice and cotton due to subsidy-driven overproduction, aiming to provide low-cost grain. “Huge subsidies and wastage of food grains belie record exports and reckless use of India’s precious water patrimony,” argues Nayan Chanda, YaleGlobal editor, in his column for Businessworld. One study suggests...