In The News

Lies, Grief and a Ticket Home for Illegal Indian Migrants

Caroline Brothers April 12, 2007
Enduring hardship and abuse, the poor journey toward high paying jobs of Europe. A new route for Asians is through the Middle East to North Africa, then Spain. But the very length of the journey poses great risk: Migrants – many illiterate – risk life savings and remain vulnerable to trickery or attack at any point along the way. Once on their way, the migrants have no choice but to pack onboard...

Accord Key to Sustainable Economic Development

Lee Jun-kyu April 11, 2007
The US and South Korea have finalized negotiations on a free-trade agreement, which must be ratified by legislatures in both nations. Meanwhile, opponents in both countries organize, complaining that free trade could disrupt the economies of either nation, increasing income gaps or competition for specific sectors. Opponents in South Korea in particular fear that their nation could become a mere...

Even as Africa Hungers, Policy Slows Delivery of US Food Aid

Celia W. Dugger April 10, 2007
Intervention, even with the best intentions, can cause unforeseen tragic consequences. Thousands of people starve in Zambia, caught in a web of international health groups that supply drugs for AIDS, improving health yet increasing the pangs of hunger; weather patterns that deliver drought; local politicians who don’t want to release large food supplies; and wealthy nations in the West that...

Stock Market Hiccups No Cause for Worry

Manu Bhaskaran April 5, 2007
Economists debate whether the financial interdependence of the modern world provides insulation against shocks or sets the stage for a chain reaction of woes. Every major power has its financial weak point – immense debt for the US; regional conflicts and poverty for India; and a lack of transparency for China combined with uncertainty over how communist leaders can control a population accruing...

Poor Nations to Bear Brunt as World Warms

Andrew C. Revkin April 2, 2007
Global warming is a form of aggression imposed by rich countries on the poor, according to the president of Uganda. Africa accounts for less than 3 percent of the carbon emissions that trap greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, leading to a steady increase in global temperatures, a rise in sea levels and a shift in precipitation from the equator toward the poles. Developing nations contributed more...

Kenya's Water Troubles More Than Just Leaky Pipes

Joyce Mulama March 28, 2007
Water is a limited resource – and cities in short supply are not acting quickly enough to conserve supplies and prepare for the future. Nairobi, the name of which refers to “place of cool waters,” is one example. Currently, water supply meets only about 70 percent of demand, and yet the government confronts many challenges in achieving reform: Poverty prevents many residents from paying the high...

Freak Waves Swamp Mozambican Coastal Areas

March 22, 2007
People converge to coastal communities for economic purposes, including trade and tourism, but coastal living has become more hazardous along the eastern shores of Africa. Unusual high tides from the Indian Ocean have displaced thousands in the impoverished nation of Mozambique, prompting other governments to issue warnings to tourists. The reports coincide with testimony from former US Vice...