In The News

Watchdog Attacks US Swoop for Bank Secrets

Ian Traynor February 9, 2007
The transatlantic conflict over privacy rights and international security continues as the leading European authority on data protection announced that a US financial information-sharing program abuses privacy rights “on a massive scale,” reports “The Guardian.” For the past six years, the US has collected names, account numbers and sums from European banking transactions through the Belgian-...

China Soon to Be World's Biggest Internet User

Randeep Ramesh January 29, 2007
With one out of ten Chinese using the internet and more signing on every day, China’s users will soon outnumber Americans online. The Chinese government encourages internet use for business or education purposes, reports Randeep Ramesh in The Guardian, and censors any controversial material on politics, history or entertainment. Eager for profits and influence, major internet companies...

Globalization Story Still Has a Long Way to Go

Daniel Altman January 10, 2007
Analysts may argue that globalization has passed its peak, while encouraging terror, crime and disease. But such analysis ignores the data, argues Daniel Altman who writes a globalization column for “The International Herald Tribune.” Exports of merchandise and trade in commercial services increased by 60 percent, value of global mergers and acquisitions increased by almost 40 percent, and...

Technology, Not Globalization, Is Driving Wages Down

Jagdish Bhagwati January 10, 2007
Confronting wage stagnation, US labor groups blame trade and immigration from developing countries. But economic research does not support the assertion that competition with developing nations reduces either wages or bargaining power, argues Columbia University professor Jagdish Bhagwali of Columbia University. If anything, ongoing technological innovations reduce the need for unskilled labor,...

Seeking Iran Intelligence, U.S. Tries Google

Dafna Linzer December 15, 2006
With the Central Intelligence Agency busy, the US State Department turned to Google to track individuals linked to Iran’s nuclear development program, collecting names that emerged most often when searching for “Iran” and “nuclear.” Critics question whether a Google search is the best way for tracking down targets for international sanctions that involve limiting their travel and freezing assets...

Everybody Wants One Now

December 12, 2006
English-language television news channels have been cropping up all over the globe, in places as diverse as China, Russia, the Middle East and, surprisingly enough, in France. Many of these stations are at least partly government-owned, and some viewers question their ability to avoid becoming a mouthpiece for certain policies. Proponents counter that these broadcasts will cover areas neglected...

Internet Extends Reach of Bangladeshi Villagers

Kevin Sullivan November 29, 2006
The developed world takes for granted the internet and its limitless spectrum of resources. Until recently, such access was unimaginable for the poor people of Bangladesh. Cellular phone technology has brought internet access to more than 100 Bangladeshi villages, with hundreds more internet centers expected to open by the end of the year. With the help of GrameenPhone, a branch of the Grameen...