In The News

SHIN Deal: Is National Security Compromised?

February 9, 2006
In a move that reportedly skirts laws concerning foreign ownership of assets designated strategic or sensitive, Singapore’s state investment arm has acquired a near-majority stake in a Thai telecommunications conglomerate. The deal between Temasek and Shin Corp. has raised alarm in Thailand over privacy and security, especially since Temasek’s investment gives it indirect control over a...

From Cartoon War to Trade War

February 9, 2006
Europe views a recent decision by Tehran to boycott Danish products as a blatant financial attack against the EU itself. Ostensibly a response to the Danish cartoons of Mohammed, the Iranian move puts Europe on the defensive about Iran’s nuclear program. Financial Times Deutschland counsels that the EU must remain calm and not antagonize Iran. The center-left paper, Süddeutsche Zeitung, has...

Cartoon Jihad

Sadanand Dhume February 7, 2006
The forces of globalization are responsible not only for spread of capitalism, but the growing influence of radical Islam. Enraged Muslim protesters rely on the tools produced by modern capitalism: mobile text messaging, the internet, satellite television, and desktop publishing. Such technology is contributing to a united community of believers, or “ummah,” a long-held Islamic goal. Analyzing...

Behind the Mic

Khalid El-Farra February 2, 2006
Sportscasting is an art, and the African Cup of Nations will soon put the Arab football commentators in the spotlight. Relying on satellite channels to compare styles, many Arab football fans grumble that their homegrown commentary has a long way to go before meeting professional standards set by the West. Grievances against Arab commentators include crushing melodrama, ignorance of the game...

Fear of an American Internet

Markus Dettmer February 2, 2006
Despite millions of new internet users from all around the globe, US companies like Google continue to dominate the medium. These businesses invest heavily in research and design, and as a result continue to expand their reach of the internet. One ambitious new project that is raising eyebrows is Google Print, which is collaborating with some of the world’s top universities to publish their...

The Future of Outsourcing

Pete Engardio February 1, 2006
In recent years, the specter of outsourcing has haunted US business and labor. Much as competition from China and Mexico decimated the US manufacturing base, remote call centers and consulting firms flourishing in India and elsewhere in the developing world could put thousands of white-collar middle-class jobs in peril. Desperate to cut corners and costs, many leaders of US corporations became...

The Basics: How to Outwit the World’s Internet Censors

Tom Zeller Jr. February 1, 2006
While China’s censorship of the internet receives increased attention, less publicized are the system’s imperfections. Relying on loopholes, greater freedom can be sought, even in a restrictive environment. One way individuals subvert a watchdog government is by surfing the web through a proxy server, which dissociates computer addresses from visited websites. In China, an underground network of...