In The News

Panama: A Crossroad With Two-Ocean Views

Nancy Beth Jackson June 8, 2006
Panama has a history of invasions, but the latest comes from international investors, lured by favorable exchange rates, a mixture of European and American influences, along with amenities that include health-service discounts for retirees. Panama building permits have increased by 91 percent, and new projects begin almost every day. Two projects, both Spanish backed, compete to become the...

For One Month Every Four Years, A New World Order Leaves America on Touchline

Simon Tisdall June 8, 2006
Football – known as soccer in the US – is not as deeply rooted in US history as it is for other countries around the globe. A US team hoisting the World Cup, therefore, could a most unbearable image for the rest of the football-crazed world. Luckily for US foreign policy, the chances of the nation flexing its hegemonic muscles on the pitch this summer are slim. Other international dramas,...

Korean Hospitals Eager to Tap Overseas Patients

Jin Hyun-joo June 2, 2006
With high-quality workers and advanced technology, South Korea has the potential to become a leading medical hub, according to the Korea International Trade Association. The government has initiated measures to promote medical tourism, such as easing the visa process for foreign patients. The Korean government and hospitals also partner in marketing to encourage patients, especially those from...

Put Movie Scenes Into Perspective

Rousseau Chen May 26, 2006
Like any other residents whose city is featured in a major film, the people of Shanghai have eagerly awaited the Chinese release of “Mission: Impossible III.” Some of the scenes shot in the metropolis, however, must be cut before the film’s release in China, according to a ruling by humorless censors in the Chinese Film Bureau. Images of drying laundry and criminal activity offended the bureau...

Next Wave of Camera-Wielding Tourists Is From China

Howard W. French May 19, 2006
When millions of Japanese began to travel abroad during their country’s economic boom in the 1980s, hotels around the world introduced Japanese-style slippers to their rooms while restaurants created menus adapted to Japanese tastes. More than 20 years later, the international tourism industry faces a similar challenge – this time catering to the rising number of Chinese visiting foreign...

Mideast Money Pinch

Yasmine El-Rashidi May 5, 2006
Middle East investors and shoppers are bypassing travel, education or health care in the US for friendlier opportunities in Asia and Europe. In March, the US rejected acquisition of operations for six US ports based on security concerns, but even before that, Saudi tourism to the US was down 75 percent in 2004 from 1999. Obtaining US visas has become more complicated for Arabs since 9/11, with...

A Year Abroad (or 3) as a Career Move

Hillary Chura March 8, 2006
More US students are adapting to a globalized economy by working abroad. A surprising benefit is success in the job market after returning home. Teaching in a foreign country, bartending, taking care of children, typing or even traveling and picking grapes can demonstrate resourcefulness and other skills that employers find valuable. Organizations that help students work abroad estimate that 35,...