In The News

Angry Youth

Evan Osnos July 24, 2008
Chinese youth study global news reports about emerging problems in the US and Europe, along with growing concerns in the West about China’s growing clout. Demonstrating nationalism and extreme patriotism, the youth lash out at any who dare to criticize China or suggest that the country needs to be “contained, explains Evan Osnos for the New Yorker. Polls suggest that nine out of ten Chinese...

More Pressure on Global Fish Stocks as Scientists Warn of Underreporting of Catches

Tim Radford July 17, 2008
Scientists have long known that global fish stocks were in trouble. Countries overfish and deplete stocks without thought to long-term consequences and population collapses. Researchers from the Sea Around Us, an international research group based at the University of British Columbia, visited 20 locations, talked to locals and estimated the amount of fish that were caught. They reached the...

Chinese Seek a Day in Court

Geoffrey A. Fowler July 11, 2008
The practice of law in China has been somewhat problematic, especially when legal goals interfered with politics. Until recently, the police listened to conversations between lawyers and clients, and lawyers could be jailed for pursuing cases with political ramifications. But with the help of television, the internet and handbooks, average citizens in China are learning about their potential...

Obama, McCain Campaigns Go Global

Linda Feldmann July 8, 2008
Foreign countries may not vote in US presidential elections, but they do offer presidential candidates the opportunity to impress voters with their command of foreign policy and their stature on the world stage. At a time when some US voters are concerned about their country’s poor standing in the world, the candidates may win more votes in the US by building bridges overseas. – YaleGlobal

Tiny Voices Defy Child Marriage in Yemen

Robert F. Worth July 2, 2008
Poverty, combined with families producing more children than they can afford, can end childhood for girls as young as eight years of age. “Pulled out of school and forced to have children before their bodies are ready, many rural Yemeni women end up illiterate and with serious health problems,” writes Robert F. Worth for the New York Times. “Their babies are often stunted, too.” Some Islamic...

McCain’s Delicate Immigration Dance

Michael Scherer July 1, 2008
John McCain must walk a fine line between courting up-for-grabs Latino voters who are sympathetic toward illegal immigrants and retaining traditional Republican voters who demand a harsher line toward those same immigrants. McCain has already earned the enmity of many Republicans over his support for comprehensive immigration reform. For now, the anti-immigration voters have no options – the...

In the Internet Age, a New Cultural Revolution: Chinese Fans Follow American TV Online – for Free

Laura Sydell June 25, 2008
The Chinese government does not allow US television shows on Chinese television networks. But that has not slowed their popularity and could even add to their allure. China has more people online than any other country, and citizens with internet access can download translated shows, available soon after the original broadcast. Volunteer translators provide Chinese subtitles including extra...