In The News

“Halal” Labels Experiencing a Supermarket Boom

Peter Ziegler April 13, 2007
Religions often provide strict guidelines on food choices and preparation. With more than 1.7 million Muslims spread throughout the world, food products that abide by the rules of Islam, labeled as “halal,” are the fastest growing segment in the food market. The world’s leading meat producers in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, New Zealand, Great Britain and the USA are prepared to...

The Rise in Extremism – Part II

Baladas Ghoshal April 3, 2007
For centuries, Islam in Southeast Asia was renowned for its adaptability to local practices and tolerance of other religions. Over the past three decades, however, fundamentalists have tried to homogenize Islam, introducing new tensions. The second article of this two-part series explores Arab influence on Islam throughout Malaysia and Indonesia, as fundamentalists reject tolerant and eclectic...

Chinese-Language Classes Full, But Teachers Scarce in US

Ben Arnoldy April 2, 2007
Growing numbers of US students want to learn Mandarin, but a dearth in resources makes this a trying feat. While federal funds pour into guest visa programs for foreign teachers, critics say this is not enough to strengthen disorganized language-education programs throughout the US. Other school districts look to immigrant populations as potential wellsprings of language educators. However, many...

Does the Prospect of Arranged Marriage and Abuse Warrant Asylum in the US?

Warren Richey March 26, 2007
The world has many policies on marriage: Some nations allow multiple spouses, some permit marriages among teenagers or same-sex partners, and others assign more power to one gender or the other. The Bush administration has asked the US Supreme Court to examine the case of a woman who left China and convinced a federal appeals court that deportation would mean she would face her husband’s wrath....

History 1980-2000 Has Disappeared Into the Ether. Sorry

Ben Macintyre March 23, 2007
Computers, CDs, digital files and scanning have allowed vast amounts of information to be collected. But digital information can vanish with a keystroke, warns Ben Macintyre, columnist with “The Times” of London. Too many administrators and researchers take digital storage for granted and do not understand that CDs, electronic tapes and other storage modes have limited life spans. Part of the...

Can Europe Age Gracefully? – Part I

Shada Islam March 21, 2007
Europeans celebrate the anniversary of the Treaty of Rome – along with 50 years of peace and prosperity on March 25. Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany formed what began as an economic alliance to promote trade with one another. That community has since expanded both in terms of membership and responsibilities, and this two-part YaleGlobal series explores Europe...

McDonald's Targets the English McLanguage

March 21, 2007
Language shapes our thoughts – and corporations rely on brand names to distinguish themselves in the marketplace. McDonald’s is the world’s largest fast-food corporation, operating in more than 100 companies – and the “Mc” brand name quickly came to represent fast and easy meals. But more than 20 years ago, “The Washington Post” coined the word “Mc Job” to represent the unskilled, unexciting, low...