In The News

Murdoch Says News Corp. Has Hit a "Brick Wall" in China

Ron Rhodes September 20, 2005
Media tycoons have long salivated over China's huge market potential. But a government investigation into Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. underscores the challenges of operating a media business in China. "A year ago I would have said there's a lot of opening up going on," Murdoch said. "The present trend is the reverse," he continued, referring to the government...

Dangerously Unique

Moisés Naím September 20, 2005
In this Foreign Policy article, Moisés Naím highlights the discrepancy between the expectations of "normalcy" held by a small number of privileged citizens and the realities of the rest of the world. Despite what many in Western nations may believe, their concept of "normal" is not, in fact, universal. In fact, gross income discrepancies, health care inadequacies, and...

Muslim Malaysian Sailors Denied Jobs over Terror Fears

September 19, 2005
Though the years after the 9/11 attacks have already witnessed incidents of racial profiling against Muslims in the West, fears of terrorism are now making targets out of Muslims elsewhere in the world. The Malaysian Seafarers Association claimed recently that international shipping companies are not recruiting Muslim sailors and officers from Malaysia. Muslim Malays do not have last names, but...

In Germany, Harder Line Looms

Ian Johnson September 16, 2005
Following the London bombings and communal violence in the Netherlands, Europe's relations with its Muslim citizens have grown increasingly strained. Governments are now turning a sterner eye towards Islamic organizations within their borders, hoping to nip domestic Islamic radicalism in the bud. In Germany, attorneys have launched an investigation into the dealings of the Islamic Community...

Invisible Earth

Annalee Newitz August 31, 2005
Technology giant Google has recently extended its global reach. It's new product, Google Earth, is a 3-D mapping program that allows users to view any point on the planet at the click of a mouse. With detailed satellite photos, Google Earth is touted as a tool not just for education, but also for communication; special features include comments "tagged" to specific locations, as...

Cellphones Catapult Rural Africa to 21st Century

Sharon LaFraniere August 25, 2005
In areas where electricity and indoor plumbing are rarities, a surprising trend is taking shape. Despite infrastructure shortcomings and widespread poverty, Africa is now the world's fastest-growing market for cellphones. Mobile technology is drastically changing business and daily life – speeding up communication and allowing for previously impossible interactions – in rural areas where...

Home, Sweet Home – for Some

August 17, 2005
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the African continent hosts the world's most mobile population. Due to adverse conditions, citizens of countries will flee, at least temporarily, often taking with them skills that are greatly needed back home. This phenomenon, sometimes called "brain drain" – coupled with shortages in crucial fields, including...