In The News

From the Unipolar Moment to a Multiplex World

Amitav Acharya July 3, 2014
The speed of communications, travel and globalization in general has transformed international relations. World order is no longer unipolar or multipolar; it is more like a multiplex theater than a chessboard, argues Amitav Acharya, in an article based on his new book, “The End of American World Order.” The professor of international relations at American University in Washington writes: “A...

Protesters Turn Back Busloads of Immigrants in California

Ricardo Cano July 2, 2014
An ugly welcome was waiting for detained immigrants as about 100 protesters, waving US flags, blocked three buses from entering a California processing center, reports Ricardo Cano for the Desert Sun. The United States confronts a humanitarian and immigration crisis as thousands of unaccompanied children from Central America cross the border, crowding detention centers and straining government...

South Africa’s World Cup Advice to Brazil

Andrew Harding July 2, 2014
Ahead of the 2010 World Cup, FIFA made enticing promises to the locals in South Africa. Four years later, many locals found the $2 billion dollars in infrastructure investment did not benefit South Africans. Construction was accelerated on the Gautrain train¬ – a high speed railway connecting Johannesburg and Pretoria – but its prices are out of reach for most South Africans. “Following the...

New York Real Estate Is the New Swiss Bank Account

Andrew Rice July 1, 2014
Foreign buyers “have become an overpowering force” in the city’s real-estate market, reports Andrew Rice for New York Magazine. Despite high costs, the city is a global bargain, and buyers of new construction receive huge tax breaks. Buyers scoop up properties at a wide range of prices; units are often rented or even left vacant before quick resale. The Congressional Research Service reports that...

China Backs Argentina's Position on Falkland Islands

Fiona Govan June 27, 2014
China has proposed a short-term solution of “dialogue” for the territorial fight between the United Kingdom and Argentina over the Falkland Islands, or the Malvinas as they are known in Spanish. Britain refuses to discuss the matter with Argentina. “In a referendum held in March 2012, 99.8 per cent of the islanders voted in favour of remaining a British Oversees territory,” reports the Telegraph...

UN: Surging Environmental Crime Funds Conflicts, Hurts Growth

June 27, 2014
Rising wealth for middle classes around the world drives demand for status symbols, in turn spurring environmental crime. Illegal logging, elephant and rhino hunting for ivory and horns, among other practices have created instability in many countries. According to the United Nations and Interpol, illegal practices help fund armed conflicts, militias and insurgents and curtail international aid...

US Companies Head to Mexico

Damien Cave June 24, 2014
Manufactured goods from Mexico have comprised a larger share of the US imports, reaching 14 percent, according to the International Monetary Fund, while China’s share in it has declined. With labor costs rapidly increasing in China, and wages doubling every few years, US investors have looked to Mexico as a more competitive place for manufacturing their products. Damien Cave, writing for the New...