In The News

The Internet: China's Window to the World

Guo Liang November 18, 2002
Why would the Communist Party, which attempts to censor all media in China, allow and even encourage Chinese citizens to surf the internet? So that people can explore the world, of course! Helping Chinese people learn about the world is the big goal, according to President Jiang Zemin. But the cat-and-mouse game played by censoring authorities and news-hungry Chinese reveals the tensions...

Will de Soto’s ideas work in Thailand?

Nophakhun Limsamarnphun November 17, 2002
In the age of almost instantaneous information exchange, ideas can travel around the world with only the click of a mouse. From South America to Southeast Asia, poor people around the world face similar problems. Now Thailand's Prime Minister is considering taking up an anti-poverty scheme developed by the Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto. If his idea proves as effective as it promises...

Here’s Your Leaders, Thanks for Tuning In

Max Woodworth November 17, 2002
While the Chinese national media only managed a broadcast of 10 minutes on the transfer of national power, foreign media such as CNN went into detail, analyzing the implications of the change. Because of China’s one party authoritarian system, political debate is discouraged, and thus the national media felt no need to go into much depth on the subject. When domestic media proves inadequate,...

North Korea Admits Nuclear Arsenal

November 17, 2002
orth Korea’s disguise of its nuclear capabilities has always served as the rogue state’s only playing card in negotiations with the US. Today, the state publicized its possession of “powerful military counter-measures, including nuclear weapons" for the first time, possibly in reaction to the recent conditional halt of fuel aid by the US, South Korea, the European Union, and Japan. Pyongyang...

Malaysian State to Whip 400 Illegal Immigrants

November 15, 2002
After a four-month amnesty has expired for all illegal immigrants in Malaysia, one southern state is beginning to crackdown on stragglers. Over 400 illegal immigrants will be whipped for their failure to depart. These punitive measures have been decried by Indonesia and the Philippines. Yet along with such cruel and unusual punishment, Malaysia also seems to be biting the hand that feeds it....

Scorched Earth: Environmental Legacy of Tropical Peat Fires

November 7, 2002
Researchers say that events such as wildfires, occurring on a tiny area of the globe, can have a huge impact on the global carbon cycle. They cite the example of fire in Indonesia in 1997 started to clear forest for agriculture. – YaleGlobal

Kuala Lumpur Chinese Parties Okay Use of English in Schools

October 31, 2002
Mother-tongue education has long been a priority for people of Chinese descent in Malaysia. A minority in the country, Chinese Malays are also a major player in the ruling coalition government. After several months of wrangling, Chinese political leaders have agreed to allow maths and science to be taught in English at Chinese-language primary schools, but only part-time. Once students move to...