In The News

Migrants Feared Dead in Mediterranean Sinkings

Patrick Kingsley June 2, 2016
More than 13,000 people crossed the Mediterranean, leaving Libya for Italy during the third week of May. At least 800 have died with the sinking of three vessels, reports the UN refugee agency. “The full details of the disasters emerged slowly because of the chaotic nature of the situation,” reports Patrick Kingsley for the Guardian. “The disasters show that despite attempts to crackdown on...

Battle Lines Against American Tech Giants

Farhad Manjoo June 1, 2016
Technology, including smartphones controlled by US companies Apple and Google, allow instant global connections that thwart efforts in nations like France to protect film, music and other industries. Amazon, Facebook and Microsoft also develop tech products indispensable for businesses worldwide. The global reach of such companies is prompting local backlash and fragmentation. “European...

No Handshake Exemption for Muslim Students, Swiss Canton Rules

May 26, 2016
Schools are the battleground for culture wars. A tradition in Switzerland – shaking a teacher’s hand as a sign of respect – has attracted global attention because of the conflict between gender equality and religious belief. Parents or guardians of students who refuse to shake a teacher’s hand can face fines of up to 5000 Swiss francs. The local school had tried to grant two boys, ages 14 and 15...

"My Name Is Sadiq Khan and I'm the Mayor of London"

Nabanita Sircar May 10, 2016
Cities and nations inspire, not when their citizens fear and denigrate immigrants, but instead welcome the newcomers’ skills and ideas and celebrate their rising influence. “In a world where terrorism and Islamophobia is spreading rapidly, London showed its inherent multicultural, diverse character when it elected the first Muslim Mayor, Sadiq Khan,” explains Nabanita Sircar for Outlook magazine...

Is Globalization Really Fueling Populism?

Daniel Gros May 9, 2016
An angry populism – a belief that ordinary citizens, not elites, should control government while avoiding centrism and compromise – is on the rise in Europe and the United States. Daniel Gros questions the suggestion that the so-called losers of globalization are fueling such populism, suggesting the trends are not new. Inequality in education levels is not new, and workers with more education...

Russia Needs Options to Deal with China

Thomas Graham May 3, 2016
Russia and China, fans of national sovereignty and obstacles for US influence, pivot to each other during times of troubles of their own making, whether the 2014 annexation of Crimea or the brutal crackdown of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. “Today, closer relations also help anchor Russia in the world’s most dynamic economic theater, East Asia,” explains Thomas Graham, a senior fellow at the...

OECD Issues Damning Report on Effect of Brexit

Chris Giles April 27, 2016
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development argues that Brexit – the UK leaving the European Union – would be an economic shock with costs. “In the longer term, [the OECD] calculates that more restrictive trading arrangements with the EU alongside less competition, lower foreign direct investment and fewer skilled immigrants, would hit gross domestic product by a central estimate of...