In The News

Libya Exposes Fault Lines in the Mediterranean – Part I

François Godement March 25, 2011
Europe and the West, enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya, anticipate a quick end to the conflict. With the tenacity of the pro-Gaddafi forces, that assumption may prove to be misplaced. The crisis reveals a range of security vulnerabilities affecting the Mediterranean and beyond. In the first article of this YaleGlobal series, China specialist François Godement notes how the need to evacuate...

Europe's Leaders Fear Libya Could Become Next Afghanistan

March 21, 2011
European nations and the US smoothed relations with Libya and were content to sell weapons to Muammar Gaddafi, who now uses them without restraint against his own people. The West squirms as carnage unfolds. Western officials privately wish for a quick end to the conflict with Gaddafi’s assassination, report Spiegel staff. So far, leaders oppose intervention, even a no-fly zone, worried that a...

UK Consumers Add Solar Panels to Shopping Lists

Nina Chestney March 7, 2011
Low-cost energy is one of life’s conveniences – so convenient with a flick of a switch that most consumers don’t understand how power generation works. Even those aware of the value of alternative energy are in the dark as to where they can purchase their own renewable systems or how to install. But small solar-power systems are about to join cookware and other products on the home-and-garden...

Significance of Wisconsin Union Battle

Ellen Ratner March 3, 2011
Nonviolent protests in Egypt toppled a harsh regime, attracting interest and inspiring activism around the globe. Legislation proposing spending cuts and eliminating most collective-bargaining rights for workers in the US state of Wisconsin – even though the workers accepted wage and other cuts – ignited protests in mid-February. Protesters gathered at the capitol building in Madison, refusing to...

New Migrants Flock to Italy, Intensifying Immigration Debate

Elisa Cozzarini March 1, 2011
European nations like Italy entered security agreements with dictators in North Africa, including arms transfers, which slowed the waves of immigration over the past decade. As these dictators lose control and thousands of citizens flee north for Europe for a better life, managing immigration once again emerges as a priority for Italy. Some analysts argue that right-wing politicians raise fears...

Libyan Arms Deals Come Back to Haunt Europe

David Böcking February 25, 2011
In Egypt, a military that refused to shoot fellow citizens made all the difference in overturning a regime that had held on to power for more than 30 years. But other rulers and military leaders – such as Libya’s – are less stricken by conscience. For more than a decade, Libya was subject to UN sanctions. Those were lifted in 2003, and Europe ended its arms embargo in 2004. Since then, the nation...

Hungry for Votes

February 11, 2011
In 2008, in the face of rising food prices, G20 leaders founded the Global Agriculture and Food Programme to support research leading to a second Green Revolution and elimination of world hunger. But as food prices rise, pledges to support the program go unfulfilled. Activists and scientists urge sustained attention, yet their pleas fall on deaf ears. Governments slash funds for food research,...