In The News

India Battles for Transparency – Part II

Pranab Bardhan December 24, 2010
As the developed countries’ economy teetered on the verge of collapse in 2007-2008, India and China emerged unscathed, lionized in the media as new champions of globalization. While China’s new assertiveness causes anxiety, India suffers from a self-inflicted wound caused by a series of scandals. This two-part YaleGlobal series examines the rise in corruption and its impact on India’s global...

India Battles for Transparency – Part I

Sadanand Dhume December 22, 2010
Debates comparing the rise of India and China often center on which is on the fast track as global leader – the world’s largest democracy versus the authoritarian state ruled by the Communist Party. Democracies are not immune to opaque processes or sets of complex rules known only to insiders, and this two-part series examines how corruption could impede India’s rise. In the first article, author...

Russia Hosts Summit to Save Tiger

November 23, 2010
Fewer than 5000 wild tigers roam Asia’s shrinking wilderness, but the large, powerful cats inspire awe around the globe. Russia hosted a conference of 13 nations to plan raising hundreds of millions for establishing preserves and protecting the remaining animals. The Global Tiger Initiative, launched by World Bank President Robert Zoellick, states that the tiger’s extinction would represent...

Koreas in Border Artillery Clash

John Sudworth November 23, 2010
North Korea disrupted South Korean military drills, lobbing artillery shells over the border to Yeonpyeong Island. South Koreans returned fire in a clash that raises tension to some of its highest levels since the Korean War ended in 1953 without peace treaty, reports John Sudworth of BBC News. The action, just days after the unveiling of a uranium-enrichment facility, triggers a UN Security...

Beijing's Threat to India's Water Security

Amit Ranjan November 15, 2010
Several of India's major rivers originate in Tibet and China's ongoing dam construction, diverting water away from other nations, raises alarm. “Population pressures and increased economic activity mean demand for water is growing inexorably while the supply is finite,” writes Amit Ranjan. China and India, the word's most populous nations, lack a water treaty, and analysts in India...

US in Asia: Seeking Partners at a Troubled Time – Part II

Bruce Stokes November 12, 2010
Asia is seen as a pivotal region for US foreign policy, as demonstrated by US President Barack Obama's travels to India, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea. Despite setbacks for Obama's party in mid-term elections, he continues to win high public-approval ratings in many Asian nations, notes Bruce Stokes, contributing editor for the National Journal. With US voters expressing anger over...

Obama's Visit to Indonesia Mixes Pride With a Dose of Reality

Chico Harlan November 10, 2010
Barack Obama spent four years of his childhood in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim nation. His first visit as US president to the stable democracy was poignant and reflects Indonesia's status as a new foreign-policy priority. “The Obama administration has become increasingly solicitous of Indonesia, viewing it as a key counterbalance to an emboldened China,” writes Chico Harland...