In The News

Asian Age: #MeToo in India?

October 12, 2018
No country is immune from boorish behavior by some powerful elites. The #MeToo movement began in the United States, with accusations and investigations against film directors, journalists, corporate and political leaders, a Supreme Court nominee and more – and may be spreading to India with an accusation of a Bollywood actress. An Asian Age opinion essay poses questions that apply to the movement...

The Lancet: Mental Health for All – A Global Goal

Helen Franish, Niall Boyce and Richard Horton October 12, 2018
More than 1 billion people – one out of every seven worldwide – suffer from mental or substance-use disorders. The suffering has consequences for entire communities, and treatment varies worldwide. “Human rights violations remain common and people with mental disorders are often marginalised and even abused, with large numbers of people forcefully detained or locked away in institutions,”...

The Week: US-Saudi Alliance Must End

Ryan Cooper October 11, 2018
An old proverb suggests people are known by the company they keep, and that applies to countries, too. “There is no better demonstration of the moral and political rot at the heart of the American government than its increasingly poisonous alliance with Saudi Arabia,” writes Ryan Cooper for the Week. “Saudi Arabia is no friend of democracy, liberty, or even common decency.” Oil wealth combined...

Forbes: Climate Change’s Threat for Children

Sophie Aziakou October 11, 2018
A new UN report warns that the world will face climate change catastrophe from drought, floods, wildfires, food and water scarcity by 2030 – just 12 years from now. A growing world population also adds pressure – now standing at 7.7 billion, expected to near 10 billion in 2050 – up from 2.5 billion in 1950. “The most disadvantaged children, who often live in the world’s poorest and most polluted...

Bloomberg: Nafta’s China Clause

Josh Wingrove October 10, 2018
After much fanfare about scrapping the North America Free Trade Agreement, US President Donald Trump reached a new deal with neighbors called the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement. A new clause stipulates that if members of the North American pact reach a trade deal with a non-market economy then they would be ineligible for some USMCA benefits. Given Trump’s fiery rhetoric about launching a trade war...

South China Morning Post: Concern Over Chinese Leaders of Global Bodies

Sarah Zheng October 9, 2018
Interpol is the world’s largest international police organization of 192 member countries that cooperate on solving and fighting crimes, and so the sudden disappearance of Interpol’s president activated immediate global attention. The detention of Meng Hongwei during a trip to China, followed by a bribery accusation with little explanation and his resignation, has shaken confidence in Chinese...

Bloomberg: Nordhaus, Romer Win Nobel Prize

Jonas O Bergman and Rich Miller October 8, 2018
The 2018 Nobel Prize in Economics has been awarded to William D. Nordhaus of Yale University and Paul M. Romer of New York University’s Stern School of Business for research “addressing some of our time’s most basic and pressing questions about how we create long-term sustained and sustainable economic growth,” announced the Royal Swedish Academy. Nordhaus created the first model that studies...