In The News

A Place to Find Out for Yourself About War

Eric Umansky September 22, 2002
Freedom of information, the internet, international law, and free markets all converge on the issue of satellite imagery and its use – especially when the images are of military bases. Commercial satellite firms can now produce images that pinpoint a car on the ground – photo quality that only governments used to possess. And these firms are not only in the U.S., but are also cropping up in...

Bhopal Seethes, Pained and Poor 18 Years Later

Amy Waldman September 21, 2002
When a gas cloud leaked out of the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal 18 years ago, the health threat was the immediate concern. Although health complications continue to loom over the residents – 30,000 people have been diagnosed as suffering from long-term harm – new worries plague the community. The desire for accountability, retribution, and compensation play out on a local stage that seeks global...

Malaysia Lures Sick and Wealthy Foreigners

Reme Ahmad September 19, 2002
With hospital costs 14 times less than in the US and 65% less than in neighboring Singapore, Malaysia is promoting a new type of tourism – one where a hospital stay is included. Health tourism, as it is known, is becoming increasingly popular among the wealthy, who may travel to foreign countries to have surgeries performed at a fraction of the cost of their home country. Malaysian hospitals...

A Road That Death Often Travels

Norimitsu Onishi September 18, 2002
For many in West and Central Africa, the only hope for decent work lies in reaching Libya, and from there Europe and the Americas. For these illegal immigrants, the journey often means traveling across the punishing Sahara desert. But while surviving the trip is a victory itself, it is no guarantee that they will find the better life they seek. – YaleGlobal

Step Aside, L.A. and Bombay, for Nollywood

Norimitsu Onishi September 16, 2002
In the Surulere district of Lagos, Nigeria the lure of the silver screen beckons aspiring actors and actresses. Quickly assuming the role of the African counterpart to Bombay’s Bollywood and L.A.’s Hollywood, “Nollywood” represents a trend towards the globalization of the entertainment industry. Once Nigeria began exporting its blockbuster films throughout Africa, the market soared, producing...

Immigration Reform and National Security

Tamar Jacoby September 16, 2002
Despite Mexican President Vicente Fox’s appeal to the U.S. Congress last year for more favorable immigration policies, the issue of immigration reform has been swept under the proverbial rug. The plan proposed to increase the number of visas for Mexican workers and to legalize the status of many previously undocumented workers in the U.S. A year after the plan first reached Washington, issues...

Central Asian Authorities Keep IMU Threat Alive

September 16, 2002
During the American campaign in Afghanistan there were reports that, along with Taliban and al Qaeda members, the military leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), Juma Namangani, was killed. However, one Tajik official says that Namangani was actually regrouping and hoping to launch a strike into the Ferghana Valley. Other Central Asian political figures have also publicly worried...