In The News

For More Japanese, Love is a Multiethnic Thing

Howard W. French August 31, 2002
Japan has traditionally been a closed, ethnically uniform society, where foreigners are rare and conformity rules. In a sign of increasing openness, however, the number of international marriages has jumped in the past decade. Despite long-held prejudices and a language barrier, many Japanese are marrying Chinese spouses. Social factors in Japan have contributed to the increase; the Japanese...

Between Famine and Politics, Zambians Starve

Henri E. Cauvin August 30, 2002
The debate over the use of genetically modified foods in the developing world has reached a critical point of urgency – life or death. While 14,000 tons of corn meal sit untouched in Zambian warehouses, lodged between political and economic concerns, millions starve daily. The President of Zambia, Levy Mwanawasa, fears that the influx of GM corn will cause mutations in corn grown in the region...

Oh Blue-Eyed Thais, Flaunt Your Western Genes!

Seth Mydans August 29, 2002
People have traversed the world for millennia, marrying and producing children of multiple heritages. In some parts of the world, the ethnically mixed 'look' is quickly becoming a new trend in beauty. In Thailand, mixed-race people discriminated against for looking “different” when they were younger are finding themselves rising to fame as models, pop stars, and game show hosts. Some...

Pakistanis Arrested with 550 Pirated Video Discs

August 29, 2002
Pakistani smugglers were caught with 550 pirated video discs in Malaysia. The video discs – copies of films from Bollywood, India’s answer to Hollywood – were capable of producing 100,000 copies in turn. As video piracy spreads, this recent capture is an example of the global crime network. – YaleGlobal

Bid to Break Deadlock Over GM Food

John Mason August 28, 2002
The World Bank will launch an international biotechnology initiative aimed at opening up policy possibilities for the use of genetically modified (GM) foods. The global initiative sits against the backdrop of environmental, social, and economic concerns regarding the role of GMs. Economically, the biotechnology proposition has found European consumer opposition, creating rifts in trade with the U...

Indonesia Must Learn from Illegal Migrant Issue

Philips Jusario Vermonte August 28, 2002
Unemployment in Indonesia is widespread, and jobs are hard to find. An estimated 600,000 Indonesians have migrated to neighboring Malaysia and taken jobs. About 400,000 of those are working in Malaysia illegally. To protect its domestic labor market, Malaysia recently passed a strong anti-immigration law, and thousands of Indonesian workers will soon be deported. The Indonesian government is...

World Banker Assails Indonesia’s Corruption

Jane Perlez August 28, 2002
Of the “Asian tiger” nations, Indonesia has been the slowest to recover from the financial crisis of the 1990’s. Mark Baird, the World Bank’s chief representative in Indonesia, argues that this is in large part because of pervasive corruption present in the Indonesian government, which deters foreign firms from investing in the nation. While expressing his belief that it will take years before...