Fear is growing that globalization has spun out of control, with too many decisions at the local level left by the wayside. Contending with home-front discontent, leaders of the world’s major economies gathered for the G20 summit, encountering many reminders that nations are part of a global...
Trading regrets: Global leaders recognize the benefits of strong trade, but confront concerns at home; US President Barack Obama hugs European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker at G20 summit, top, and protesters in Berlin oppose the...
Terrorism, populism, sectarian conflicts and greed test democracy, writes Madeleine Albright for the New York Times, and disorder and volatility contribute to support for fascism and authoritarianism. Embracing nationalism, the Trump administration applies a wrecking ball to international...
Out-of-wedlock childbirths have become more common worldwide since the 1960s, but with wide variations among and within countries. Inreasing economic independence and education combined with modern birth control methods have given women more control over family planning. In about 25 countries,...
Shifting culture: Women's increasing economic independence contributes to more children born outside of marriage, though acceptance varies widely among countries; throughout much of Latin America, out-of-wedlock births are the norm, left, but some...
As the world becomes totally integrated, organizing principles and institutional structures have not kept up. Members of the G-20, the global group of powerful economies, continue to jockey, avoiding the tough assessments and sacrifices required to resolve pressing global issues from climate change...
SINGAPORE: We live in a world of rising global angst, with a slew of global problems defying solution. Nobody knows what will happen to key global currencies even a year from now. Unemployment remains persistent in several developed countries....
Politicians are reaping gains by wrapping themselves in flags and directing hostility toward globalization. “Humankind is developing an emerging ‘global consciousness’ – a collective sensitivity to noble thoughts as well as to phobias and ignoble protectionism,” explains Farok Contractor, a...
Invasive species: Opponents of globalization reject foreign influences, cultural or economic – Hindu extremists oppose the celebration of Valentine’s Day, and US workers reject export of jobs.
NEW BRUNSWICK: Nationalistic politicians rising around...
Two leaders, one a dictator of an isolated state and the other who oversees the world's largest economy and military, have agreed to meet. While many analysts hope a meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un might end nuclear threats for the region, journalist Shim Jae Hoon is cautious,...
Nuclear checkmate? US President Donald Trump says “yes” during impromptu meeting with Chung Eui-yong, the South Korean national security adviser who visited the White House; North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un inspects a missile
SEOUL: Kim Jong-un’s...
Homelessness is a mark of failure for communities in providing basic security. Based on national reports, about 2 percent of the world’s population may be homeless. Another 20 percent lacks adequate housing, reports demographer Joseph Chamie. Such statistics come with a caveat. Obtaining accurate...
Under the open sky: Increasing numbers of people are homeless, in both wealthy and poor cities, from Russia to India
NOTE: This article was updated on 21 January 2020 to include the specific cautionary note from the OECD on using the data for...
Modern-day diplomats in Asia and beyond envision reviving the Silk Road, an ancient network of routes crisscrossing the continent for trade and security. But Valerie Hansen, author and professor of history at Yale University points, out that trade was not the primary purpose of the network. “...
NEW HAVEN: Despite all the talk in diplomatic circles of a new Silk Road and restoring trade in Central Asia, in actuality, these routes were among the least traveled in human history - possibly not worth studying if tonnage, traffic or the number...
