In The News

Saudis Behead an Indonesian Maid

June 26, 2011
Crimes and punishments that cut across borders provoke global judgments on differences in culture and legal systems. Individual players in the sensational dramas represent their nations. Poor nations send millions of workers, 75 percent of them women, overseas as unskilled labor. Given the power imbalance, contracts, if any, are unenforceable. The migrant workers have few protections and are...

People on the Move – Part II

Steven Borowiec June 16, 2011
Poorer nations drive the world’s population growth while developed nations with aging populations are in need of young labor. Strategic policies on immigration can fill the gaps, but social, economic and diplomatic challenges emerge when the immigrants are treated as less than equal partners. With a low birth rate, South Korea seeks immigrants to work in construction, manufacturing and agri-...

Kissinger, Huntsman – US and China Need Cyber Detente

Paul Eckert, Daniel Magnowski June 15, 2011
The US and China would both benefit from a treaty designating some areas as off limits from cyber-attacks, pointed out former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and former US Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman, who is also planning to run for the US presidency. In recent weeks, the International Monetary Fund, the US Senate and major corporations have been victims of hacking, and according to...

China's Cyberassault on America

Richard Clarke June 15, 2011
China and the US differ over rules for the internet: China supports tight security to counter sites that question one-party rule; the US urges free speech in China and other nations. Freewheeling ways in the US, particularly the lack of concern over security, could result in dangerous disruptions. “Beijing is successfully stealing research and development, software source code, manufacturing know...

Can Anyone Control Pakistan's ISI Spies?

Aamer Ahmed Khan June 9, 2011
Pakistanis' trust in the country’s intelligence service, the ISI, has been shaken by recent events, but last month reached an all-time low, after the corpse of journalist Saleem Shazad was found with signs of torture. Shazad, the Pakistan bureau chief with Asia Times Online, who had previously been warned by ISI, disappeared shortly after publishing an investigative piece connecting...

Sony Chief Stringer Blindsided by Hackers Seeking Revenge

Cliff Edwards, Michael Riley, Joseph Galante June 1, 2011
Unpredictability and intrigue are the appeal of great video games, but Sony Corp. PlayStation Network customers are getting more delayed satisfaction than expected. Services were unavailable for nearly a month with more than 100 million accounts compromised worldwide, reports Bloomberg. The revenge hacking began after the corporation sued a 21-year-old customer for disassembling his PlayStation...

Coral Reefs Twice Size of Manila Destroyed

Philip C. Tubeza May 26, 2011
Black-coral colonies are thousands of small animals that grow slowly over centuries, in subtropical and tropical waters, at a rate of about one centimeter per month. The Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora bans the harvesting of Antipatharia, which has 245 species in seven families. But coral taxonomy is lacking in detail. Confusion emerges with...