In The News

The World's Sweatshop

Joseph Kahn November 4, 2003
China is supplying the world with a great variety of cheap products, including exports of pharmaceutical medications to US partner companies. Yet this article argues that some of the so-called cheap drugs Americans enjoy carry a hidden price tag that is difficult to put a dollar figure on – human life. Hisun, a Chinese company with US government approval to produce medications in cooperation...

Putin Appeals for Calm as Russian Bourses Dive

October 27, 2003
Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the head of Russia's largest oil and gas company, Yukos, was arrested over the weekend for corruption and tax evasion. In response, Russia's stock market, the MICEX, dove 12% on Monday, reflecting the jitters felt by Russia's business leaders. The development of Russia into a privatized, capitalist economy after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 has long...

Most Iraqis Unhappy with Coalition Forces

Maureen Fan October 24, 2003
A poll by an independent think tank shows that Iraqis are less and less enamored of their American 'liberators'. Over half the Iraqis surveyed seriously doubted that US-led coalition forces could improve safety conditions and worried about deteriorating security conditions. When asked about their preferred political model for a post-Saddam Iraq, more chose Iran than the US, although...

Heroic Capture at Sea Highlights Gaping Cavities in Toothfish Defence

Andrew Darby August 29, 2003
The Patagonian toothfish – popularly known as the Chilean Sea Bass – has long been over-fished and is protected by international laws as an endangered species. Unfortunately, there has not been a comparable international response to enforcing these laws and preventing illegal fishing. This reality is evidenced by a recent three-week chase of a Uruguayan ship through treacherous Antarctic waters...

Protests greet North Korean ferry in Nigata

David Pilling August 25, 2003
A North Korean ferry sailed into a Japanese port on August 24 morning to loud and angry protests. The ferry is the only direct link between Japan and North Korea, but has not been in service since January. Accusations abound that the boat was used to smuggle drugs, counterfeit money, and parts for missiles. However, Japanese protesters are seething primarily because of North Korea's...

Helped by Technology, Piracy of DVD's Runs Rampant in China

Chris Buckley August 18, 2003
Few Chinese wait for the latest American film to open in local theatres to see it on big screen. Thanks to the internet and computer technology, pirated films are readily available throughout China long before their scheduled premiers. Small, locally owned pirate stores have emerged in cities and towns across the country, catering to China's growing market for pirated DVDs and costing the...

Exploited and Far from Home, Some Au Pairs Are Mistreated

Anna von Münchhausen August 15, 2003
Working and living abroad as an au pair should be an exciting and rewarding experience for young men and women. It gives them the opportunity to stay with a family while they experience an unfamiliar culture. But this very unfamiliarity – so exciting when the au pairs are warmly received – can also leave them vulnerable to abuse. In March 2002, the German au pair market was liberalized and...