In The News

Spectatorship Is Also a Competition

August 6, 2008
Not only athletes, but China and spectators attending the Beijing Olympics are on display for the world, suggests this editorial from the People’s Daily Online. Like the athletes, spectators represent their home countries: Polite or enthusiastic, focused on sports or global issues, the onlookers can compete for attention. “Spectators are part of a competition's success,” the editorial...

Texas Execution Plan Defies Hague Order

Suzanne Goldenberg August 5, 2008
The International Court of Justice, as the principal legal body of the United Nations, is expected to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by member states. But the state of Texas in the US insists the court does not have jurisdiction over the case of José Medellín, charged with the 1993 brutal rape and murder of two teenagers and since convicted and...

Neo-Nazis Using Web Sites to Threaten Opponents

Guido Kleinhubbert August 1, 2008
Neo-Nazis use the internet to their advantage. To intimidate left-leaning politicians and activists, the Nazis publish names, family information, photos and threats. Followers then use that information to damage cars, fire shots near politician’s homes or deface property. Germany tightly restricts Nazi symbols, but has discovered that it’s near impossible to stop the practice of using the...

Not All Bad News

July 29, 2008
Newspapers have had to contend with lots of competition. Reporters are likely to run their own blogs, fewer people read newspapers, and the internet has become a popular source for the news. Yet newspapers are still thriving, especially in Asia and Latin America. The newly literate regard newspaper reading as a sign of their achievements. In countries like India, the government and NGOs lead...

Beijing and Taiwan Try Their Hand at Détente

Sandra Schulz July 28, 2008
After the Communist Party took control of China in 1949, opponents fled to the island of Taiwan, dreamed of someday resuming control of China, set up a government that transformed from dictatorship to democracy, and established a solid and wealthy economy. Years of strict separation, suspicion and military tension followed, and the Communist government in China has since maintained that that...

More Pressure on Global Fish Stocks as Scientists Warn of Underreporting of Catches

Tim Radford July 17, 2008
Scientists have long known that global fish stocks were in trouble. Countries overfish and deplete stocks without thought to long-term consequences and population collapses. Researchers from the Sea Around Us, an international research group based at the University of British Columbia, visited 20 locations, talked to locals and estimated the amount of fish that were caught. They reached the...

Chinese Seek a Day in Court

Geoffrey A. Fowler July 11, 2008
The practice of law in China has been somewhat problematic, especially when legal goals interfered with politics. Until recently, the police listened to conversations between lawyers and clients, and lawyers could be jailed for pursuing cases with political ramifications. But with the help of television, the internet and handbooks, average citizens in China are learning about their potential...