In The News

Arab Pride, US Prejudice

Abel-Moneim Said May 30, 2003
The Arabs have started a round of heated discussion on the post-war reforms. Divided as they are, says Arab scholar Abel-Moneim Said, they appear to agree on the idea that the U.S. should not be the one to set up reform standards in the region. The Arab world has long been in need of reform, he says, but because of the war and the America's push for "regime change," many Arabs now...

European Union’s Southern Drive

Shada Islam May 30, 2003
Despite apparent attempts by the US to lead the world in every way and area, when it comes to northern Africa and the Middle East, the European Union has its own ideas. Europe's importation of immigrant labor to support its aging population has contributed to a buildup of over 13 million Muslims of Middle Eastern descent across the continent. In the face of continued economic shifts and...

Water Tap Often Shut to South Africa's Poor

Ginger Thompson May 29, 2003
In an attempt to lessen the government's financial burden from household utilities, the South African government has decided to privatize public water operations and start cutoff standards and water-pricing. According to some government officials, this new policy can give people the incentive to lower their consumption and not to waste resources. However, many people in low-income families...

Poverty Doesn't Create Terrorists

Alan B. Krueger May 29, 2003
In his National Security Strategy issued in November 2002, U.S. President George W. Bush asserted that poverty was one of the factors leading to increased terrorist activities. This article in the New York Times, however, argues that civil liberty is the main factor and that wealth has little to do with terrorist activities. The author cites a study which found that many suicide bombers were from...

Shop Online? Security’s Still a Worry for S'poreans

Natalie Soh May 28, 2003
According to Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), less than 25% of Internet users in Singapore shop online. The need to touch and fee are important reasons why consumers prefer to shop at stores. Online security and the relatively long period it takes for products to ship to Singapore also deter consumers looking for instant gratification. However, IDA anticipates that as...

International Tension Isn't Good for U.S. or Mexico

Enrique Rangel May 28, 2003
When U.S President George Bush and Mexican President Vicente Fox took offices in their respective countries, the U.S. and Mexico promised to have the friendliest relationship seen in years. However, the strain caused by differences on Iraq and Washington's focus on terrorism is worrying more and more people on both sides. Immigration issues have further worsened this relationship. Despite...

Nuclear Confrontations with North Korea

William Perry May 28, 2003
Speaking in a panel discussion at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, William Perry, the former Secretary of Defense of the Clinton administration, said that the Korean Crisis of June 1994 was the only period during the Clinton presidency when the US came close to a major war. That was also the time the US took a diplomatic initiative to peacefully resolve the...