In The News

Germany Deadlocked Over Immigration Policy

Dominic Sachsenmaier August 22, 2003
Economic integration around the world does not necessarily equate to acceptance of multi-culturalism at home. Though German industry and banks straddle the globe, linking countries and societies economically, many Germans are fiercely fighting the influx of foreign influence - particularly through immigration. These Germans feel passionately about preserving a homogenous society and are...

Strict CO2 Limits Will Send Work Abroad

David Gow August 20, 2003
Strictly enforcing a new emissions policy could cause a mass exodus of jobs and energy business from Britain. The German-owned energy company Innogy – one of the country's largest energy suppliers – is concerned that the United Kingdom will apply the EU's new carbon emissions trading scheme more stringently than other member states. The new scheme caps the amount of carbon dioxide...

Search for Bodies Continues at UN Headquarters

August 20, 2003
As the international community condemned the bombing, UN secretary-general, Kofi Annan, said that his staff would remain in Iraq and continue their humanitarian mission. Countries around the world echoed Mr Annan's resolve, though responses varied from country to country. While Thailand reiterated its commitment to sending troops, the European Commission announced that it would be scaling...

Security Measures May Not be Sand in the Wheels of Commerce

William Mougayar August 19, 2003
Seaports have been described as America's most vulnerable entry-point. Everyday, ships from around the world dock in American harbors and unload a vast array of cargo. Most inbound crates contain products from trusted trade partners. However, since September 11, concern has grown that the crates entering these under-regulated gateways could hold chemical, biological, or even nuclear...

Farm Deal Puts WTO Talks at Risk

Charlotte Denny August 14, 2003
The US and the EU spoke optimistically about their new agreement on farm subsidies last night, but many developing countries doubt whether tangible change will result. Agricultural reform has been an extremely contentious issue in the WTO, often dividing the developed and the developing worlds. Europe, the United States, and Japan spend billions of dollars a year on agricultural subsidies, a...

Australia Plays Down Pacific Union

August 14, 2003
A recent report by the Australian Senate suggested that Pacific micro states should move towards political and economic integration, similar to the European Union. Australian Prime Minister John Howard acknowledged that the report made many important points but denies that the Pacific region is ready or willing to relinquish much national sovereignty. "Let's crawl before we walk,...

Harvesting Poverty

August 11, 2003
Two hundred years ago, the English navy blockaded French ports, cutting the country off from the sugar cane of tropical colonies and forcing Napoleon to push French farmers to grow beet sugar as a replacement. The blockade eventually ended, but the farming of beet sugar did not. Indeed, as this New York Times editorial points out, beet sugar is vehemently protected by EU agricultural policies...