In The News

Alcohol Pickle

Adam Cohen September 25, 2006
The government of Finland has historically curbed alcohol through high taxes on the beverages. European Union law, however, permits individuals to carry alcohol throughout the bloc without restriction. Since the tax reductions, crime and alcohol-related illness have escalated in Finland, prompting the Finnish government, now holding the EU presidency, to propose higher alcohol taxes throughout...

Helping Those Devoured by the Dragon

Andreas Lorenz September 5, 2006
China’s economic boom has improved the lives of millions in its most prosperous cities, often at the expense of the environment, public health, and worker’s rights. A growing number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) help those left behind. Among their diverse causes, the groups fight for better working conditions, environmental protection, and an improved legal system. While even...

A Misreading in India

Amelia Gentleman August 24, 2006
Coca-Cola and PepsiCo executives were confident that they could handle allegations, made by the Center for Science and the Environment, that products sold in India contained pesticides. But executives did not anticipate how quickly the news would spread through India, how local politicians would seize the opportunity to denounce the multinational corporations, and how explosive the issue could...

More Than Wal-Mart

Robert Kuttner August 23, 2006
Wal-Mart is a symbol of the struggling worker who faces little hope of advancement, both in the US and abroad. The world’s largest retailer offers low prices by paying millions of workers minimum wage and passing many health-care costs onto government programs for the poor. The US government supports the work ethic. Since 1970, the US government decreased employer regulation, eliminated pension...

Singapore Acts as Haven for Stem Cell Research

Wayne Arnold August 18, 2006
Singapore has a conservative government, with strict rules in many areas – but it bestows ample freedoms and financial incentives for its scientists. As a result, the country has become a magnet for biomedical researchers from around the world. The US, world leader in medical research, presents an uncertain legal environment for stem-cell researchers, by legalizing abortions and fertility...

A Small Charity Takes Lead in Fighting a Disease

Stephanie Strom August 8, 2006
Diseases that are common among the world’s poor, such as black fever, are not on Big Pharma’s priority list. For the first time, with the help of the Gates Fund, a small charity is bringing a cure to market. Despite skepticism from other researchers, the non-profit Institute for OneWorld Health, based in San Francisco, tackled black fever, the second largest parasitic killer in the world after...

Letter from Britain: Lack of African Dream Lets a Nightmare Prevail

Alan Cowell August 2, 2006
At the 2005 G-8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, leaders from the world’s most industrialized nations promised increased aid for the countries of sub-Saharan Africa, while African leaders pledged to clean up corruption in government – kicking off the “Make Poverty History” campaign with high hopes. A year later, donor nations have not followed through on their promises, and some charge that...