In The News

US Eating Habits Spreading

Lizette Albarez October 31, 2003
After making sure that every American has the opportunity to consume high calorie doughnuts, Krispy Kreme has expanded its market to include Europe. And it are not alone. With fast food chains opening and sugary food commercials all over television screens, Europe is adapting to the American diet – and scales show the result. An estimated 21 percent of men and 23.5 percent of women are now...

Once Again Divided

Mohamed Darwish October 20, 2003
It's not only the western media's portrayal of the Iraqi war that has Arab journalists up in arms – some are not so happy at the perceived inaccuracies in other Arab sources. At the Third Arab Media Forum last week in Dubai, discussions disintegrated into shouting matches as journalists struggled to make sense out the role the media should play in wartime. Some journalists accused...

Canadian Film Industry Worries

Richard Blackwell October 9, 2003
With Arnold Schwarzenegger acting as California’s new governor, Canada is worried the superstar will flex his political muscles to keep movie productions in his home state. Schwarzenegger has often bragged that he shifted filming of Terminator 3 back to California from Vancouver, and Canadian producers worry he will create incentives and use his star power to encourage other productions to...

U.S. Must Counteract Image in Muslim World, Panel Says

Steven R. Weisman October 1, 2003
A team of academics, diplomats, and writers convened by the Bush administration has found "shocking levels" of hostility towards the US in the Muslim world. The panel found anti-American sentiment increasing in the wake of the Iraq war and escalating Israel-Palestine conflict, and called this sentiment a "lethal threat" to American interests and public safety. The panel's...

Piracy Shaves 11% Off Music Sales

Tim Burt October 1, 2003
Internet file sharing and downloads, as well as illegal CD manufacturing, have caused a global decline in music sales. While this may strike fear in the hearts of shareholders of the five music majors – Universal, Sony, EMI, Warner, and BMG – all is not lost. DVD sales increased by 55% in the first half of 2003, offsetting the decline in CD revenues. Yet, a representative of the major music...

China: Controls Tighten as Internet Activism Grows

September 28, 2003
Human rights watchdog Amnesty International says that the world's most populous country is fighting a shameful battle against its own people. The Chinese government has implemented some of the most restrictive internet regulations in the world, banning Chinese web users from visiting certain foreign websites, and even suppressing speech and dissent on China-based websites. In less than a...

Why is Zimbabwe Overlooked By SA's Sunshine Advocates?

Goko September 26, 2003
With an Islamic appeals court's acquittal of Amina Lawal, the Nigerian woman who was sentenced to death for having sex out of wedlock, feminist activists from around the world are celebrating a victory against conservative Shari 'a law. However, as the editorial in this Johannesburg daily points out , violations of women's rights are common in many parts of Africa – Muslim,...