In The News

The Bigger Problem: Weapons of Individual Destruction

Raenette Taljaard October 15, 2003
The American hunt for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq has turned up little so far, but in the meantime coalition soldiers and Iraqi civilians continue to be victims of armed violence. By ignoring the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, says Raenette Taljaard, a member of the South African Parliament, the international community is failing millions of people around the world....

China Sends Man Into Orbit, Entering U.S.-Russian Club

Jim Yardley October 15, 2003
China has joined the US and Russia as only the third nation to launch a person into space. The Shenzhou 5 blasted off from somewhere in China's Gobi Desert on Wednesday, carrying a lone astronaut into space. If all goes well and he returns home safely, China's leadership will have one more accomplishment to help boost domestic support for the communist party. President Hu Jintao says...

Privatization vs. Democracy

Salah Hemeid October 13, 2003
The chief US Administrator in Iraq, Paul Bremer, recently announced that Iraq's state-owned industries will be sold off to private investors in an effort to boost the country's struggling economy. The new policy also allows for 100 percent foreign ownership of all industries except for oil, which will remain under government control for the time being. Iraqis view their oil reserves as...

German Sundays Stay Truck-Free

Kristina Merkner October 10, 2003
In an apparent last-minute save, Germany's transportation minister persuaded his Italian counterpart to join Berlin in blocking other EU countries from granting more authority to Brussels over transportation rules. The German government fears that if the EU Commission acquires more authority, it could require Germany to end its ban on heavy truck traffic on Sundays. According to this...

A Bird With Just One Wing

Mustafa El-Labbad October 10, 2003
Iran's enrichment of depleted uranium has been the subject of increasing concern in the international community recently, particularly by the US. This article in Egypt's Al-Ahram Weekly argues that by using the UN's nuclear inspection arm, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to put pressure on Tehran, Washington is not only seeking to force Iran to reveal its nuclear...

Iranian Lawyer Awarded Nobel Peace Prize

Christopher Brown-Humes October 10, 2003
Amidst international tension over Iran's nuclear program and debates on the role of Islamic extremists in promoting international terrorism, the Nobel Committee chose an Iranian lawyer as the recipient of the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize. Citing Shirin Ebadi, an Iranian lawyer, for her brave advocacy of human rights and democracy, the Committee said it hoped her example would inspire democratic...

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...