In The News

China Clamps Down on Web News Discussion

Mark Magnier February 26, 2004
China has cracked down on the internet once again. This time, the government has targeted news discussion groups, which often feature independent reporting not approved by the government. While it is common for Beijing to quiet dissenting voices before an upcoming National People's Congress (one is scheduled for next week), some see this latest crackdown as particularly heavy-handed. In one...

Programming Jobs are Heading Overseas by the Thousands

Stephen Baker February 23, 2004
Future computer programmers in the US and India are approaching vastly different thresholds. As US software programmers' career prospects are dwindling, Indian tech graduates see futures "brimming with optimism." In the past three years, the number of jobs offshored from the US has nearly tripled, and economists predict that one in ten tech jobs in the US eventually will move to...

Google Adds 1 Billion Pages to Stay Ahead

February 19, 2004
Google, the popular internet search engine, has added a billion pages to remain competitive. It currently hosts 35% of all internet searches. But Yahoo and MSN are clipping at Google's heels and hope to overtake it as the leading search engine. Part of Google's success lies in its proprietary algorithm that aids and ranks search requests. In a race for superiority, both Yahoo and...

China: Controls Tighten as Internet Activism Grows

January 28, 2004
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...

Cuba Ailing? Not Its Biomedical Industry

Tom Fawthrop January 26, 2004
One does not frequently hear of Cuba when discussing today's integrating global economy. Cuba appears isolated, politically and economically, mainly due to trade restrictions placed on it by the US in the 1960's. No wonder, says the author of this Straits Times article, the world is surprised to learn of Cuba's flourishing biotech industry which has contributed much to the field of...

Germany to Allow Import of GMOs

Kristina Merkner January 16, 2004
Long known for its opposition to genetically modified organisms, Germany will soon allow the cultivation and sale of GM foods. The minister for consumer protection, food, and agriculture, herself a member of the pro-environment Green party, says the new laws will benefit farmers looking to grow GM crops but also give consumers a choice through mandatory labeling of all GM foods. Other anti-GM...

Chinese Chess in Space

Joan Johnson-Freese January 13, 2004
As the White House prepares plans for a new US manned space initiative, President Bush might want to invite China to the drawing board. Joan Johnson-Freese, an expert in Chinese space technology at the US Naval War College, believes that China's recent successful manned space flight signifies that Beijing is committed to exploring space. Rather than ignore China's achievements and...