In The News

Bitter-Sweet of GM Crops

Pennapa Hongthong January 7, 2004
Genetically modified crops have been hailed as the great savior for farmers in their never-ending struggle to ward off pests and achieve higher productivity. But these claims should be taken with caution, says this commentary in Thailand's The Nation. Before Thai farmers jump on the bandwagon with GM crops, the author warns, they would be wise to learn from the experience of cotton grower...

The WSIS: whose freedom, whose information?

Solana Larsen December 9, 2003
In Geneva, more than 130 of the world's governments are meeting in the first phase of the UN World Summit of the Information Society (WSIS), to discuss how to bridge the "digital divide" and bring more telephone and computer technology to poor countries. But the summit has already hit a roadblock, as civil society groups formed an alternate body and wrote an opposing declaration...

IT Firms in for Rough Ride Despite Rebound

Ho Ka Wei December 4, 2003
The demand to be constantly connected is growing, and so is the market for wireless technology and other mobile applications. This trend, coupled with increased business spending on IT technology, has some analysts predicting a rebound in the sector. Singapore alone is expected to see a 5 percent growth in IT spending next year. And, globally, businesses are continuing to outsource IT services...

Fight for Freedom Logs On

Garrett Glass December 2, 2003
A new class of freedom fighter has emerged in Cuba - the computer hacker. In a country where high prices and government censorship restrict access to the internet, an increasing number of Cubans are using creative methods to explore the internet unhindered. These "informaticos" acquire laptops from friends in foreign countries and modify the hardware and software to get around...

Developing Nations Begin to Embrace Internet Commerce

Bod Tedeschi November 23, 2003
Though the internet has long served the needs of businesses large and small in developed nations, it has struggled to make a broad impact in the developing world, where the internet remains inaccessible to many. Global e-commerce revenue will reach upwards of $4 trillion this year, over 95% of which will come from transactions in industrialized countries. However, as this article reports, a...

MEPs Vote to Support Stem Cell Research

Ian Black November 20, 2003
In a controversial decision, the European parliament decided on November 19 to permit EU funds to be spent on new stem cell research. Despite heavy lobbying from religious groups, the European parliament sided with medical researchers and patients' groups because they do not want Europe to risk falling behind in a lucrative area of biotechnology. Although Catholic countries such as Germany,...

Monsanto to Quit Europe

Mark Oliver October 16, 2003
In the wake of hundreds of public meetings at which a majority of UK citizens said 'No' to genetically modified crops, the American pioneer of GM foods announced it is pulling out of the European cereal business. Monsanto, the largest GM seed company in the world, said it no longer sees "a good strategic fit" for the company’s hybrid seed research in Europe. Anti-GM...