In The News

North Korean Fighter Intrudes on South’s Airspace

Don Kirk February 20, 2003
The entry into South Korean airspace by a North Korean fighter plane raises already-high tensions between the United States and North Korea. The timing of the maneuver, as well as its route, seems to imply a deliberate act on the part of North Korea to remind the U.S. of its military capabilities. North Korea’s decision to pull out of the armistice treaty, along with the reactivation of its...

Draw Foreigners to Private Singapore Schools - and Be Paid for It

Sandra Davie February 20, 2003
Some Singapore private schools are offering monetary sums up to S$1000 for actualized referrals of foreign students. Recruiters believe that prospective students will be more receptive to offers by their friends and acquaintances than by simple brochures. Increasingly higher incentives for foreign students to attend Singapore private schools reflect the competition in the world market for fee-...

Dating of Australian Remains Backs Theory of Early Migration of Humans

Nicholas Wade February 19, 2003
The newest dating of an archaeological site in Australia supports the "out of Africa" theory of human migration. Human remains found at Lake Mungo, in southeastern Australia, were formerly dated as being 62,000 years old. However, a new team of archaeologists have revised that date to be closer to 40,000 years old. This new dating now supports the theory that human society...

Foreign Talent Policy Here to Stay: Lee Kuan Yew

Vince Chong February 19, 2003
Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore says that the current immigration policy, which is meant to attract foreign talent, will not change. In order to stay competitive not only in Asia, but also the world, Singapore must continue to attract talent, especially when it suffers a falling birth rate. Mr. Lee also commented that Singapore should pursue more value-added services to counteract the...

An Illicit Paradise for the Motion Picture Buff

Richard McGregor February 18, 2003
The movie piracy industry, which accounts for the sale of almost all movies in China, has managed to succeed due to new technology as well as lax regulations. The ability of these companies to mass-produce movies at low prices and short time has allowed Hollywood movies, a major item of American cultural export to penetrate widely into China. Although the producers are currently losing money...

Will We Just Watch Upcoming U.S. Sanctions Against N. Korea?

February 17, 2003
Will a U.S. plan for sanctions against North Korea further sour the two country’s relationship? Even after South Korean opposition to economic sanctions forced the U.S. to scale back its plan, it is possible that a proposed ban on the trade of weapons and narcotics will inflame North Korea, which has denounced sanctions as an act of war. Still, part of the current situation stems from a lack of...

US Planning Sanctions Against North Korea

James Dao February 17, 2003
Despite claims by Washington just last week that it was not seeking sanctions on North Korea, officials now say that the US military and State Dept. are detailing plans for international sanctions against Kim Jong Il’s regime if his country takes further steps towards building nuclear weapons. The measures would include provisions for stemming remittances from North Koreans living abroad as well...