In The News

Iraq, Testing Ground for US Hi-tech Weapons

March 29, 2003
Some analysts believe that the United States is using Iraq to test newly developed hi-tech weapons – some of which have never been tested in a real battle in the country.

A Role for the U.N. in Iraq’s Future

March 28, 2003
Once the war is over, the United States will have the unenviable task of restoring order and establishing a democratic government in Iraq. The U.N., with its peacekeeping troops, oil-for-food aid program, and international support, would in most cases be an essential partner in this effort, says this editorial in The New York Times. But the U.S. bypassed the U.N. in its decision to invade Iraq...

Globalization and Science: A Speeded-Up Virtuous Cycle

Ramamurti Shankar March 28, 2003
In many academic disciplines, books, journals, and letters have long been the preferred ways of communicating over long distances. Thanks to the 'information revolution' facilitated by the internet, though, today the spread of knowledge around the world can happen almost instantaneously. In Physics and other branches of science, researchers and scholars are enjoying tremendous...

Western Media Toeing Official Line

K.K. Katyal March 28, 2003
Media in the US and the UK are too eager to report the "official" news from the war in Iraq, says this opinion piece in India's The Hindu. Western reporters "embedded" with their militaries have lost their objectivity, the author argues, despite having long lectured journalists in the developing world about ethics and responsibility. However, with competition from Al-...

WTO Rules Against U.S. on Steel Tariff

Elizabeth Becker March 27, 2003
The World Trade Organization made an interim decision that the steel tariffs imposed by US President George Bush last year were illegal, and the decision is not likely to be overturned on appeal. Last spring, Mr. Bush imposed tariffs on most types of steel imported from Europe, Asia and South America. The tariffs received support from the US steel industry, but also protests from US industries...

Water Meet Highlights Isolation

Chiu Yu-Tzu March 25, 2003
24,000 people from almost all the world's countries met last week in Japan for the 2003 World Water Forum. The over 100 new commitments signed by attendees addressed broad issues of water management, including education and access to information, as well as cultural diversity and traditional knowledge. Local activists in Taiwan, however, criticized their government's water regulation...

The World Reacts

March 20, 2003
Leaders all over the world have begun responding to the new Gulf War after the US-led coalition attacked Iraq. Reactions range from strong objections to active support and indicate a divided international community at the onset of the conflict. – YaleGlobal