In The News

Vigils Are Held Around the World to Oppose Military Action

Thomas J. Lueck March 17, 2003
Anti-war protestors utilized the internet to organize vigils around the world on Sunday night. In almost 140 countries, people came together to protest an impending US-led military action against Iraq, all at 7:00pm in their local time. In major cities and small towns of the US, the mostly silent vigils provided thousands of protestors with the opportunity to protest the Bush Administration...

World Court for Crimes of War Opens in The Hague

Marlise Simons March 12, 2003
"The most ambitious initiative in the history of modern international law" begins today in the Hague. Charged with prosecuting crimes against humanity, genocide, and other grave atrocities when national governments refuse or are unable to seek justice, the new International Criminal Court has been ratified by only 89 signatory countries. Notable exceptions include the United States,...

EU to Rule the High Seas?

David Hughes March 12, 2003
Why should a Singapore-based business daily express concern over a proposal drafted by the European Commission (EC) on pollution violations in EU waters? David Hughes argues that the new proposal is noteworthy precisely because it does not take geography or nationality into account. Therefore, he posits, "a Singapore flagged ship putting into Rotterdam could be prosecuted for an alleged...

US Abstains in the War on Tobacco

Derrick Z. Jackson March 10, 2003
Hippocrates vs. hypocrites? Bush’s government ignores “the Hippocratic Oath: Do No Harm”, says columnist Derrick Z. Jackson. The US has already signaled objections to the ‘Framework Convention on Tobacco Control,’ a recent U.N endorsed global treaty that is hoped will stop tobacco from killing 10 million people a year by 2030. Almost everything in the treaty – from state funded anti-tobacco...

Study of Antarctic Points to Rising Sea Levels

Andrew Revkin March 7, 2003
Glaciers on the coast of Antarctica are breaking up, presumably in response to global warming, although temperatures in rest of Antarctica have remained stable. This break up is occurring after centuries of stability in the glacial structure. If this trend continues, it could have disastrous results for coastlines as water levels rise and for cities as salt water flows into fresh water sources...

Fawlty Globalisation

M.J. Akbar March 6, 2003
Providing space for economic refugees is the key to maintaining a balanced globalization. The countries that have best accommodated economic refugees, like the US and India, are the ones that also tend to benefit the most from the skills these individuals bring. But the worry is that countries want cheap labor while constraining the diversity that migration entails. Multi-ethnic India serves as a...

McDonald’s Strives to Regain Ground

Sherri Day March 3, 2003
McDonald’s is often considered the ultimate American business success, and, with restaurants in over 50 countries, a symbol of American cultural dominance. Changing tastes in America and many failed menu items have contributed to a long, slow decline for McDonald’s in the US, however, and the chain plans to stop operating in three countries. Owning a McDonald’s franchise is not the instant...