News You Might Have Missed
Ain't no Other Fish in the Sea?
Tuna may be the signature fish of Japan, the world's foremost consumer of fish, but last week Japan's largest organization...
Dreaming of a Zero-Carbon Economy
Several nations around the world have launched national programs to increase energy efficiency, cut carbon emissions and build environmentally friendly...
Chile: Dammed if They Do
Critics of a hydroelectric dam just approved in Chile say building it in a national park is illegal and paves...
A Toilet for Thai Transsexuals
A secondary school in northeast Thailand recently built a toilet solely for its transsexual student population. According to the Telegraph,...
Argentina: Saving the Family Farm
A coalition of farm worker organizations, small farmers and native communities has rallied together in Argentina to focus attention on...
Bioplastics: Friend or Foe?
Biodegradable plastics are raising hopes for a potential solution to overstuffed landfills, climate change and diminished fossil fuel resources. Yet...
Monsanto Loses Canadian GMO Dispute
In late March, Canadian farmer Percy Schmeiser won a small victory against Monsanto Corporation after a decade-long legal engagement. His...
Zimbabwe Troubles May Bust Borders
Zimbabwe's controversial re-election of President Robert Mugabe is bringing new pressure on South Africa to resolve the conflict, and raising...
The Other Kind of Green Beer
From the Rocky Mountains to Japan and Australia, beer-brewing companies are adopting practices that aim to reduce waste, as well...
China: A Million Mutinies Now
After years of brutally suppressing dissent, China has in recent months faced violent public unrest in a number of different...
Pumped up for Public Water
The tide may be turning for water privatization. Water supplies have already fallen out of private hands in developing nations...
Who Resurrected the Electric Car?
With gasoline prices climbing ever higher, private companies and government agencies are giving the electric car another look. Even Republican...
Philly Police Raid Raises Hackles
After four residents of a North Philadelphia home passed out petitions criticizing surveillance cameras in the neighborhood, police raided their...
Will Pond Scum Save the Planet?
With corn-based fuels being blamed for the global food crisis, biofuel supporters are looking for non-food crops to be the...
A Merrie Olde Credit Crisis
Aftershocks from the mortgage and credit crises are rattling nerves around the world -- particularly in England's banking and lending...
Olympic Stadium Mobile Home
The Olympic Torch makes a world tour, why not an Olympic stadium? The Guardian is reporting that organizers of the...
New Execution Inquiries
The United States resumed executions last week after a brief moratorium, but several other nations that still carry out the...
Japan's Military Dilemma
Japanese activists turned out in the thousands last week to oppose changes to the nation's pacifist constitution. At issue is...
Drought Persists Down Under
Australians had high hopes for the Pacific weather pattern known as La Nina. That periodic cooling of the eastern Pacific...
Cultivating Change in Lebanon
Caught between warring militias and Israeli reprisal, Lebanon's farmers have a hardscrabble life that is only exacerbated by the threat...
King Tobacco, Balkan Crime Lord
Cigarette counterfeiting and smuggling in the Balkans is one of the primary drivers of crime and corruption in the region,...
The Ends of the Internet?
How shall the Internet come to an end? Let us count the ways. GigaOm.com, an online media service focusing on...
Australian Labor's Nuclear Powers
Firmly established in power, Australia's Labor Party has opted to reinvigorate a plan from the previous government to expand uranium...
Debt Waived for India Farmers
Small and marginal farmers in India will get almost $15 billion in debt relief, thanks to legislation orchestrated by the...
Who Wants to Buy a President?
Bucking the trend of "horse race" campaign coverage, the Center for Public Integrity's latest edition of "The Buying of the...
Beijing Olympics: It's the Water
A senior Chinese official has sharply criticized a multi- billion-dollar government plan to divert water from the Hubei and Shaanxi...
Wikileaks Shutdown Thwarted
Infoworld technology guru Robert X. Cringley said the attempted shutdown of the Wikileaks Web site by a U.S. judge at...
The Melting Mountains
The Arctic ice caps and Antarctic glaciers are well-known barometers of global warming, but melting masses of ice in the...
Canada Acknowledges Afghan Torture
Canada's defense minister acknowledged that the military knew prisoners they transferred to Afghan jails were being tortured. Although the military...
California Marijuana Law Takes a Hit
The California State Supreme Court found that employers can fire workers for using doctor-approved marijuana, despite a voter-approved state law...
Smells Like Team Spirit
In what may be a first for political branding, a Spanish political party has begun marketing its own perfume. The...
Nigeria's Smoke Out
Claims that international tobacco companies are targeting young people in Nigeria have spurred a $43 billion government lawsuit against Phillip...
Japan's Health Care Crisis
It is a leader of the industrialized world, a scientific and technological powerhouse with a robust economy, a vigorous democracy...
Trouble at the Roof of the World
Dec 26, 2007
Water rights and free speech are the latest sparks that have inflamed protests in Tibet against the Chinese government. Hundreds...
Fur Flies in Tiger Photo Fight
When Chinese officials declared this fall that a rare South China tiger had been photographed in the wild, it appeared...
Iraqi Officers AWOL in U.S.
At least five and as many as a dozen Iraqi officials have deserted U.S.-based military training, and are at large...
The Stirrings of Islamo-Liberalism
Plenty of media attention has been given to fundamentalist Islam and Taliban-style "Islamo-fascism." But three recent articles bring to light...
Oil Industry's Amazon Frontier
Economic development and ecological conservation are once again at odds in the Amazon, where a remote region thick with rare...
Here Comes the Flood
Heavy weather the world over is raising concerns about the potential of a flood-prone future, and what that means for...
Data Snooping and its Discontents
The limits of data privacy are being tested in Western democracies, as governments and corporations push for greater access with...
The Plagues of Uganda
Concurrent outbreaks of several diseases in Uganda have health officials there on the defensive, reports The Monitor in Kampala. Even...
Whither Cuba's Green Thumb?
Floods, storms, drought and heat, plus an array of economic concerns, are taking their toll on Cuban agriculture. Inter Press...
Outsourcing Motherhood
Scores of impoverished Indian women are selling their services as childbearers to foreign couples who either cannot, or don't want...
Rendition Inquiry Looks to Ukraine
Nov 21, 2007
An Italian European Union minister wants human rights officials to investigate "strong and specific" evidence that the Ukrainian government was...
Thailand's Muslim Conflict
Violent conflicts between Thai armed forces and a rebel separatist group in the three Muslim-dominated southern provinces of Thailand flared...
The Persistence of Rendition
When President Bush publicly acknowledged the existence of secret CIA jails, he also said they would be vacated -- temporarily....
Whistle-Blowers Muted by Bureaucracy
Whether speaking out about violations of national security or tainted meat, precious few government employees receive protection for their whistle-blowing...
New Hope and Hurdles for Uganda Peace
Oct 31, 2007
Overshadowed by the Darfur conflict, one of Africa's most bloody and intractable rebellions inches closer to resolution. Reconciliation is on...
A Taste of Old Russia
European authorities are decrying a move by Russia to cut the number of international observers at its upcoming December 2...
The Child Brides of Kandahar
Human rights activists in Afghanistan say arranged marriages involving young girls under 16 still account for half of all marriages...
Iran: Dissent Crackdown Deepens
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government is in the midst of an unprecedented crackdown on civilians, criminals and dissenters. Experts suggest...
AIDS Bias Targets 11-Year-Old Boy
An 11-year-old who received "regular blood transfusions" for years was diagnosed as HIV-positive, and later kicked out of a school...
Families a Casualty of Kashmir Split
Oct 17, 2007
As many as 50,000 Indian-Pakistani families have been divided by the disputed Kashmir province since 1989. Among them are several...
The World's Prison Crisis
Overcrowding, poor hygiene and drug addiction aren't just issues that affect U.S. prisons, but extend to those of other regimes...
Refugees: A Risky Route to Yemen
Thousands of Somali and Ethiopian refugees attempting to flee to Yemen are risking their lives in covert smuggling voyages across...
Russia and the Muslims
A series of unprovoked attacks on native Russian families living in Ingushetia, a Muslim Republic in Southern Russia, have brought...
The Death Sentence on Trial?
Support for capital punishment may be on the wane, as the Supreme Court ponders a Kentucky case that pivots on...
A Nuclear "Renaissance"
Although it is a long way from becoming a reality, pundits are already predicting a "nuclear renaissance" in America for...
Bhutto Promises Nuclear Access
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto said that if she were to return to power, she would permit the United...
Day Labor Camp Divides in Texas
A Christian church in Houston is part of an interfaith coalition that has drawn the ire of anti-immigration activists by...
The Chemical Legacy Today
A host of chemicals created for use in industrial and commercial processes are having unintended effects on populations. The Guardian...
Swiss Citizenship Hurdles Called Racist
Sep 19, 2007
An official report released by Switzerland's Federal Commission on Racial Discrimination says the Swiss citizenship system is racist because it...
In Iraq, School is Out
Iraq's school system, reportedly once one of the finest in the Middle East, is wracked with violence and disrepair following...
The FBI's Just a Mouseclick Away
New details on the FBI's domestic wiretapping program reveal it to be far more technologically sophisticated than experts believed. FBI...
Biodiesel's Mixed Blessings
Biodiesel shows promise as an alternative fuel, but it presents substantial challenges to produce locally, efficiently, and in quantities to...
Zimbabwe: The Toll of Fake AIDS Drugs
A growing number of Zimbabweans infected with HIV are being sold counterfeit or contaminated anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) at non-approved dispensaries...
Mexico's Drug War Crosses Borders
Driven by America's insatiable appetite for cocaine, marijuana and other narcotics, Mexican drug cartels have increasingly transformed U.S. border towns...
The Gospel of Intolerance
Whether it's Jews against Christian, Christians against Muslims, or Iraqi sects against each other, religious intolerance is thriving, sometimes with...
Hate Crimes and the Homeless
Aug 22, 2007
Violent street attacks on the homeless have multiplied across America in recent years, prompting lawmakers in six states, including California,...
The Atrocity Illustrations
An advocacy group called Waging Peace wants to submit "evidence" of crimes against humanity witnessed by Sudanese children who say...
Ten Chapters to Jihad
A military manual put together by Taliban militants and clerics shows how organized the group really is, and underlines its...
Security State's Brave New Tech
The U.S. and Britain have been developing elaborate new tools to identify and subdue would-be terrorists at home and abroad....
Your Words Betray You
Marc Shultz couldn't quite recall what he brought into the coffeeshop that Saturday morning, the day the last Harry Potter...
Khatami's Losing Hand
Former Iranian President Mohammed Khatami announced he will not run for president in the 2009 election, despite his popularity as...
Back to the Beach, With Feces
With the heat of summer comes dangerous and often unexplained contamination of U.S. beaches by E.coli and fecal coliform. In...
Green Mandate Sparks E.U. Lawsuit
Latvia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Estonia are suing the European Union after it tightened carbon quotas in...
DARFUR: You Can't Go Home Again
Driven by environmental pressures and ethnic divisions, the violence in Darfur is reaching across borders to affect black African and...
Zimbabwe: Crises In Climax
With inflation at over 4,500 percent and hospitals, water, power and food access close to collapse, Zimbabwe faces its worst...
A Farewell to Arms
Gun sales and stockpiles may be booming worldwide, but in Colombia an unusual ceremony saw the destruction of 13,778 handguns,...
Democratic Congress: A High Pork Diet
Jul 18, 2007
A report from the Center for Investigative Reporting exposes the hypocrisy of Democratic claims that the $463.5-billion spending bill they...
Mexican Drug Sting Bites Back
A drug bust that netted $205 million gave Mexican President Felipe Calderon bragging rights back in March, but has since...
Asia's Plague of Cars
In spite of Asia's renown for producing the most advanced, gas-efficient cars on the planet, the growing popularity of car...
It's Not Easy Being Green
If some aspects of "green" marketing and technology sometimes sound too good to be true, that's because they are. Kansas...
Schwarzenegger: on the Wings of Charity
Government watchdogs are concerned that a shadowy nonprofit that finances Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's lavish international trips may also allow special...
Al Qaeda Spreads
Even as Al Qaeda sympathizers in the United Kingdom make headlines, the terrorist group has seen affiliates taking root in...
Russia's Thirst for Oil
Russia has been single-minded in ensuring its hegemony over oil rights and delivery throughout Eastern Europe, and now seeks to...
Top Stories * June 28-July 4
Photo-Free NYC A post-9/11 requirement that tourists and other casual photographers get a permit before taking pictures in New York...
Backlash Brewing in Mogadishu
Mogadishu's transitional government, backed by Ethiopian troops, is credited with pushing out the hard-line Union of Islamic Courts. But residents...
A Photo-Free NYC
A post-9/11 requirement that tourists and other casual photographers get a permit before taking pictures in New York City has...
Top Stories * June 21-27
"Hedonics" Leaves Bogota Happy Bogotans thank Enrique Penalosa for building parks, schools, and bike routes instead of freeways during his...
Trade Bolsters Myanmar Junta
Another birthday of imprisoned dissident Daw Aung Sung Suu Kyi has come and gone, and the plight of Burma slips...
TOP STORIES * June 14-20
Anti-Gay Protests "Fall Flat" in Jerusalem Fundamentalist, ultra-conservative -- the Haredi Jews of Israel may be all that, but their...
Democracy, Too, Slides in Bangladesh
Even as Bangladesh reels from lethal mudslides, the nation's political establishment is in chaos following the suspension of the legislature,...
TOP STORIES * June 6-13
An Islamist Finds Religion Hassan al-Turabi, a renowned Sudanese Islamic scholar who once offered refuge to Osama bin Laden, is...
TOP STORIES * May 31-June 6
Government, Taliban Let Afghan Poppies Blossom Shopkeepers selling poppy paste at bazaars in Helmand pay "protection" at a price openly...
Top Stories * May 24-30
Mexico's "Sahara" Only Growing Chicken and dairy moguls, a Coca-Cola plant and clearcutting are turning turning arid but habitable land...
TOP STORIES * May 17-23
May 23, 2007
Transplant Tourism Fuels China's Live Organ Harvest Activists say the surge of kidneys and other organs available for transplant in...
Little Progress for Gun Opponents
Lawmakers raced to propose tougher gun control laws following the Virginia Tech and Montreal school shootings, but each has drawn...
TOP STORIES * May 10-16
May 17, 2007
Trouble Follows Korea Bride Business Business is booming for commercial marriage brokers in South Korea, where a surfeit of bachelors...
Top Stories: May 3-9
Iraqi Sunnis Have a New Enemy: Al Qaeda Following ongoing violence against civilians, Sunni tribes in the Anbar province of...
The EPA Under Pressure
The Environmental Protection Agency has come under fire from activists and state officials for not enforcing laws to protect the...
TOP STORIES * April 26-May 2
May 2, 2007
Republican-Backed Voter Suppression Alleged Former Justice Department employees say the White House used Republican political appointees to prevent thousands of...
TOP STORIES * April 19-25
Iran: Crimes of Fashion With hotter weather comes the urge to shed layers, leading to the latest crackdown by Iranian...
The Disappearing Honeybee
A widespread honeybee die-off, known as "colony collapse disorder," has seen bees disappear from hundreds of thousands of hives around...
TOP STORIES * April 12-18
A Sunni House Divided Thousands of Iraqi Sunnis fleeing Shia militias are finding no peace in Sunni districts, where they...
TOP STORIES * April 5-11
U.N. Fund Fails Pakistani Gulf War Refugees Thousands of rural Pakistanis displaced from Kuwait by the first Gulf War never...
RWANDA: Legacy of a Genocide
Rwanda's genocide ended 13 years ago, but some Hutus still target Tutsi survivors with "arson, stone throwing, uprooting of crops...
TOP STORIES * March 22-28
Mar 29, 2007
Blood Transfusions Behind Kazakh HIV Scandal Doctors at a state-run Kazakh hospital are on trial for allegedly approving transfusions using...
Who Is Rafsanjani?
Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's landslide election to Iran's powerful Council of Experts was widely considered a rebuke to President Ahmadinejad,...
TOP STORIES * March 15-21
Pipeline Politics Aflow in Central Asia A new pipeline is expected to bring more than $200 billion into Azerbaijan in...
TOP STORIES * March 8-14
Haiti Rapes Defy U.N. Intervention Kidnappings and rape went hand-in-hand during Haiti's years of political repression. But even as U.N....
Immigration Officials in the Spotlight
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency's "Operation Return to Sender" has arrested 18,000 undocumented immigrants since June, provoking an inquiry...
TOP STORIES * March 1-7
Closing the Books in Oregon All 15 of the public libraries serving Jackson County, Ore., are scheduled to close after...
Top Stories * Feb. 22-28
China Blamed for Sandstorm "Season" Born in the widening Gobi Desert, driven by overgrazing and deforestation, and soaking up the...
A Brownfield Grows in Queens
Neighbors of an old lot targeted for a $50 million low-income housing and commercial complex were never told of the...
The Broken Homes of Baghdad
Observers say Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's plan to return every Baghdad home to their original owner within 15 days, or...
Top Stories * Feb. 15-21
Dow Fine Stirs Bhopal Ghosts Survivors of the Bhopal chemical disaster called for a police investigation after U.S. regulators fined...
Top Stories: Feb. 8-14
Venezuela's Deadly Trade Union Battles Rival trade union leaders, already divided into competing pro- and anti- Chavez camps, are killing...
Top Stories: Feb. 1-7
Shiite Militia May Gain From Surge American soldiers in Iraq say the Mahdi Army will only be strengthened by White...
World Headlines: January 25-31
Africa's Urbanization Struggle In Lagos, Nigeria, waste produced by 13 million residents fills up canals and spreads disease and contaminants...
Top Stories, January 5-21
Florida Gun Licensing: Off Target? Carry a gun into a courthouse or airport in Florida, and you'll get off with...
Top Stories: Jan 18-24
Citizens Secure Schools in Afghanistan The Taliban denies responsibility for arson attacks that have destroyed more than 100 Afghan schools,...
Nation: Jan. 18-24
Jan 26, 2007
Redwood Protections Run Deep Protections woven into the deeds on 200,000 acres of old-growth redwood trees in Northern California may...
ALLEGATION & PERSPECTIVE
Claims of Counterfeit Cover-Up A German newspaper alleges the United States is secretly printing the counterfeit bank notes the Bush...
IRAQ: MOVING FORWARD
A Peace Plan's Ambition A "blueprint" for stability in Iraq, proposed by former defense minister Ali Allawi, would replace American...
Women: Rights & Welfare
Jan 17, 2007
Progress in Yemen, Zimbabwe A Western-educated Yemeni woman said she would break a law against women in politics by forming...
GLOBAL GIVING
Questions for Gates Foundation, Nigeria Funds Although the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation spends millions on health and anti-poverty campaigns...
RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM
Hate Speech in England British officials want a preacher "closed down" for using a false name to post calls for...
TOP STORIES * Jan. 17, 2006
"Eco-Mafia" Targets Eastern Europe Hungarian police say that 10 illegal toxic waste dumps are the work of a German "eco-mafia"...
Rape Victims' Voices Unheard
Although up to 500,000 women in Rwanda alone were estimated to have been raped, U.N. tribunals prosecuting genocide there and...