G8: A Mountain Of Wishes Waits
By Ramesh Jaura
TOYAKO, Japan - When the leaders of seven western industrial democracies and Russia gather for their meetings Jul. 7-9 in Toyako on the northern island of Hokkaido, a mountain of wishes tabled by a multitude of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from around the world would have piled up before them.
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THAILAND: For Fisheries, Depleted Seas Worse Than Insurgency
By Marwaan Macan-Markar
PATTANI, Thailand - Rohana Samu is among the fortunate. She is glad to have steady work for the past four years no matter how monotonous her job is -- working an eight-hour shift daily in a frigid room, cleaning fish.
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ENVIRONMENT: Profit in Watching - Not Hunting - Whales
By Daniela Estrada*
SANTIAGO, Chile - Eighteen Latin American countries are currently involved in whale and dolphin watching tourism, which brings in about 278 million dollars a year. But experts say there is a lack of standards, research and education to ensure that it is a sustainable activity.
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CHINA: Cheap Schools Carried Terrible Cost
By Antoaneta Bezlova
BEIJING - The silence surrounding investigations into why so many schools collapsed during China's massive earthquake in May suggests Beijing's reluctance to face up to the fact that the failure of government education policies is partly to blame for the deaths of thousands of children.
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G8: 'Make Or Break on Climate Change'
By Ramesh Jaura
TOKYO - Japan is preparing to test its leadership role at the summit meeting of seven western industrial democracies and Russia (G8) Jul. 7-9 in Toyako on the northern island of Hokkaido.
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POLITICS-BOLIVIA: Volatile Loyalties, Deep Divisions
By Franz Chávez
LA PAZ - The governing party in Bolivia is reeling from its latest electoral defeat, and beginning to doubt the popularity of President Evo Morales, who is putting his office, the vice president's and those of provincial governors up for ratification in a recall referendum to be held on Aug. 10.
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ECONOMY: Little to Cheer on U.S. Independence Day
By Abid Aslam
WASHINGTON - The world's biggest economy marked Independence Day Friday with little cause for economic cheer. Job losses are the worst in nearly six years and a de facto recession appears to have gripped all sectors.
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CORRUPTION: Norway Turns the Spotlight on Tax Havens
By Tarjei Kidd Olsen
OSLO - A new commission appointed by Norway will investigate ways of putting a stop to the huge flows of money into tax havens. Tax evasion and corruption are believed to cost poor countries at least 50 billion dollars a year.
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ENERGY: Don't Write Off Biofuels Yet, Advocates Say
By Catherine Makino
TOKYO - Japan wants countries to reconsider biofuels as an alternative technology to fight climate change by using fuel cell cars at the Group of Eight (G8) Summit on Jul. 7-9. The vehicles will transport the leaders of the world's major industrialised nations when they gather on the northern Japanese Island of Hokkaido.
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POLITICS-AFRICA: Mixed Reviews From Civil Society
By Aya Batrawy
CAIRO - Civil society organisations (CSOs) have mixed feelings about the outcomes of the latest African Union Summit, which concluded in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El Sheikh earlier this week. The summit meeting of African heads of state and officials was largely dominated by debate – or lack thereof – over the crisis in Zimbabwe and the participation of the controversial president, Robert Mugabe.
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