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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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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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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G8: 'Investment In Health Is Effective Aid'
Interview with Jon Lidén of the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis
GENEVA - Japan wants next week's summit of seven major western industrial nations and Russia (G8) to urge the international community to push towards combating HIV/AIDS. It sees this as a critical objective of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that are meant to be achieved by 2015.
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AUSTRALIA: Food At Risk From Bee Pest
By Stephen de Tarczynski
MELBOURNE - Australia’s food security is under threat from a tiny parasite with the potential to devastate the nation’s bee and pollination industries.
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GLOBALISATION: West’s Loss of Gulf Funds East’s Gain
Analysis by Meena Janardhan
DUBAI - As politically motivated restrictions on investments by oil-rich countries intensify in the West, the sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) of the Gulf countries could opt to invest in Asia and other emerging markets despite attractive valuations in the slowing U.S and European markets.
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G8: Japan Showcases its Environmental Policy
By Keya Acharya
TOKYO - Japan has one of the world’s most aggressive environmental policies, set both to meet 2012 emission reduction targets and to make the country -- which has no natural resources of its own -- less dependent on imports, according to experts meeting here. At a meeting of influential parliamentarians of GLOBE (global legislators for a balanced environment) ahead of the upcoming G8 summit in Hokkaido, Jul. 7-9, several high-profile Japanese politicians spoke of Prime Minister Fukuda’s low-carbon initiatives.
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POLITICS: Iranian Envoy Calls New Offer "Constructive"
By Omid Memarian
UNITED NATIONS - Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Wednesday that Tehran is finalising its response to the European Union's latest offer to suspend uranium enrichment, as European officials called for more pressure by the U.N. Security Council if Iran rejects the incentives package.
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