U.S. and the World
Did Virginia Company’s Coal Ash Cause Birth Defects in Dominican Republic?
A Virginia-based power company has been accused of causing birth defects and other health problems in the Dominican Republic after thousands of tons of coal ash were dumped on a local beach. AES Corporation, operator of coal-burning power plants i... read more
Americans Overwhelmingly Think it’s Wrong for U.S. to Violate International Law
Most Americans don’t have a problem with the United States obeying international law or subjecting itself to rulings by the International Court of Justice, according to a new global survey. The poll conducted by WorldPublicOpinion.org found that o... read more
MTV Celebrates Fall of Berlin Wall by Building 6-Foot Barrier to Keep Away Fans
What do you get when you combine a lack of cultural sensitivity and political irony? The 20th anniversary of the Berlin Wall coming down, brought to you by MTV. The music television network organized a U2 rock concert on Thursday to mark the occas... read more
Details of U.S.-Colombia Military Deal Cause Outrage
Latin American leaders have expressed concern over a new bilateral military agreement between the United States and Colombia that involves security issues related to “anti-U.S. governments” in the region. The 10-year treaty gives American military... read more
Snows of Kilimanjaro Are Melting
When Ernest Hemingway wrote “The Snows of Kilimanjaro,” he inadvertently crafted a perfect metaphor for the modern problem of global warming now threatening the famous icy peak in Tanzania that inspired the story early in the 20th century. In Hemi... read more
Russia Accused of Practicing Invasion of Poland…as Usual
Having endured more than four decades of authoritarian rule behind the former Soviet Union’s “Iron Curtain,” Poland was not happy to learn that Russia practiced invading its country during a recent war games exercise. The mock attack was carried o... read more
More Than 1,000 U.S. Soldiers Wounded in Afghanistan in Last 3 Months
About 4,000 U.S. soldiers have been wounded in Afghanistan since the invasion of 2001—but a quarter of those have come just in the last three months of fighting. Expanded military operations coupled with a Taliban offensive and more powerful impro... read more
New Agreement Allows Europeans to Refuse to Extradite Death Penalty Criminals to U.S.
American and European officials are negotiating a new agreement that would allow members of the European Union to refuse extradition of suspects to the United States in the event that they may be sentenced to be executed. Few details were provided... read more
U.S. May Grant Asylum Rights to Victims of Spousal Abuse
Rody Alvarado of Guatemala appears headed for permanent residency in the United States, and in the process may set the precedent for women to receive asylum from abusive husbands. The Guatemalan woman has been trying for 14 years to remain in the ... read more
Allied Troops Outnumber Taliban 12-1
U.S. Army General Stanley McChrystal wants more troops sent to Afghanistan, insisting the additional forces are necessary to defeat the Taliban. But the question of how much is enough is being raised in light of the fact that the Taliban are alrea... read more
Iceland Takes Gender Equality Lead; U.S. Falls to 31st
When it comes to equality between men and women, the Nordic countries have everyone else beat. The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index 2009, which measures countries on how well they divide resources and opportunities among their male a... read more
Web Domain Names in Arabic, Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese for First Time
With more than half of the 1.6 billion Internet users speaking languages other than English, it seemed only a matter of time before Web domains began to reflect this reality. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which r... read more
Who Gains From Overpriced U.S.-Built Afghan Power Plant?
At a price of $310 million, “Karzai’s winter coat” is no ordinary cover of protection. The nickname applies to the Tarakhil Power Plant built by the U.S. in Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul that was intended to help keep the embattled leader in powe... read more
Saudi Woman Sentenced to Lashings for Allowing Man to Talk about Sex on TV
Although she claims not to have been directly involved in the episode, journalist Rozanna al-Yami of Saudi Arabia was sentenced to receive 60 lashes as a result of a Lebanese television show, “Bold Red Line,” which featured a man discussing his ... read more
China at War with U.S….Cyber War
Reaffirming what has long been suspected, a report prepared for Congress says China is actively probing U.S. computer systems as part of a growing cyber-war campaign. Requested by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, the Northro... read more
Sweden First Country to Label Foods with Pollution Ratings
Packaging labels in Sweden now inform shoppers not only the ingredients and calories of the food they buy, but also how much carbon dioxide was spewed into the atmosphere as a result of its production. The CO2 data is part of an effort by the Swed... read more