International News Stories
How Do You Take Your Iguana?
For centuries, iguana has been
consumed throughout Central
America; now it's showing up on a
small but growing number of North
American dinner tables.
The budding market is also improving life in El Salvador. Raising iguanas on
farms for export provides much-needed jobs, and it allows food to be grown
while keeping the tropical rain forest intact. The industry even aids in rebuilding
wild iguana populations, since many iguana farms periodically release part of their
stock into the wild.
The meat is said to have a taste similar to chicken, but a bit stronger and tougher.
At $14 a pound (retail), or about $50 for the average purchase, it isn't for
ordinary suppers. Still, "the demand for them is higher than we can provide,"
Rodriguez says.
The Christian Science Monitor – March 11, 2004
A New Steak House in Kabul
To the outside world, Afghanistan is an unsettled war zone, where Al Qaeda and
Taliban fighters lay ambushes, where warlords carry out bloody personal
vendettas, and where the revival of opium is quickly turning this country into a
narco-state. But here's some good news: Kabul now has a great steakhouse.
Attracted by all those diplomats, peacekeepers, UN officials, aid workers,
and foreign correspondents - and their dollars - culinary entrepreneurs are
coming to Kabul in droves. Their services comes at a price - between $15
and $25 per person at some restaurants - and is beyond the means of most
ordinary Afghans. But for foreigners, the restaurant boom is a welcome
alternative to the holy trinity of Afghan cuisine: kebabs, rice, and bread.
"I'm so happy there are more restaurants in Kabul," says Herat owner Azim Niazi,
somewhat surprisingly. "During the Taliban times, there were fewer restaurants, because
there were fewer people here. Now, the Afghan people are coming back, because it is
peaceful here, and the number of restaurants is increasing. That benefits everyone.“
And while most of the staff at these restaurants are themselves foreign Chinese waitresses at the Chinese restaurants, Thais at Lal Thai, Indians at
Delhi Durbar, and Filipinos at Hot and Sizzling - Mr. Niazi says that all of this
foreign restaurant business does have a trickle-down effect on the economy,
eventually.
The Christian Monitor, March 26, 2004
In SWEDEN:
If we can't, neither can you
Complimenting a woman on her appearance in these delicate
times can get man accused of sexual harassment. But is the
reverse ever true? It was last week in Sweden, where an
unidentified receptionist is out of a job. "I joked with a client about
how handsome he was," she said. That was enough for her
employer, who fired her - even though the client hadn't
complained.
The Christian Monitor, March 30, 2004
Nations once under the Kremlin's thumb join NATO
In a ceremony at the White House in March 2004, President Bush
welcomed seven eastern European nations, formerly from the Soviet
orbit, into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They will take part
in their first meeting as members Friday at the alliance's headquarters
in Brussels. NATO began in 1949, grouping the US, Canada, Iceland,
Britain, and eight continental European countries and over the years
has expanded to 26 members. Its goal is to safeguard the freedom and
security of the members by political and - when necessary - by military
means. It also has become more involved in recent years in crisis
management and peacekeeping. The new NATO members :
Bulgaria
Estonia
Lithuania
Latvia
Romania
Slovakia
Sloveni
Associated Press
April 2, 2004
A Very Long Taxi Ride
When professional actor Gitan Otsuro opened the rear door
of a taxi and stepped onto a sidewalk in New York one day
last week, he didn't have enough money for the fare $58,000. Then again, he wasn't expected to pay it anyway.
But wait: a $58,000 cab ride - where had he come from,
the tip of South America? Yes, as a matter of fact. Otsuro
and driver Tsuyoshi Sakuma were the "talent" in a travel
documentary sponsored - and videotaped - by a Japanese
TV station. The trip through 11 countries covered 20,000
miles and took three months.
The Christian Monitor, APRIL 2004
Quick, what's the
most expensive city in
the world to live in?
Quick, what's the most expensive city in the world to live in?
Why Tokyo, of course, where a two-bedroom luxury
apartment will run you over $4,500. That apartment would
only cost you $600 in Buenos Aires. This year's expensive
city rankings, compiled by Mercer Consulting, is really a big
lesson in currency appreciation/depreciation. US cities
dropped a little, because of the dollar's fall. Some cities,
particularly the Australian crowd, jumped dramatically
because of their currency high jinx. Given that the Fed is
about to raise rates, I wonder where New York (currently
12th) will end up next year?
CNN News
June 14, 2004
Twin tower replacement to go higher than highest?
Construction has begun on the Freedom Tower, the glass and steel structure that will rise from the former World Trade Center
site in lower Manhattan. But will its height - a symbolic 1,776 feet - make it the world's tallest building? It will be topped, after
all, with an unoccupied, 276-foot spire designed to evoke the Statue of Liberty.
Whether the Freedom Tower legitimately can claim world height superiority may be moot, however, since even taller structures
are in the planning stages for Dubai and for South Korea's capital, Seoul (Tower One of the World Trade Center was 1,368 feet
and Tower Two slightly shorter.) The world's tallest buildings, their locations, and their height, in feet:
1. Taipei 101, Taipei, Taiwan 1,670
2. Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 1,483
3. Sears Tower, Chicago 1,450
4. Jin Mao Building, Shanghai, China 1,381
5. Two International Financial Center, Hong Kong1,362
6. CITIC Plaza, Guangzhou, China 1,283
7. Shun Hing Square, Shenzhen, China 1,260
8. Empire State Building, New York 1,250
9. Central Plaza, Hong Kong 1,227
10. Bank of China, Hong Kong 1,209
www.infoplease.com
July 2004
Two can't-miss Swiss cities for expatriate workers
Take your pick: Zurich or Geneva. For quality of life, they're a tossup
for best in the world, according to Mercer Human Resources Consulting.
The New York company evaluates cities on their appeal to government and
business people with international assignments, using such criteria as
political, social, economic, and environmental factors, safety, and
public services. Each is scored using New York (with 100 points) as a
baseline. The cities rated as having the best quality of life, and
their scores:
1. Zurich, Switzerland (tie) Geneva 106.5
3. Vancouver, British Columbia (tie) Vienna 106
5. Auckland, New Zealand (tie) Bern, Switzerland (tie) Copenhagen,
Denmark (tie) Frankfurt (tie) Sydney, Australia 105
10. Munich, Germany (tie) Amsterdam 104.5
Quietly, Peace Corps keeps making friends for US
One of the best faces America has ever projected in the world is the face of a Peace Corps volunteer. Today there are 7,533
volunteers - the most since 1974
- working to strengthen the bonds of friendship and understanding between Americans and people in 71 other countries.
Living on monthly allowances consistent with the standard of living in the country where they are assigned, the volunteers
spend two years fostering development in the fields of business, agriculture, health, information technology, education, and
more. They serve only where the corps is invited, and their geographic distribution changes constantly. The countries where the
most volunteers serve, according to Peace Corps data, with the number of volunteers, as of September 2003:
1. Ukraine 314
2. Honduras 248
3. Guatemala 245
4. Romania 219
5. Paraguay 213
6. Mali 210
7. Nicaragua 204
8. Tanzania 194
9. Kenya 180
10. Dominican Republic 173
Taipei’s Tallest Building in the World
Taipei, Taiwan — Some liken it to a giant bamboo shoot of glass and steel. The less
charitable see an outsize stack of Chinese food containers. At 101 floors, Taipei's
newest skyscraper is the world's tallest, and an ego boost for a people who
feel snubbed by the world.
Reaching 1,679 feet into the sky, the Taipei 101 building is 188 feet taller than the
previous record-holder, the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The highest
freestanding tower is still Toronto's 1,800-foot CN Tower, but Taipei 101 claims a hat
trick for having the highest structural top, tallest roof and the highest occupied floor.
It also boasts the fastest elevators in the world, reaching a speed of 38 mph.
And it spells respect — or so the Taiwanese hope.
Although it is the world's first all-Chinese democracy, and one of its biggest suppliers
of laptops and computer chips, Taiwan can't even call itself a country. China, its giant
neighbor, regards it as a breakaway province, the product of an unfinished civil war,
and most of the world, including the United States, refuses to recognize it or admit it
to the United Nations.
"Taiwanese people are proud of their economic achievements and hope that having
the highest skyscraper in the world will make the world sit up and notice this island,"
said Richard Lee, an independent architect not involved with the project. Taiwanese
President Chen Shui-bian recently echoed the sentiment. "Taipei 101 is not only the tallest building in the
world, it also symbolizes that Taiwan is in step with the world," he said.
http://www.news-leader.com/today/0808-Taiwanlift-151179.html
August 10, 2004
Taipei’s Tallest Building in the World
Still, the building has an image problem: It stands on an island in a
typhoon and earthquake belt. A quake in central Taiwan in 1999
killed more than 2,300 people. So a huge 733-ton ball near the top
of the building moves about to counter strong winds and seismic
vibrations.
In its base, a seven-story mall is packed with designer boutiques,
gourmet restaurants and a giant screen showing fashion parades. It
also has the capital's largest English-language bookstore, and hopes to
claim another record — for the world's highest hotel.
Cathy Yang, an executive with the Taipei Financial Center Corp., which
manages the building, says negotiations are still under way with an
international hotel group.
How long these records will stand is another question. East Asia has
been in a virtual race to translate its economic power into ever higher
skyscrapers, and Taipei 101 is likely to be eclipsed in this decade by a
competitor in Manhattan — the 1,776-foot Freedom Tower replacing
the World Trade Center that was demolished by the terrorism of Sept.
11, 2001.
http://www.news-leader.com/today/0808-Taiwanlift-151179.html
August 10, 2004
NORWAY
For the fourth straight year, Norway sits atop the world's quality-of-life rankings,
as compiled by the UN Development Program. It grades well in the agency's
Human Development Index, which measures such criteria as per-capita income,
educational level, healthcare, and life expectancy. The index is used to assess
every country for which statistics are available. (Among those for which sufficient
data are not: Afghanistan, Iraq, North Korea, and Liberia.) In all, the UNDP ranks
177 nations, including the newest, East Timor, which placed 158th. Countries just
off the top 10 radar screen are 11th-ranked Switzerland and Britain (No. 12). At the
bottom of the list for the seventh year is Sierra Leone, which is emerging from a
decade of civil war. The highest-ranked countries, according to the UNDP index:
1. Norway
2. Sweden
3. Australia
4. Canada
5. Netherlands
6. Belgium
7. Iceland
8. US
9. Japan
10. Ireland
Predicting world's future: people, people everywhere
World population is expected to rise almost 50 percent by midcentury, with developing
countries accounting for the bulk of the increase, statistics compiled by the private
Population Reference Bureau suggest. If projections hold, developing countries will
surge 55 percent, compared to 4 percent in industrialized countries. Meanwhile, in some
developed countries, notably Japan, the population is projected to shrink. Japan may
lose 20 percent of its population, the data suggest. The five largest countries by
population (in millions unless otherwise noted), and the top five in 2050, with projected
populations and the percentage of increase for each:
Largest now
1. China 1.3 billion
2. India 1.1 billion
3. US 294
4. Indonesia 219
5. Brazil 179
Largest in 2050
1. India (+50%) 1.6 billion
2. China (+11%) 1.4 billion
3. US (+43%) 420
4. Indonesia (+41%) 308
5. Nigeria (+224%) 307
The Christian Monitor, August 23, 2004
Need your space? There's plenty of it in Mongolia
Anyone who seriously wants to "get away from it all" might consider Mongolia, the
world's least densely populated country. Average number of people per square mile:
4.5. Earlier this summer, Andre Tolme, a civil engineer from New Hampshire,
completed a "round" of golf there. He didn't need to yell "Fore!" once as he played shot
after shot, following not fairways but dirt tracks and nomadic herding trails in his
1,320-mile, cross-country journey. Driving a Jeep, he completed the trek - dubbed
"adventure expressionism" on his www.golfmongolia.com website - in about 12,000
strokes. The world's most sparsely populated countries in density per square mile:
1. Mongolia 4.5
2. Namibia 5.7
3. Australia 6.6
4. Botswana (tie) Surinam 7.0
6. Mauritania 7.1
7. Iceland 7.2
8. Libya 7.9
9. Canada 9.0
10. Guyana 9.2
-www.aneki.com
September 8, 2004
China: Land of Boys
In the past two decades in China, female births have declined
markedly compared with male births. The official figure - which
some say is slightly low - is 117 boys for every 100 girls, based
on a 2000 census. In ordinary populations, the split is closer to
104 boys for every 100 girls. Skewed sex ratios are also
appearing elsewhere in Asia, particularly India, where the ratio in
the state of Punjab is 126 to 100. A tilt toward male births is also
beginning to be seen in parts of Latin America and Eastern
Europe.
In the case of China, social scientists are talking about a
future in which 15 percent of men won't have wives.
According to Asia expert Nicholas Eberstadt, the trend,
termed the "marriage squeeze," is an anthropological
phenomenon partly due to China's "one child" policy
that began in 1978 with the intent of slowing growth in
the world's most populous country.
The Christian Monitor, Seotenber 3, 2004
China: Land of Boys
“The world has never before seen the likes of the bride shortage
that will be unfolding in China in the decades ahead," writes Mr.
Eberstadt of the American Enterprise Institute, in a recent study,
"Power and Population in Asia.“
Chinese President Hu Jintao has earmarked the imbalance as
something that needs to be adjusted in the next 10 years. The
government has geared up an ambitious set of financial
incentives. Ultrasound exams for non-medical purposes have
been illegal since 1994, but only in recent months has there
been a major crackdown on the tests, which contribute to what
are known here as "selective abortions." The campaign includes
an education initiative, "Care for Girls," to promote the value of
both sexes.
The Christian Monitor, Seotenber 3, 2004
China: Land of Boys
Given China's long history, the new gender imbalance is
something recent. Chinese census figures show that in the 1950s
and 1960s, boy-girl birth ratios were relatively stable and normal.
Yet by 1982, boy births had climbed to 108, and they have
continued to rise abnormally ever since: They hit 112 to 100 in
1990, and then rose to 116 boys per 100 girls, in 1995.
The new Chinese target for the year 2010 is to reduce the
imbalance to 107 to 100.
The one-child policy is often overlooked in Chinese rural areas
where tradition is strong, and so is the desire for sons who can do
heavy labor.
Studies infer that the practice of selective abortions among
families having second and third children run far higher. For
second children the ratios are roughly 151 to 100, and about 159
The Christian Monitor, Seotenber 3, 2004
to 100 for a third child.
China: Land of Boys
Over the past year, China has experimented with a program in
rural areas of 13 provinces that rewards aging parents who
participate loyally in the "one child" policy or who have no son.
Parents over age 60 who have no son, or just one child, or two
daughters, receive 1,200 yuan, or $150, a year. By next year,
state media report, the program will be adopted nationwide,
though sources for the huge funding involved have not been
identified.
At least one new Western scholarly analysis suggests that a
dramatic gender imbalance could have negative consequences
for China's social health. "Bare Branches," a study by Valerie
Hudson of Brigham Young University and Andrea den Boer of the
University of Kent, argues that vast differences in gender
balances could bring a tinderbox of social tension and even
violent disruptions that would have political implications.
The Christian Monitor, Seotenber 3, 2004
China: Land of Boys
It is true, sources say, that in many places outside urban areas in
China, not having a wife is a source to men of personal shame
and anger. The authors suggest that vast numbers of men without
strong family ties are potential sources of gang activity and violent
crime.
A number of Chinese scholars have pooh-poohed the idea of
social instability as a result of a potential "bachelor nation." The
question of too many bachelors in China got official sanction on
Internet sites this summer and was discussed. One participant felt
the scarcity of women would give them far more power in Chinese
society.
"This is a harbinger of a matriarchal era," said the commentator,
writing into the popular Tianya Club, an online message board.
The Christian Monitor, Seotenber 3, 2004
New form of US aid comes with strings attached
Placing foreign aid on more than just a needs basis is central to the Millenium Challenge Account, an idea
proposed by the Bush administration 2-1/2 years ago. For a struggling nation to be eligible for the $1 billion
that Congress has appropriated for the first year of the fund (which is soon to make its first outlays) its
leaders must demonstrate a commitment to governing justly, promoting economic freedom, and
investing in its people. Some observers believe this could become a model for other donor nations. The 16
countries (of 70 that are considered needy) making the cut for receiving aid:
Armenia
Benin
Bolivia
Cape Verde
Georgia
Ghana
Honduras
Lesotho
Madagascar
Mali
Mongolia
Mozambique
Nicaragua
Senegal
Sri Lanka
Vanuatu
- Associated Press
September 15, 2004
A Frenchman who can see water beneath the Sahara
Out here in the sandy moonscape of eastern Chad, you don't expect to see a
diminutive Frenchman with an Indiana Jones hat marching around, muttering, and
staring at his global-positioning device. But Alain Gachet has come here to outdo
generations of witch doctors, water diviners, and PhDs. He aims to pinpoint, with
scientific certainty, the right places to dig the costly wells that pull precious water from
beneath the sand.
And this isn't some academic exercise. About 200,000 refugees have fled to Chad from Sudan's
violent Darfur region. They each need four gallons of water a day, the United Nations says - or a
total of about 25 swimming pools in a land that gets no rain for months on end. At a time when
nearly 1 out of every 5 people in the world is without adequate drinking water, Mr. Gachet
could help save countless lives.
In general, water-divining experts, known as hydrologists, succeed anywhere from 65 percent to
80 percent of the time. Out here, in the nearly all-sand terrain of eastern Chad, that rate has
been as low as 50 percent. And big wells needed for refugee camps are expensive - about
$6,000. If wells fail, water has to be trucked in. Tankers cost $350 a day and often get stuck in
mud or sand.
That's where Gachet and his GPS come in. He's a geologist by training who spent two decades
as an explorer for a French oil firm. But this tiny cyclone of a man - who's been known to traipse
through jungles to talk to Congolese pygmies or skip work to dig up artifacts in ancient African
villages - decided to set out on his own.
Source: http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0920/p01s04-woaf.html?s=hns
International Religious Freedom
The State Department recently issued its annual status report on international religious freedom. Asia, especially,
didn't fare well, with four governments on its list of "countries of concern." In particular, the report notes that
China, which will be the host of the 2008 Olympic Games, needs serious work on becoming more tolerant. Its
government is accused of repressing five categories of worshipers: Tibetan Buddhists, Uighar Muslims,
Roman Catholics, Protestants, and the Falun Gong group. The countries to which the State Department gives a
thumbs-down:
Burma
China
Cuba
Eritrea
Iran
North Korea
Saudi Arabia
Sudan
Vietnam
Voice of America
September 28, 2004
Hello Kitty!
Once the defining measure of girls' craze for cuteness within Japan, the
pop feline today can be found staring out from the handbags, sweat
shirts, notebooks, and now debit cards of children and night-clubbing
art students alike around the globe. And as she marks her 30th
anniversary, Hello Kitty's combination of Mona Lisa mystery and
saccharine sweetness has become an unlikely symbol of the shift in
Japan's global reach from cars to culture.
Hello Kitty!
Hello Kitty - which earns $1 billion a year for its owner, Sanrio Co. - isn't
alone among Japanese cultural creations in finding an audience in the West.
In recent years, Japanese characters such as Pokémon and the fantasy
series Yu-Gi-Oh! have become staples of children's entertainment. Japanese
horror films - think "The Ring" - are international hits. Anime - animated flicks and "manga" comics have made inroads, appealing to global audiences with
their Dickensian plots and appealing style.
Nobuyoshi Kurita, a professor of sociology and
pop media at Musashi University in Tokyo, says
the newfound yen for all things Japanese
underscores a global move from a
materialistic to an information culture.
"Stereos and cars used to be considered
symbolic of modern Japanese culture," he says.
"But now it's animation."
Hello Kitty!
According to Mr. Kurita, the next stage will be "expressive" culture, where fashion and
cosmetics lead the way - and where Japan already exerts a powerful influence in Taiwan
and China. Though pop culture trends in the Asia and the West remain fairly distinct
today, he says, "in 10 or 20 years' time, I expect East Asia to become the full-blown
opinion leader.“
The vacuous Hello Kitty even has a social conscience - despite criticism that she
encourages submissiveness and infantilism in women. She was recently named "UNICEF
Special Friend of Children" in the US to help raise funds for girls' education, while in Japan she
is associated with blood-donation groups and fundraising for the early detection of breast
cancer. But Kitty isn't all hugs - there's also some serious money involved. The Tokyo
Metropolitan Government estimates the size of Tokyo's anime industry alone at 1 trillion yen
(about $9 billion).
Kurita says Kitty's original designers probably didn't realize they were creating a character that
is a fortuitous match for many elements of traditional Japanese culture, including simplicity and
a strange allure that invites individual interpretation. "These elements still underlie [today's]
high-tech, industrial society," he says. "I think the basis of Kitty's appeal for many
people is as a tonic for the weariness they feel with [that society]."