| INDONESIA: Indonesia's Commodity Boom Is a Mixed Bag by Tom Wright, Wall Street Journal March 24th, 2008 Indonesia's economy is riding the recent wave of high global commodity prices. But local pressure is arising towards steel makers and power producers in China and India who have diverted coal supplies abroad by locking in 20-year supply contracts with Indonesian miners. |
| CHINA: Solar Energy Firms Leave Waste Behind in China by Ariana Eunjung Cha, Washington Post March 9th, 2008 The Luoyang Zhonggui High-Technology Co. of Henan, China, is a green energy company, producing polysilicon for solar energy panels. But the byproduct -- silicon tetrachloride -- is a highly toxic substance that poses environmental hazards. |
| CHINA: China Plant Played Role In Drug Tied to 4 Deaths
by ANNA WILDE MATHEWS and THOMAS M. BURTON, The Wall Street Journal February 14th, 2008 A Chinese facility that hasn't been inspected by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration made the active ingredient in much of the widely used Baxter International Inc. blood-thinner that is under investigation after reports of hundreds of allergic reactions and four deaths among the drug's users, the agency said yesterday. |
| GLOBAL: False 'Green' Ads Draw Global Scrutiny
by Tom Wright, Wall Street Journal January 30th, 2008 With companies eager to tout their "green" credentials to consumers, advertising watchdogs are stepping up efforts to rein in marketers that make false or exaggerated claims. |
| US: Giuliani Had Ties to Company Trying to Sell Border Technology by RUSS BUETTNER, New York Times January 18th, 2008 On the presidential campaign trail, former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani often promotes the installation of electronic monitoring devices at the border to stem illegal immigration, without mentioning that until a few months ago, he was partner in a company trying to market such technology. |
| US: A Mission to Rebuild Reputations by Dana Hedgpeth, Washington Post January 17th, 2008 Now those promises -- and the public's perception of the Air Force's ability to spend its money prudently -- are being tested by new contracting and public relations challenges. The Air Force is about to award two key contracts worth a total of about $55 billion, and Boeing is in the running for both deals. |
| EU: European Antitrust Regulators Raid Large Drug Makers
by STEPHEN CASTLE and JAMES KANTER, New York Times January 17th, 2008 Antitrust regulators on Wednesday raided big European drug makers as part of an investigation into whether patents and lawsuit settlements are being manipulated to keep generic products off the market. |
| CHINA: In Chinese Factories, Lost Fingers and Low Pay by DAVID BARBOZA, New York Times January 5th, 2008 Nearly a decade after some of the most powerful companies in the world — often under considerable criticism and consumer pressure — began an effort to eliminate sweatshop labor conditions in Asia, worker abuse is still commonplace in many of the Chinese factories that supply Western companies, according to labor rights groups. |
| US: Suit says IBM dumped chemicals in New York state
by Dan Wilchins and Philipp Gollner, Reuters January 3rd, 2008 Neighbors of a former IBM plant in New York state sued the company on Thursday, saying it released chemicals into the air, ground and water for nearly 80 years that caused birth defects and cancer. |
| CHINA/US: The Recalls’ Aftershocks by Louise Story and David Barboza, New York Times December 22nd, 2007 Toy makers are investigating whether they need to treat their tainted products with stabilization chemicals or if they must seal the toys in giant polyethylene bags. |
| CHINA: China Grabs West’s Smoke-Spewing Factories by Joseph Kahn and Mark Landler, New York Times December 21st, 2007 In its rush to re-create the industrial revolution that made the West rich, China has absorbed most of the major industries that once made the West dirty. |
| EUROPE: Europe Proposes Binding Limits on Auto Emissions by James Kanter, New York Times December 20th, 2007 European Union officials told leading automakers to make deep cuts in tailpipe emissions of the cars they produce or face fines that could reach billions of euros. Companies including Volkswagen and Renault immediately promised a fight to weaken the proposed legislation. |
| GLOBAL: Mining Firms Bulk Up, Echoing Big Oil Mergers by Patrick Barta and Robert Guy Matthews, Wall Street Journal December 18th, 2007 Mining are embarking on another round of deals that promises industry juggernauts with great influence over the cost of raw materials -- and, by extension, the price of consumer electronics, cars and new apartment blocks. |
| US: Senator Says Wal-Mart Sells Products From Sweatshops
by Reuters, New York Times December 13th, 2007 A Democratic senator said Wednesday that Christmas tree ornaments sold at Wal-Mart Stores and other major retailers were made in a Chinese sweatshop. |
| US: New York Manhole Covers, Forged Barefoot in India by Heather Timmons and J. Adam Huggins, New York Times November 26th, 2007 Companies responsible for the manufacturing of manholes are criticized over worker conditions in India, where manufacturing takes place.javascript:change_form_block( 'location_trigger' ); |
| SOUTH KOREA: Corruption scandal snowballs at Samsung Group in South Korea by Choe Sang-Hun, International Herald Tribune November 6th, 2007 A corruption scandal at Samsung Group, the South Korean conglomerate, snowballed Tuesday as prosecutors vowed to open a formal investigation into allegations that its chairman had masterminded a massive scheme of bribery and illegal transactions. |
| US: Lessons Even Thomas Could Learn by David Leonhardt, NY Times October 24th, 2007 Toy manufacturer RC2 recalls toys due to lead content, replacing them with new lead-contaminated toys. |
| US: US green groups urge Toyota U-turn by John Reed, Financial Times October 15th, 2007 Toyota is scrambling to protect its green reputation in the US, its largest market, where environmental groups are urging it to drop its opposition to a draft fuel economy bill. |
| CHINA: China Takes Aim at U.S. on Quality Control Amid Criticism Over Recalls by Nicholas Zamiska, Wall Street Journal October 10th, 2007 The Chinese government, scrambling to counter a storm of criticism over the safety of the nation's exports, is now taking aim at products sent to China from some of America's largest companies. |
| US: UAW Workers Walk Off the Job by John D. Stoll and Jeffrey McCracken, Wall Street Journal September 24th, 2007 The decision Monday by the United Auto Workers to walk off the job at General Motors highlights yet again the divisive element of healthcare in labor relations, and how what began as a historic accident is now the single biggest liability for both businesses and workers. |