Protesters always early adopters of technology

Headlines proclaiming that G-20 activists and police are following each others’ activities on Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites may give one the impression that a new age of surveillance and political activism has dawned. But activists’ use of technology is nothing new. Though Twitter and Facebook might be today’s must-have gadgets in campaigners’ toolboxes, some say they’re simply the latest chapter in a long tradition of activists’ use of technology to champion change.

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Germany’s Solution to Big Auto’s Woes: Scrap That Clunker!

Amid the gruesome headlines generated by the world’s auto industry these days, it almost read like a typo: new car registrations in Germany rose 21% year-on-year in February, the country’s Association of the Automotive Industry announced March 3. This, though, was no error. The 278,000 cars put on the road, crowed Matthias Wissmann, VDA’s president, amounted to “the highest level of sales in the month of February for ten years.” Why the splurge German drivers have latched onto a juicy new deal

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China Goes on a Smart Shopping Spree

The world might be sinking into its worst recession in generations, but China is on a wild shopping spree. Sitting some $2 trillion of cash reserves, Beijing is taking advantage of the woes of others to cement its grip on new sources of commodities ranging from olive oil to crude oil —often at fire-sale prices. China’s growth rate may be slowing in concert with the world economy, but even at that slower rate, its economy continues to expand, requiring a steady increase in supplies of oil, copper, aluminum and other minerals.

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Japan’s Double Oscar Victory

It’s not quite Slumdog’s tale of rags to riches — more like shining maggots to Oscar gold. The path that led Japan to take its first Oscar in Best Foreign Language film at this week’s Academy Awards started with the film’s lead actor, Masahiro Motoki, contacting author Shinmon Aoki to quote a passage of his novel Coffinman: The Journal of a Buddhist Mortician in the actor’s own travel diary. “Maggots are life, too,” the passage, in the voice of the novel’s protagonist, reads

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Brown: World needs ‘global New Deal’

The world needs a "global New Deal" to haul it out of the economic crisis it faces, Prime Minister Gordon Brown of the United Kingdom said Sunday. “We need a global New Deal — a grand bargain between the countries and continents of this world — so that the world economy can not only recover but… so the banking system can be based on..

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Galaxy reject initial Milan bid for Beckham

David Beckham will have to return to the Los Angeles Galaxy next month unless AC Milan raise their bid for the England midfielder — the LA Times have reported. Speaking for the first time on Beckham’s wish for a permanent move to Milan, Tim Leiweke — chief executive of Galaxy owners AEG — told the newspaper that an offer received by the club had been too low and time was running out to meet the Major League Soccer outfit’s valuation. On Wednesday, Beckham expressed his desire to convert his current short-term loan with Milan into a permanent move and walk out on a five-year contract he signed with the Galaxy in 2007.

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