INFORMATION
International: Drug Control
04/28/2008 - 93The percentage of the world’s opium poppies grown in Afghanistan last year, according to the U.S. government’s International Narcotics Control Strategy Report. Poppy production soared in the southern provinces, where Taliban-led insurgents use drug trafficking to finance their operations. Poppy cultivation is declining in poorer, but more secure, northern and central provinces.
International: Crime
04/28/2008 - Anti-corruption advocates are finding international opposition to legal regimes to reclaim looted assets, but the tide may be turning.
International: Crime
04/28/2008 - Thought immune to counterfeiting, police in the European Union are seizing more and more fake euros.
International: Crime
04/28/2008 - More police on the street, a focus on hotspots, and better equipment are among the factors helping this Brazilian state reduce its murder rate.
International: Research & Studies
03/27/2008 - The European Union has published a considerable amount of information about its Framework Programs, its principal vehicle to fund scientific and technological research and development. A general outline is available here and the program’s homepage can be viewed here.. The EU accepts online submissions, send them here.
International: Homeland Security
03/24/2008 - 4 The percent of cargo containers that were targeted for manual inspection at foreign ports because of red flags raised during screening but were never examined. Reasons for the oversight include difficulty getting to the container and refusals by the host government to cooperate.
International: Web-based Threats
03/24/2008 - How publicity killed the Russian Business Network.
International: Contingency Planning \ Disaster Management
03/24/2008 - The European Union is ramping up funding to develop new security technologies and to encourage cooperation in Europe’s fragmented security industry.
International: Crime
03/24/2008 - A recent analysis of crime trends around the world shines a spotlight on Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
Food Services: Food Safety
03/24/2008 - The European Union has a number of initiatives underway that it hopes are the right ingredients for securing the food supply.Sidebar: China Syndrome
International: Crime
02/29/2008 - Slavery is becoming more common in the West as well as in developing countries, according to the Department of State’s annual report on human trafficking. In 2007, a California company settled a slavery case with the US government and Gap Inc. announced an investigation into subcontractor use of forced child labor.
International: Risk Management
02/28/2008 - 30 The number of foreign companies inspected in 2007 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), out of the 3,249 that imported drugs into the United States. The FDA hopes to inspect 50 companies next year, an inadequate number according to the GAO.
International: Loss Prevention
02/28/2008 - Despite billions spent to curtail it, retailers' losses due to shoplifting, fraud, and administrative errors continue to mount.