Global briefs
USA: Orphans and babies as young as three months have been used as guinea pigs in potentially dangerous experiments sponsored by pharmaceutical companies. Glaxo-SmithKline, the British drug giant, sponsored experiments on the children from Incarnation Children's Center, a New York home that specialises in treating people with HIV or those born to HIV-positive mothers. The parents were either dead or unfit to look after them. Glaxo has sponsored at least four medical trials since 1995 using Hispanic and black children at Incarnation. Parental consent is usually required for testing on children but as the children are in care, it is the responsibility of New York authorities. The city health department has launched an investigation into claims that more than 100 children were used in 36 experiments with at least four co-sponsored by Glaxo. Some experiments were to test the toxicity of AIDS medication.* * * THE HAGUE: Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic has listed 1631 people, including British Prime Minister Tony Blair and former US President Bill Clinton, whom he wants to testify for the defence in his trial at The Hague. The list also includes former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Slobodan Milosevic is conducting his own defence.* * * CHINA: China has decided to take countermeasures against the US decision to fingerprint most Chinese who will go to the United States. The measures include granting ordinary visas and levying a fee for US personnel who hold diplomatic or service passports and are travelling for personal purposes. The decision also banned US citizens from applying for visas upon their arrival. All visas must be granted before they enter China. On March 22, the US embassy in China started to collect the fingerprints of the Chinese who are planning to go to the United States.* * * EAST TIMOR: Demonstrations are continuing in Dili, East Timor, against Australia's grab for Timorese oil. It is estimated that the Greater Sunrise oil and gas field which lies between Australia and East Timor could bring in $30 billion of revenue over 30 years. Australia has withdrawn from the International Court of Justice and the tribunal which oversees agreement on international maritime boundaries. Two-thirds of the oil and gas deposits are closer to East Timor than to Australia. Despite this, Australia is planning to rob East Timor of most its entitlements.* * * ISRAEL: Israeli nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu has applied to give up his Israeli citizenship in order to prevent the government from confining him to the country after his expected release from prison this week. The Israeli Government has placed tight restrictions on his release conditions. It is unlikely that he will be given a passport. He was convicted of treason and espionage for revealing Israel's secret nuclear weapons program and has spent 20 years in jail, 12 of them in solitary confinement.