Today's Story Line

Globalization has many faces. In Melbourne, Australia, demonstrators this week blocked the entrance to the Asia-Pacific World Economic Forum, a gathering of New Economy business leaders. Protesters condemned corporations, saying they exploit workers in developing nations. On the other side of the Pacific, the U'wa tribe in Colombia is also battling corporate interests - a major oil-drilling project. But the tribe's using another form of globalization to organize its attack: the Internet .

In Europe, globalization confronts governments in the form of foreign workers arriving to look for work. The Austrian reaction to their presence helped build Jrg Haider's Freedom Party. The Swiss will be voting in 10 days on a referendum to limit their immigrant population to 18 percent. It's over that figure now .

David Clark Scott World editor

REPORTERS ON THE JOB..

TIGHT SECURITY:

The level of security in South Africa is startling to an American, like reporter Rena Singer. The police are unreliable. So most homes are surrounded by high fences or brick walls - often topped with electric wire - and inside are equipped with motion detectors. Public buildings, like the post offices, have even more security. To enter, you walk through two doorways, Rena says. The first door locks behind you, to enable authorities to trap you if you look suspicious. "All the churches I visited for this story look like prisons," Rena says. "They have the high security of homes, plus caretakers living on the premises with "panic buttons," which look like garage-door openers, to alert security agencies.

FOLLOW-UP ON MONITOR STORIES..

RUSSIAN WATCHDOG FREE: Russia's Supreme Court Presidium yesterday rejected an appeal to reverse the acquittal of Alexander Nikitin. As reported on Sept. 12, the former Navy captain was charged with treason and disclosing state secrets about toxic-waste hazards in Russia.

CLEAN TUXEDOS: South African penguins are freed near Cape Town. Some 40,000 birds were rescued after an oil spill, as reported on July 26.

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