In The News

Qaeda Network Expands Base in Pakistan

Carlotta Gall December 29, 2007
More than six years after the US declared a global war on terror, terrorism – in the form of the Al Qaeda network – continues to take root in Pakistan. The Pakistan government accuses the terrorist organization of assassinating Benazir Bhutto, former prime minister of Pakistan and a courageous voice on the dangers of religious extremism. “The expansion of Pakistan’s own militants and their...

A Bad Idea Is About to Deploy in Darfur

Julie Flint December 19, 2007
As reports of atrocities pour out of the Darfur region, activists have great expectations for a peacekeeping force led by the United Nations. But author Julie Flint, writing for the Daily Star in Lebanon, questions whether a small peacekeeping force, with minimal equipment, can end the violence. The numbers are staggering: The UN force numbers about 26,000, expected to assist 2.5 million refugees...

The UN's Death Blow

Louise Arbour December 19, 2007
Global citizens expect the United Nations to be relevant in a modern world by taking stands on difficult issues. A call from the UN General Assembly for a worldwide moratorium on the application of the death penalty is a step in protecting human rights, according to Louise Arbour, UN high commissioner for human rights. More than 130 nations have abolished the death penalty with six – Iran, Iraq,...

It’s Too Late for Later

Thomas L. Friedman December 18, 2007
People worldwide, even those in the least developed nations, are fully aware of the causes and dangers associated with global warming. “‘Later’ was a luxury for previous generations and civilizations,” writes New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman. The planet’s transforming before our eyes – polar ice melting at faster rates, tides moving higher along coastlines and the population of some...

World Bank Fund Will Pay to Leave Forests Standing

December 14, 2007
The World Bank will establish a fund to compensate developing nations to protect forests, with the hope that preserving forests will slow climate change. "The Forest Carbon Partnership Facility signals that the world cares about the global value of forests and is ready to pay for it,” said Robert Zoellick, World Bank president. Deforestation is responsible for about one fifth of total carbon...

Sudanese Teddy Saga Lays Bare Islamic Inferiority Complex

Waleed Aly December 6, 2007
People of one culture can never perfectly understand the fine points of another culture, and extreme reactions to any mistakes or misunderstandings only widen the divide. A British teacher in Sudan devised a class project that required her students to name a toy bear, take turns bringing it home, caring for it and writing about the experience. After the children named the bear Muhammad, police...

Foreclosures Hit a Snag for Lenders

Gretchen Morgenson December 4, 2007
Homebuyers in the US borrowed money, some with adjustable-rate mortgages that offered low payments early in the loan’s term. Mortgage companies and banks packaged these loans into huge pools and resold the securities to global investors eager to cash in on the higher payments promised during the later years of the loans. With the loans secured by people’s homes, investors assumed the deals...