In The News

Hollywood Still Seduces the World

Ioannis Gatsiounis January 28, 2008
Resentment against the US may be at an all-time high, but that hasn’t influenced foreign appreciation for Hollywood films. Trade liberalization, shrewd marketing, foreign partnerships as well as international settings and stars contribute to increasing foreign box-office sales, suggests Ioannis Gatsiounis, a writer based in Malaysia. Special-effects technology boosts foreign sales for all-...

Questions for Al Qaeda

Yassin Musharbash January 16, 2008
Perhaps the US presidential campaign has snatched too much global attention. The second in command of Al Qaeda offered to collect questions from friends and foes on four Islamic web sites for one month, starting December 16. “As it builds its Web community, al-Qaida is apparently also looking for user-generated content,” writes Yassin Musharbash for Spiegel Online. The questions will undoubtedly...

Rocking Lolita in Tehran

Colin Meyn January 8, 2008
Iran’s strict adherence to theocratic principles has historically led it to muzzle such perpetrators of poison as rock bands, women singers, political dissenters, and other marginalized groups. In 2007, the scene changed when a film documenting Iran’s evolving underground music scene was screened internationally. Beyond the reach of the censors, this film – Sounds of Silence – might generate the...

After Bhutto, Pakistan on Edge

Ahmed Rashid January 1, 2008
Pakistan grieves the sudden, yet foreseen death of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, a courageous woman who threatened the status quo. Urged by the US, Bhutto agreed to a power-sharing deal with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, if both won election. She vowed to end appeasement of extremists and cooperate with the US in pursuing all sources of terrorism, in and out of Pakistan. She...

Covering the World

Sherry Ricchiardi December 21, 2007
The Associated Press is making inroads around the globe, reporting international news, at the same time that foreign bureaus of major newspapers are closing. With 243 foreign bureaus, the AP is the world’s largest news organization. It is the first Western newsgroup to open an office in North Korea and has more than 200 staffers in Iraq. By maintaining reporters throughout the globe, the AP...

“Silent Night” in China

Peter Kwong December 20, 2007
During the 1980s, Christmas in China was a quiet affair, celebrated only by foreigners, as the atheist Communist Party did not endorse such celebrations. But much has changed for the factory to the world: China not only manufactures about 80 percent of all Christmas paraphernalia, but also purchases the items as well. Authors Peter Kwong and Dušanka Miščević point out that if orders on Christmas...

At 71, Physics Professor Is a Web Star

Sara Rimer December 20, 2007
The internet offers endless exploration – and search engines like Google, which order search results based on complex mixture of volume, links, content and the democratic nature of the web, create some surprising new stars. Among the latest is 71-year-old Walter H. G. Lewin, professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, whose lectures on physics are both educational and entertaining for...