In The News

Al-Jazeera Puts Focus on Reform

Robin Wright May 9, 2005
The most-watched news network in the Middle East, Al-Jazeera has the potential to greatly affect the future of regional democratization. Some welcome Al-Jazeera as a foil to state-controlled media in the region, and many see it a new vehicle to give voice to otherwise underrepresented perspectives. As the channel gives more airtime to reformist movements, it finds increasing hostility from less...

Tangled Threads of Protectionism – Part II

Edward Gresser May 5, 2005
One of the textile industry's oldest problems is again under focus: how to adjust in the face of changing technology, tastes, and economic fundamentals. Politicians are calling, not surprisingly, for a populist solution – protect jobs by raising walls against imports. In a three-part series, trade experts examine the issues surrounding the post-quota state of the textile industry. With the...

Burying China's Complicity in the Killing Fields

Jehangir S. Pocha May 5, 2005
Only weeks ago, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao uttered the now famous words, "Japan needs to face up to history squarely." China has adamantly demanded that Japan come clean about its past war indiscretions, an issue that has provoked lively public debate. At the same time, Beijing has remained mum regarding its support for Cambodia's Khmer Rouge in the mid- to late-1970s. Today,...

Sudan Aviation Set to Take Wing as Curtain Falls on 21-Year Civil War

Catherine Riungu May 4, 2005
In the wake of a diplomatic resolution to a decades-old civil war, Sudan is attempting to rebuild its aviation industry. While fighting continues and many thousands of refugees still live in fear and abject poverty, the country's Ministry of Civil Aviation is looking for ways to pick up the pieces and move forward. In the past, Sudan's air travel industry was among the region's...

Brazil Spurns US Terms for AIDS Help

Sarah Boseley May 4, 2005
Washington's "global gag" – its refusal to fund any foreign-based organization with links to abortion – has caused a great deal of controversy in the international community. Brazil recently became the first country to publicly refuse to accept US funding for AIDS prevention and treatment programs, on account of the perceived strings attached. "I would like to confirm that...

Inglish as She's Spoke

Gurcharan Das May 3, 2005
The worldwide spread of English has seen a rise in colloquially "blended languages," from Franglais (French and English) to Spanglish (Spanish and English) to Taglish (Tagalog and English), and so on. This Outlook India piece suggests a new addition: Inglish (Hindi and English). As the author writes, English is the ticket to a good job and middle class status in India. It unites...

China and the Power Game

Nayan Chanda May 2, 2005
Thirty years ago, when US troops withdrew from Vietnam, the war-torn country was totally left on its own, without support from either its supposedly Communist allies (China) or former colonial powers (France). In this article, Nayan Chanda, who covered Saigon at the time, discusses the changes in power relations amongst the various players surrounding Vietnam since 1975. To be sure, Vietnam...