In The News

Moment of Truth as UN Chief Confronts Fiercest Rival

Michael Fullilove December 16, 2004
The past month has been difficult, at best, for the United Nations and its Secretary-General Kofi Annan. As Annan prepares to announce a reform package for the organization, this is a crucial moment for both the organization and its leader. In what may be a true test of grit, Annan will fight to pass a report on global security threats, which will outline the UN's role in addressing...

A Reluctant Embrace

Shada Islam December 16, 2004
Following Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh's murder by an alleged Islamic extremist, many European countries are even more nervous about the plan to begin talks with Turkey for EU admission. The country's Islamic religion and alleged undemocratic nature have also inspired opposition in largely secular Europe. Yet Turkey's membership has obvious benefits for the Union, says journalist...

What the Bush Victory Means for East Asia

Lee Kuan Yew December 15, 2004
As US President George W. Bush eases into his second term of office, governments in East Asia and around the world are reevaluating their place within an American foreign policy. The upcoming elections in Iraq, recently endorsed at a summit attended by the EU, the Arab League, China, and other nations, may prove a test of international dedication to security and democracy in the Middle East. Bush...

Bush Needs Decisive Change of Course

Fred Bergsten December 14, 2004
As US account deficits deepen and global oil prices escalate, President George W. Bush will face some serious challenges in his second term. According to economist Frank Bergsten, neither the US nor world economies can afford an extension of Washington's economic and energy policy status quo. A combination of strong domestic fiscal action - deficit reduction to enhance savings - and...

US Visa Rules Deter Chinese researchers

Catherine Brahic December 14, 2004
Heightened security measures surrounding US visa applicants have weakened the collaborative relationship between American and Chinese scientists, as a recent opinion poll of graduate students in China showed. Stricter rules regarding research in the United States have produced a climate in which foreign admissions to graduate schools have decreased greatly, with the largest drop among Chinese...

Taiwan Averts a Crisis

Jonathan Fenby December 13, 2004
With polls predicting a win by the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian and Beijing threatening dire consequences, cross-Strait relations seemed headed for turbulence. However, to the relief of nervous observers, Saturday's legislative elections resulted in a victory for the opposition alliance led by the more conservative Kuomintang Party...

If UN Fails, We All Do

Fareed Zakaria December 9, 2004
The military or humanitarian “failures” of the United Nations over the years must be recognized as collective failures of member countries, argues Newsweek Editor Fareed Zakaria. The Rwandan genocide a decade ago is a case in point: Decisions made among the most powerful U.N. member nations, including the US, the UK, and France, led to completely botched peacekeeping operations. Now on the brink...