In The News

New Bush Policy Not to Affect Ties with Pakistan

Anwar Iqbal January 24, 2005
In his inauguration speech from last Thursday, President Bush echoed the theme of his first term in linking US foreign policy to the spread of freedom and democracy. Bush spoke forcefully throughout, declaring the end of tyranny to be the ultimate goal of the United States. Despite the tone of the speech, top Bush officials have assured foreign leaders that it marks no change in relations with...

Post-election America Is a Deeply Divided Nation

January 24, 2005
President George Bush’s inauguration last week ushered in a second term that seems poised for deep divisions in both the domestic and foreign arena. The Pew Research Center has released the results of polling about US public opinion in the wake of 9/11 and a highly contentious election. The survey showed a remarkably partisan voting population. Despite the tight race, the report concludes that...

Battling AIDS in India

Joydeep Sengupta January 21, 2005
India is on the brink of a public health crisis. About 4.6 million of its billion citizens are HIV-positive, and that number could explode by the decade's end. India's public health infrastructure is already overburdened with a burgeoning impoverished population, making widespread prevention efforts difficult. And although high-risk groups like sex workers may be aware of HIV's...

Evolution of Bird Flu Virus May Favor Pandemic – WHO

Stephanie Nebehay January 20, 2005
The avian influenza may not just be for the birds. With the Asian death toll at 38, health officials are concerned that the virus may evolve to a more fatal – and contagious form. Though the current risk of human-to-human transmission is negligible, the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that the virus could mutate. Alarmed by the high risk factors for rural families, WHO officials stressed...

AIDS: Facing the Second Wave

Pramit Mitra January 20, 2005
As AIDS starts to spread into "second-wave" countries, governments and health organizations alike are struggling to find the most effective ways to cope with the pandemic. Pramit Mitra examines India's challenges in confronting the disease, noting lessons other countries can garner from India's experience. With the second largest infected population in the world – at 4.58...

Spies Are Us: Interest in Arabic Soars

Benjamin Sutherland January 19, 2005
The skyrocketing number of American and Europeans studying the Arabic language is a trend affecting relations between Arabic-speaking lands and the rest of the world. While some Arabic students seek business opportunities, the majority aim for language proficiency to obtain work in some political or governmental capacity. The students recognize the need for advanced speakers by US and European...

On Screen, Tackling Europe's New Reality

Alan Riding January 19, 2005
In Germany, the popularity of a movie about Turks living in Hamburg may signal a new national multiculturalism. Film has played a similar role in other European countries, making ostracized immigrants sympathetic to those who'd ignored or hated them. "Head-On", directed by Fatih Akin, is not the first Turkish-German movie to be made, but it is the first to find such sweeping...