In The News

Doubts Remain Over Iraq’s Path to Sovereignty

Roula Khalaf May 25, 2004
13 months after the fall of Baghdad, the city’s residents are frustrated about the direction their nation has taken. Doubts about the competence of both occupying forces and Iraqi leadership have surfaced as the June 30 deadline for transfer of power approaches. Reporters from the Financial Times spoke to young Iraqis, for whom “the joy of freedom… has been overshadowed by anxieties over Iraq...

Cannes, a k a Asia West

A. O. Scott May 21, 2004
At this year's prestigious Cannes Film Festival, it may be easy to forget you're in France, not the Far East. With the plethora of entrancing Asian films being screened, says movie critic A. O. Scott, one could be forgiven for walking out of the Palais des Festivals and thinking the sea outside is the Pacific Ocean, not the Mediterranean. A full six out of 19 films in the competition...

Paving the Way for a Sustainable Taiwan

Chen Shui-Bian May 20, 2004
Newly-reelected Taiwanese President Chen Shui-Bian delivered an inaugural address this week titled, "Paving the Way for a Sustainable Taiwan." In the speech, Chen assessed the progress of Taiwan's democratization. He said, "Democratic advancement occurs only through constant and gradual endeavor, one step at a time." Chen described Taiwan's new electoral processes,...

Liverpool Bid

May 19, 2004
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has recently expressed interest in purchasing a 30 percent stake in England’s Liverpool football club, a move which has raised eyebrows in Thailand. Thai regulatory measures might make such an investment problematic, as there is uncertainty about whether foreign investments undertaken by the government must be approved by the central bank. The proposed bid...

State Department Rights Report Released After Delay

Salamander Davoudi May 18, 2004
The US State Department's annual report on human rights and democracy comes in the wake of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. The controversial episode, in which Iraqi prisoners were abused by U.S. soldiers, has sparked a worldwide debate about the U.S.'s own human rights record. In fact, says Lorne Craner, assistant secretary for democracy, human rights and labor, the Abu Ghraib prison...

Wireless Web Reaches into Paradise

Gareth Mitchell May 18, 2004
With wireless technology, island culture may never be the same. Tourists usually go to the small, remote island-nation of Maldives in the Indian Ocean to get away from the bustle of their busy modern lifestyles. However, they might soon be able to check into their hotels as they hop off the airplane, and surf the internet while on the beach. Two computer enthusiasts are currently setting up...

Egyptians decry 'gay' U.S. abusers in Iraq

Patrick Letellier May 17, 2004
Three hundred Egyptians rallied in Cairo last week, blaming the recent abuse at Abu Ghraib prison on “homosexual American executioners.” Graphic photos of American soldiers torturing and sexually abusing Iraqi prisoners have inspired anger across the Middle East. The Cairo protest worries human rights advocates, who say that tying torture to homosexuality fits into a larger political agenda. The...