In The News

In Kuwait, Succession and a Parliamentary Revolution

Mai Yamani February 3, 2006
The victory of Hamas in Palestine showed the world how the democratic process can produce unexpected results. Less publicized, however, is the recent assertion of democratic power in Kuwait. The nation, which has 10 percent of the world’s oil reserves, has been ruled by two rival branches of the Sabah family for the past two centuries. Traditionally the family resolves issues of succession...

Alienated Danish Muslims Sought Help from Arabs

Spiegel Staff February 3, 2006
The world was surprised by the sudden fury in the Islamic world let loose following the publication of a series of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in Danish and later other European newspapers. Until now little was known, however, of the efforts made by Denmark’s Muslim community to raise awareness about the discrimination they faced. Feeling ignored after protesting the initial appearance of...

Fear of an American Internet

Markus Dettmer February 2, 2006
Despite millions of new internet users from all around the globe, US companies like Google continue to dominate the medium. These businesses invest heavily in research and design, and as a result continue to expand their reach of the internet. One ambitious new project that is raising eyebrows is Google Print, which is collaborating with some of the world’s top universities to publish their...

Behind the Mic

Khalid El-Farra February 2, 2006
Sportscasting is an art, and the African Cup of Nations will soon put the Arab football commentators in the spotlight. Relying on satellite channels to compare styles, many Arab football fans grumble that their homegrown commentary has a long way to go before meeting professional standards set by the West. Grievances against Arab commentators include crushing melodrama, ignorance of the game...

Threaten One, Intimidate a Million

Henryk M. Broder February 2, 2006
With bomb explosions, assassinations and riots coloring the recent history of Islam in Europe, the already tense state of relations took a serious turn for the worse over some cartoons. Drawings in the right-wing Danish daily “Jyllands-Posten” last autumn satirically portrayed the images of Prophet Mohammad – unleashing outrage throughout the Muslim world, including a boycott of Danish goods in...

The Basics: How to Outwit the World’s Internet Censors

Tom Zeller Jr. February 1, 2006
While China’s censorship of the internet receives increased attention, less publicized are the system’s imperfections. Relying on loopholes, greater freedom can be sought, even in a restrictive environment. One way individuals subvert a watchdog government is by surfing the web through a proxy server, which dissociates computer addresses from visited websites. In China, an underground network of...

Poor Nations Complain Not All Charity Reaches Victims

Stephanie Strom February 1, 2006
Aby Ibrahim Niger’s health minister late last year voiced dissatisfaction with international aid groups. Now other poor nations and those affected by disaster are also expressing mistrust about NGO reliability - how money is raised versus how it is spent. Leaders, including those from Indonesia and Sri Lanka, charge that NGOs rely on specific crises to collect funds and then spend the money...