In The News

Planned Chinatown Raises Hackles in Rural Germany

Markus Feldenkirchen March 25, 2008
The city council of rural Oranienburg has approved construction of a Chinatown for its community, but agreement has stopped there. While Germans demand meticulous and time-consuming documentation and construction that conforms to city codes, the Chinese would prefer informal and rapid “guan xi” decision-making. The definition of “home” can increasingly blur as local flavors change with the influx...

Iraq: Teachers Told to Rewrite History

Richard Garner March 19, 2008
A 1996 British law requires balance in the teaching of political issues. But on the fifth anniversary of the Iraq invasion, Britain’s biggest teacher union gives low grades to a lesson plan devised by the Ministry of Defence that includes no mention of Iraqi civilian casualties or the lack of United Nations’ approval for the war. The teachers question why the lesson plans rely on US spellings...

Are the Grandkids Worth the Money?

Eduardo Porter March 14, 2008
Any society can be judged by how much it cares for future generations - by preserving a record of history and also conserving resources and the environment. Some public spending reflects regard for future generations, and writing for the New York Times, Eduardo Porto poses the question: How much should the world sacrifice today to abate future costs of climate change? Much of modern society...

Vatican Updates List of Mortal Sins for Globalization Era

Dmitry Sudakov March 13, 2008
Many religions share the same goals, preventing harm to others or society, and their doctrines label the deliberate transgressions of moral law or religious teaching as sins. After 14 centuries, the Roman Catholic Church has updated its list of serious sins – adding pollution, genetic engineering, obscene riches, drug addiction, abortion, pedophilia and social injustice to the 6th century list of...

A Life or Death Decision

Robert Verkaik March 7, 2008
The punishment for practicing homosexuality in Iran is a slow and excruciating public hanging. An Iranian student in London, named by a former partner before an execution in Iran, failed to receive asylum in the UK, and has since fled to the Netherlands. A Dutch appeals court will rule on granting the young man Dutch asylum or returning him to the UK. Gay-rights activists throughout Europe...

Struggling to Squelch an Internet Rumor

Samuel G. Freedman March 5, 2008
The internet has revolutionized the way information is passed, making mass communication possible with the click of a mouse. And yet, such power left unchecked can ease the spread of misinformation. Samuel Freedman, Columbia University journalism professor, cites an example at the University of Kentucky, in which confusion over an e-mail suffix from the UK, led to thousands of e-mails forwarding...

Integrating Islam into the West

Phillip Blond February 21, 2008
The rule of law evolves gradually over time, casting judgment on behavior as right or wrong. Media reports that the archbishop of Canterbury suggested Great Britain should adopt some aspects of Shariah or Islamic law ignited immediate protests. “Unfortunately, the media storm masked the real message of the speech, which concerned the authority of the secular state and its impact on religious...