In The News

The Atlantic Divide over Fighting Terrorism

Jonathan Schell March 16, 2005
Spain recently commemorated the first anniversary of the March 11 terrorist train bombings. With an international conference on terrorism and five minutes of nation-wide silence, Spain's conduct one year after the tragedy is markedly different from the US declaration of war in response to 9/11, writes Jonathan Schell. As the world grapples with the terrorist challenge, Spain demonstrates an...

Confucius Says: It's Time to Learn Mandarin

Hamish McDonald March 7, 2005
As China continues its ascent as a global power, the demand for Chinese-language speakers has, indeed, increased. In response to – and perhaps to reinforce –these needs, China has launched an international initiative to boost language proficiency. Dubbed the Confucius Institutes, over 100 Chinese language learning centers are planned to open in cities worldwide. As with many Chinese global...

An End to Killing Kids

March 2, 2005
This week, the US Supreme Court abolished the execution of juveniles, leaving only a handful of nations still using capital punishment for minors. While convicted adults still face the death penalty, the popularity of capital punishment may be waning in America. According to The Economist, recent developments indicate that the United States no longer wishes to be out of step with its allies and...

India's City of Contrasts May Really Need Two Names

Anand Giridharadas February 28, 2005
Ten years ago, in seeking to escape its colonial legacy, India's wealthiest state re-named its flagship city, and Bombay became Mumbai. To this day, however, there is still confusion over what to call the city; the Times of India writes "Mumbai" on front-page news, but calls its entertainment insert the Bombay Times. Increasingly – and much to the confusion of outsiders – the...

A Pageant with a Purpose

Simon Robinson February 28, 2005
Last week, Botswana played host to a unique type of beauty pageant. Twelve competitors from around the nation danced, smiled, and glamorized in the 5th annual Miss HIV Stigma Free Pageant, designed to showcase the fact that even with the AIDS virus, life goes on. Botswana, regarded as one of the most progressive African nations in its handling of the AIDS crisis, views the culture of shame and...

Foreign Hoopsters Get a Crucial Assist

Chanel White February 17, 2005
In recent decades, sport has become a globalized and globalizing force. Sport provides the financial impetus for seemingly unlikely migrations. Nigerian soccer players ply their trade in snow-swept Donetsk in Ukraine, Brazilians play in Japan, and even Iraqis find themselves mired in the muddy soccer fields of Calcutta. Sport brings disparate parts of the world into touch. Though soccer continues...

Iranian Cleric Blogs for Free Expression

Reuters February 16, 2005
Mohammad Ali Abtahi, like so many politically conscious world citizens today, writes an internet web log, or "blog." Abtahi's story seems ordinary – except that he is an Iranian presidential adviser and a Muslim cleric. This revolutionary action, undertaken by a very senior member of the Iranian government, is aimed at promoting an open discourse for expression, political or...