In The News

Sarah Lyall September 4, 2003
Britons are taking advantage of cheap flights to Europe as a result of reduced air travel in the aftermath of September 11. They are not, however, visiting historic and picturesque cities like Prague to soak up the culture, but rather to imbibe the cities' cheap alcohol. Quickly becoming known around Europe as unruly and quarrelsome, British tourists are also known for spending a lot of...
Asghar Ali Engineer September 4, 2003
Claims that Islam is incompatible with democracy and modernity are terribly off-base, says Asghar Ali Engineer, a scholar and author at the Institute of Islamic Studies in Mumbai. The observation that science and democracy are not found in contemporary Islamic countries is fair, he says, but the root causes lie in historical, economic, and political circumstances – not in Islam. Authoritarian...
Marc Lacey September 4, 2003
“Big Brother”, the reality television show that gained success in the Western world, has found a new audience in Africa. The African version has become the most popular show on the continent, with 30 million Africans tuning in to watch 12 young professionals from a diverse group of countries live together as housemates, sharing disagreements and romantic entanglements. While some religious and...
September 2, 2003
In the latest battle over convergence on global attitudes and laws regarding homosexuality, Dutch gay rights groups have published a manual outlining how and why their country legalized gay marriage. The guide also offers advice to politicians and activists in other countries on how to promote equal rights for same-sex couples and gays and lesbians more generally. The handbook's...
August 22, 2003
The six-party talks on North Korea that will start on August 27 in Beijing is taking place against the backdrop of growing divergence over North Korea. A recent public opinion poll taken by Pew Global Attitudes Project shows that the country closest to North Korea - its southern counterpart is one of the least concerned about North Korean threat that the US and other powers are trying to...
Gwynne Dyer August 21, 2003
News channels – even the most reputable ones – are disproportionately covering stories about violent Muslims, London journalist Gwynne Dyer maintains. On any given night, the international news is likely to be dominated by stories about Iraqi guerrillas, Islamic terrorists in Indonesia, rioting between Muslim sects in Pakistan, and Europeans taken hostage by Muslim guerillas in Mali. Covering...
Julia Angwin August 21, 2003
After the birth of a long-awaited son or the recovery of an ill spouse, Hindu women often visit a temple and shave their long locks as a gesture of thanks. Few suspect that their sacrificed hair may end up on the head of a European or American woman, possibly even a Hollywood actress. Yet temples across India make tidy profits selling the hair of pilgrims to foreign companies that make hair...