Search

'THIEVES AND THUGS' IS OUR TAXI DRIVER'S DESCRIPTION OF THE PEOPLE WE WILL MEET ON THE THIRD-CLASS TRAIN FROM ASWAN TO LUXOR. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON VIEW IN [...]

TO VIEW THE TAJ MAHAL far from the hawkers and crowds, I had hoped to approach it in a small boat on the Yamuna River, which flows in a wide [...]

Issues concerning the sinking of the Kursk, the Russian nuclear-powered submarine, are discussed. Two explosions were heard coming from the area of the Kursk and the shock waves were recorded 2000 miles away.

Japan and China have begun building an economic relationship, but many within both countries resent the other nation. Many older Chinese who experienced the horrors of the World War II remember Japanese soldiers killing more than 200,000 Chinese soldiers and civilians. In the 1990s, Japan invested billions of dollars in China and Shanghai is home to more than 10,000 Japanese residents.

Investigations of scandals at Japan's Ministry of Finance have revealed a corrupt culture based on overly close ties among businessmen, bureaucrats and politicians. Sordid revelations have compounded the crisis of confidence in financial institutions caused by Japan's recession. Economic reforms to revive Japan's economy are underway, but change will be slow.

This is how Yasir Arafat deals with terrorism: careering through the muddy, storm-soaked streets of Gaza one evening last week, the crack troops of the Palestinian Preventive Security forces roared [...]

This being the holly land, it was probably inevitable that the assassin would claim to be acting in the name of God. American assassins -- to take a more familiar [...]

Issues concerning the dilemma facing illegal immigrants who are desparate to begin a new life away from conflict are presented. Reference is made to the tragedy in Dover where 58 Chinese people lost their lives. Wealthy countries must deal with the controversial and complex issues of illegal immigration, which has become big business.

This article discusses opium production in Afghanistan, and the relation of the opium trade and the Afghan government, run by the Islamic militia Taliban. Topics include the reliance of the Taliban on earning taxes from opium poppy famers and heroin labs, and its unwillingness to curb opium production.

This article describes how extremist Albanians in Kosovo are now perpetrating atrocities against Serbs and Gypsies, with many of the victims being Serb Orthodox priests. Relevant points include the destruction of Orthodox churches by ethnic Albanians and the suspected role of the Kosovo Liberation Army.

The article discusses free massive open online courses (MOOCs) for long-distance university classes, with a focus on how data analytics, streaming video, big data, and adaptive learning programs are used in global classrooms. Topics include the effect of digital technology on learning and education as of 2013, educational change, and the implications of technological innovations on the educational opportunities available to poor people in developing countries.

On January 12th, the day that Tsering Tashi set himself on fire, he didn't seem particularly troubled. He ate an early breakfast with his wife and his parents in the [...]

AL GORE HAD JUST SAT DOWN to cold cereal and mixed fruit with the chief American negotiator at the climate-change conference in Kyoto, Japan, last week. The international meeting was [...]

The article discusses the history of the rising conflict between Islam and the West. It describes jihadist Mohammad Abdille Hassan, also called the Mad Mullah, and his battle victory over British troops commanded by Richard Corfield in Dul Madoba, Somalia in 1913. It notes that in Islamic culture, sagas of past jihads inspire new ones. It notes today's so-called forever war waged by Islamic extremists against the West.

The article looks at Alaska Governor and 2008 U.S. Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin. The article looks at her upbringing as a devout Christian, questions on her willingness to work with opponents when she fired senior city officials after becoming Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, and the "Troopergate" incident in which she allegedly used her powers as Governor of Alaska to have Mike Wooten, her ex-brother-in-law, removed from the Alaska State Troopers.

This article focuses on Moqtada al-Sadr and his influence in the war in Iraq. Sadr is a unique force in Iraq because he is a leader from the Shiite majority who has resisted American occupation from the start. He's a populist, a nationalist, and an Islamic radical all in one. Shiites see Sadr as the one leader who is willing to stand up for them and strike back on their behalf. And now he is the primary target of Sunni insurgents bent on provoking all-out civil war.

Discusses the future of Osama bin Laden's global terror network, Al Qaeda, since the fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Role of Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar within the organization; Existence of cells of the Al Qaeda outside Afghanistan; Involvement of Al Qaeda in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks; Development of Al Qaeda from a small outfit to a global organization; Advantages of the Afghan base for the network.

Examines the tactics of Osama bin Laden to manipulate Muslims and their feelings of alienation and anger. Popularity of bin Laden and his ability to create a sense of mystery about himself; Idea that the United States government wants to lower bin Laden's profile by talking about him less and reducing his media exposure; Questions concerning his Al Qaeda network and its ability to recruit suicide terrorists.

Discusses the outlook for nation-building in Afghanistan by the United States, in the war of the U.S. against terrorism. Outlook for the Taliban Movement in Afghanistan; Questions concerning the cooperation of Afghan citizens in the war against the Taliban; Outlook for the role of U.S. President George W. Bush in the nation-building.

Discusses the controversy over drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska. Description of the area; Discussion of the frontier in the United States; Question of values, and of whether wilderness should be drilled or protected; Question of how much oil is beneath the ANWR coastal plain.

Profiles Liberian President Charles Taylor. His denial of atrocities committed during the country's continuing civil war; Insistence that he is a peacemaker; Terrorism that continues to plague Liberia; Education and life in the United States before becoming active in exile politics; Support of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels; Why he symbolizes much that is wrong with Africa.

Reports on child pornography found on the Internet. Discussion of the Pedophile Liberation Front, which defends the lifestyle of pedophiles, people who are sexually attracted to children; How children have been beaten and raped to create images; How the Internet is making it easier for authorities to locate child molesters; Discussion of where to place responsibility. INSET: How to Protect Your Kids Online.

Addresses the city of Jerusalem, Israel and the struggles for peace experienced within. History and significance of the city as the religious center for Christianity, Judaism and Islam; Effect of peace talks between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat; Outlook. INSETS: The Mother Who Won't Stop Fighting;A Soldier's Vision;The Militant Poet;The Monk on the Roof

Discusses the AIDS epidemic in Africa as of year 2000. Effect of AIDS on political and social institutions; Orphans due to `slim disease' deaths of parents; Efforts of preacher and activist Eugene Rivers to challenge American blacks to support funding for humanitarian relief in Africa; Statistics on how the plague affects the countries of Africa and the world; Pattern of death from AIDS; Cost of AIDS.

Byline: Robert J. Samuelson and Jeffrey Bartholet Obama tapped her to set up the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Can she create a more honest market? When do you aim [...]

Byline: Jeffrey Bartholet One of Obama's oldest friends and most trusted advisers on the personal constraints of White House life--and the occasional urge to break free. Bartholet: How is [the [...]

Byline: Katie Connolly and Jeffrey Bartholet Barack Obama and John McCain couldn't agree more on Afghanistan. Except when they don't. It wasn't long ago that John McCain was making the […]

Byline: Jeffrey Bartholet and Daniel Stone; With Richard Wolffe and Dina Fine Maron in Washington Many of Obama's top advisers, like an increasing number of Americans, have learned and lived [...]

Everyone's talking about talking to the Taliban. But before we jaw-jaw, there will be more war-war. Don't even ask Mullah Sabir about peace talks. There's nothing to talk about, says [...]

Byline: Michael Hirsh and Jeffrey Bartholet Mogadishu is a place most Americans would rather forget. During the 1990s, the 'Black Hawk Down' debacle symbolized the dangers of dabbling in far-off [...]

Byline: Kevin Peraino, Dan Ephron and Jeffrey Bartholet (With Joanna Chen in Jerusalem, Nuha Musleh in the West Bank, Michael Hirsh and Richard Wolffe in Washington, Christopher Dickey in Paris [...]

James Nachtwey has been described--by a fellow photographer--as the Angel of Death. If you see Nachtwey in a ravaged land, and people are not dying in front of his lens, [...]

Looks at the opening of the 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan. Efforts of Japanese organizers to avoid the commercialization of the Atlanta games; Intention of showcasing ideals of simplicity, tradition and hospitality; The representation for the Japanese of a happy respite from a stream of bad economic news. INSET: Booking the couch.

Features the signing of the interim peace agreement between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization by Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yasir Arafat. The lavish signing ceremony, held in Washington on September 13, 1993 by invitation of President Bill Clinton; Implications of the agreement; The remaking of the Middle East that could begin soon; More. INSET: Trying to keep Arafat--and peace--, by D. Waller and C. Hawley..

Reports on the breakthrough accomplished after secret peace negotiations in Norway by Palestine Liberation Organization head Yasir Arafat, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and his foreign minister Shimon Peres. Conditions of the agreement; Reaction of Jewish settlers; What made peace possible; More. INSETS: The many hurdles to a real peace.;How the ruled would become the..., by C. Dickey & J. Bartholet..

Nobody has voted, so we've got an order to collect them,' the Indian soldier explains. Nearby, seven Kashmiri men, eyes hard with what could be anger or fear, are squatting [...]

Byline: Jeffrey Bartholet The Indian soldier, in full battle gear and armed with an AK-47, seems only mildly embarrassed. He's herding a dozen men and women down a narrow road [...]

A bystander might have thought some ghastly catastrophe had struck the earth. In the predawn gloom near New York's East River, diplomats from around the globe were sleeping on the [...]

Beit Jala, an ancient jumble of Palestinian homes on a hill opposite Bethlehem, used to be a quiet place. When my wife and I lived there in 1993 and 1994, [...]