London’s first murder of 2012 took place a few streets away from my apartment, at 4 am on New Year’s Day. Aaron McKoy, described by one friend as “a humble person who loved life,” had been celebrating his 22nd birthday in a local …
As Iran Rattles Its Saber, Should the U.S. Still Ally Itself with Saudi Arabia?
The White House’s Dec. 29 announcement of a $30 billion sale of 84 F-15SA fighter jets to Saudi Arabia came with a lot of subtext. The deal, part of an earlier $60 billion arms agreement between Washington and Riyadh, is slated …
Egypt’s Islamists On the Verge: Will They Make Campaign Rhetoric Reality?
As Egyptians vote this week in the third and final round of elections for the lower house of parliament, the country prepares to usher in its first ever Islamist-led government, and the second Islamist parliament to be elected in …
Youssou N’Dour Tries to Go from Music Superstar to President in Senegal
World music fans know him as a giant, 30-somethings will instantly recognize his voice from the 1994 worldwide smash “7 seconds” and followers of West African politics will, as of this week, know him as a candidate for President in Senegal’s February 26 election. But to see how big Youssou N’Dour really is, you need to hang out with him …
Religion and Sex in Israel: Street Clashes Over Defining a Jewish State
Israel seems to be at war with itself. For two weeks the Hebrew media have been dominated by street clashes between Jews arguing viciously over such matters as sleeve length and bus seating, which in the Israel of the moment are …
A Bus Driver in Southern China Dies of Bird Flu. Could the Deadly Virus Strike Again?
News that a bus driver from the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen died of the H5N1 bird-flu virus on Dec. 31 was greeted with a shrug in the nation that serves as the breeding ground for some of the world’s nastiest viruses. …