Iraqi shrine project renews fears of sectarian tension
SAMARRA: Five years ago, a blast tore through Iraq's golden-domed Shia Askari shrine in the mainly Sunni city of Samarra, helping ignite two years of sectarian strife that drove Iraq…
New Bollywood film stokes caste controversy
A new Bollywood film tackling the thorny issue of caste quotas in Indian government jobs and education is released this week in the face of vocal protests from minorities. Politicians…
Abidjan’s pulsing Princess Road razed in clean-up
Abidjan's most famous fun street has lost its smile: Princess Road, known for its parties and music, has been mowed down by bulldozers, swept away in a vigorous government clean-up.…
In search of Ramadan’s comfort – Gratin Dauphinois
Not so long ago, a dear friend of mine began to visit me regularly. This friend, one that you too might be familiar with, would make her spellbinding appearance at…
Of gladiators, little boys and wolves
By Rania Al Malky CAIRO: The Wikipedia definition describes a gladiator as an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic through violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and…
Iraq and the end of the empire
By Arshin Adib-Moghaddam The current crisis in Iraq contains all the factors that are shaping the new political realities in the region. After two invasions of Saddam Hussein's Iraq, an ongoing…
A dim light on global warming
By Bjørn Lomborg COPENHAGEN: Amid a growing wave of concern about climate change, many countries — including Brazil, Australia, the United States, and the members of the European Union — passed…
America’s first debt crisis
By Mark Roe CAMBRIDGE: The West is ensnared in a debt crisis. The United States, as everyone knows, came perilously close to defaulting on August 2, and Standard & Poor’s downgraded…
Without international monitors, civil groups prepare for elections
CAIRO: When the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces issued a statement rejecting international monitors for the upcoming elections last month, it lay down a challenge for Egyptian civil society.…
The sword and shield of the state
After the rebellion comes the reckoning. At its core, Egypt’s new society needs trust. Adversaries have to bury the hatchet and get on with one another. In practical terms that…
