Kathleen Moore is the director of RFE/RL's Central Newsroom.
Has the democratization process reached an impasse? Are there places where democracy is an unnatural form of government? A major conference in Prague is considering these issues.
Hindu swastikas on a wall in India (AFP) January 17, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- A German proposal to ban Holocaust denial throughout Europe has run into criticism from Europe's Hindus, who complain the plans would include a ban on the use of the swastika, an ancient symbol that was adopted by the Nazis.
Debate continues in Britain over the wearing of the face veil by some Muslim women, with Prime Minister Tony Blair calling it "a mark of separation."
Few people have made their names by meeting one of the world's most-wanted men, but Essam al-Ridi is one.
The UN's Jan Egeland has described Israel's use of cluster bombs "immoral" (file photo) (epa) PRAGUE, August 31, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- Two weeks after a UN-brokered cease-fire silenced the guns in southern Lebanon, people's lives are still in danger there -- largely because of cluster bombs from Israeli war planes or artillery.
(RFE/RL) Brewing up a cup of green tea may do more than quench your thirst. From heart disease to arthritis, green tea -- a favorite drink throughout Central Asia and elsewhere -- is linked to a whole range of preventive health benefits. And the evidence keeps mounting.
Demonstrators burn U.S. flag in anti-Iraq war protest in Stockholm in March (epa) PRAGUE, June 14, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- According to a new survey of public opinion in 15 countries across the world by the Pew Research Center, the United States' image in the world is slipping, and many people think the U.S. presence in Iraq is a greater threat to world peace than Iran.
Immigration rose sharply in the United States for the first time since the restrictions imposed after September 11, 2001 (epa) PRAGUE, June 8, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- Migration to rich countries has risen sharply, while the number of asylum seekers is down, according to a new report out today by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). It says long-term migration to its member countries rose some 15 percent in 2004, and a growing number of migrants are coming from Ukraine, Russia, and Latin America.
A report by Europe's leading human rights watchdog says 14 countries "colluded" with the CIA to abduct terrorist suspects and to develop a "spider's web" of secret detention centers.
Freudian slips, the Oedipus complex, repressed memories. All these concepts are thanks to Sigmund Freud and his pioneering research into the workings of the mind. May 6 marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of the founder of psychoanalysis.
Demonstrations in Paris last month (epa) The French government this week bowed to weeks of demonstrations and scrapped plans to introduce a new youth labor law. The protests in France may have been the loudest, but people in other European countries have similar concerns about reforms that cut benefits or make jobs less secure.
Victims of earthquake in Kashmir (AFP) April 7 is World Health Day, and this year the United Nations is dedicating it to all the people who, every day, save lives and give others the care and treatment they need. Health workers often do their job in extremely difficult circumstances.
The Terskol Peak observatory in the Russian North Caucasus (Courtesy Photo) For a few minutes on March 29, the moon will block out the sun in a total solar eclipse. It starts at dawn in the eastern tip of Brazil, before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to West and North Africa. From there, it'll sweep across Turkey toward Georgia, Russia, and Kazakhstan, before ending in Mongolia at sunset. It's a spectacle that many enthusiasts are willing to travel great distances to see.
Eurovision (official site) Over the past few months, pop bands across Europe and beyond have been battling it out for their big chance -- to represent their country in the Eurovision Song Contest on May 20. But it's not been an entirely harmonious process. One of the last countries to decide on its official song, Serbia and Montenegro, has pulled out of the competition following a row over which band should go to the final in Athens. It's not the first time the competition -- set up to promote European unity -- has caused controversy.
Chinese internet users in Beijing (file photo) (epa) Controversy continues over a decision by Google to cooperate with official censorship in China. The Internet giant last month agreed to start up a search engine in China that would block some information deemed sensitive by Chinese authorities. Critics accuse the company of putting profits before principles, and contradicting their own motto, "Don't be evil." Google representatives are due to appear before a U.S. Congressional hearing on 15 February to explain their actions.
Films with serious social and political themes dominate the offerings at this year's Berlin film festival, and most observers agree that the trend away from "popcorn blockbusters" looks set to continue.
Protests over the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in a Danish newspaper continue to gain in vehemence in parts of the Muslim world, and the row has prompted a boycott of Danish goods in many Middle Eastern countries. But now there are signs of an emerging counter campaign -- one that says people can support free speech by buying Danish products.
Russian gay activists Eduard Murzin (left) and Eduard Mishin (AFP) With the whole world talking about the Hollywood movie "Brokeback Mountain," an acclaimed film focusing attention on gay issues, gay activists in RFE/RL's broadcast region are hoping for a climate of greater acceptance.
How can people who think they may have contracted bird flu recognize the symptoms? And what treatment should they seek? RFE/RL put those and other questions to Professor Peter Openshaw, head of respiratory infections at National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London.
While a Turkish court has postponed the trial of bestselling writer Orhan Pamuk, he still faces charges of insulting Turkish identity by commenting on the World War I-era killings of Armenians.
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