Search

The article focuses on Pope Benedict XVI of the Catholic Church and the church's relationship with Judaism. A series of actions by the Pope have led to strained relations with Jews around the world as they are perceived to indicate toleration for anti-Semitism by Catholics. The Pope will make a week-long trip to Israel and Palestine in May, 2009 and hopes to assuage those concerns.

Discusses how the process of making the flu vaccine is prone to production problems and manufacturing delays which is part of the reason for major shortages in the United States. How only two companies, Chiron and Aventis, were licensed in 2004 to produce the vaccine for the U.S. market; Problems which resulted when Chiron withdrew 48 million doses of vaccine in early October because of contamination problems; Impact of the vaccine shortage on the political campaigns of incumbent president George W. Bush and candidate John Kerry; Criticism from Kerry that Bush ignored warnings that the situation was worsening to a crisis; Lack of an adequate response from Congress and the Centers for Disease Control.

Reports on the computer virus called the Love Bug that attacked computers around the world on May 4, 2000. Spread of the virus through electronic mail with the subject 'ILoveYou'; Suspicion that the creator of the virus was in the Philippines; Estimate on the amount of monetary damage done by the virus. INSETS: WHO ARE THESE GUYS?, by Jon Katz;WHY PCS ARE EASY TARGETS, by Chris Taylor.

Focuses on the proposal made by President Bill Clinton to combat global warming. The decision to roll back United States emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to where they were in 1990, but would not do so until between 2008 and 2013; How the US and other countries signed a treaty in 1992, that committed industrial nations to roll back by the year 2000; Why the US needs to take stronger action as opposed to other countries; What other countries are proposing. INSET: How Clinton would do it..

Reports on the perceived risks of cellular phone use, as of January, 2001. How some users fear they will develop cancer from radiation emitted by the phones, regardless of government reports that say the phones are safe; Comments of scientist George Carlo, who believes mobile phones are dangerous; How the fear of cellular phone radiation is creating fresh markets for entrepreneurs. INSET: Are Kids at Greater Risk?, by Bernard Baumohl.

Discusses the benefits and concerns about genetically modified crops. Reasons for opposition and suspicion to the crops in Europe; Profitability of such crops; Views of David Magnus, of the University of Pennsylvania Bioethics Center; Arguments for and against the crops; Possible unforeseen consequences of crops; Alarms about cloning humans; Need for legislative balance on the issue; Scientists doing a poor job of self-regulation.

The article focuses on the aim of Germany to transmit a new image of the nation as it hosts the 2006 World Cup football tournament. The games will be held in a stadium constructed by Adolf Hitler for the 1936 Olympic Games and the country has made no attempt to ignore the fact. Instead, Germany opted to stage an exhibit next to the stadium which documented the history of the building and the 1936 Olympics. The stadium is one of the most powerful works of Nazi architecture.

The article focuses on the paradigm shift in Germany's politics, with youngsters holding centerstage replacing the politicians raised in the social turmoil of the 1960s. In the September 18, 2005 elections the Social Democrats lost four percentage points, while the German Green Party gained 8%, with the Free Democratic Party attracting younger voters. Anxiety among youngsters about the economy, work and pensions, has replaced their desire to change the world.

The article focuses on the problems faced by disabled Europeans. Europe's disabled people complain that their concerns about access have been dismissed for too long. Governments have been slow to identify the barriers facing disabled people and devise ways around them. Much of Europe's infrastructure is old, some of it has historical status and not all can be easily adapted.

The article reports on the rise in bullies in schools in Europe. While teasing, harassment and violence that constitute bullying are not new, the behavior is growing both more pervasive and aggressive. In Spain around 7% of kids between 9 and 16 are victims of extreme bullying. In France, almost 13% of students are the target of multiple bullying incidents. Bullies are increasingly resorting to technology, too, such as sending offensive text messages or recording incidents on video.

The article reports on the move of several nations to send forces to Iraq. Serving alongside 2,300 Polish soldiers will be 1,600 soldiers from Ukraine, 1,300 from Spain, 470 from Bulgaria, 300 from Hungary, 220 from Romania and 100 from Latvia, as well as about 1,200 from countries in Central America. For Poland, the country in charge, the mission is seen as a declaration of the country's arrival as a power to be reckoned with.

Reports on the possible enlargement of the European Union (E.U.) and reasons why some citizens are opposing it. The need for Ireland to ratify NICE, the enlargement treaty; The issue of E.U. subsidies; Skepticism of countries in Eastern Europe; Activists on the Speak-Up-For-Small-Nations Democracy Tour; Power of the larger countries; Effects of enlargement on various nations' economies; Comparison of the E.U. to the former Soviet Union; The meeting of the European Convention under Valéry Giscard d'Estaing. INSETS: AFTER THE BIG BANG;HOW CURVED ARE MY BANANAS?.

Explores the rise in European tourism due to the low-fare flights offered by no-frill airlines. The boost to local communities from tourist influx; The attraction of smaller, regional airports; Promotional campaigns planned by tourism boards; Massive growth in cheap-flight travel.

Focuses on the advancements in detection techniques and treatments for breast cancer. Debate over the value of routine mammograms and the possibility of overtreatment; Information about ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), which involves miniature tumors; Discussion of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and hormone treatment; Genetic aspects, including the identification of a biological marker called the HER2 receptor; Outlook. INSETS: What All the Fuss Is About;Anatomy of a Tumor;THE CUTTING EDGE OF CANCER TREATMENT.

Discusses the adoption of the euro currency in 12 European nations as of January 1, 2002. Way that this affected banking in Europe; Response of Europeans to the currency; Acceptance of the currency; Worries that merchants will take advantage of the confusion regarding the conversion of money by increasing prices; Cost of the conversion to businesses; How the euro makes managing Europe's economies more difficult.

Discusses Islam in Europe. Condemnation of Islamic terrorists by Muslims in Europe; Social and political views of European Muslims; Cultural aspects of European Islam; History of Islam in Europe, including the immigration of Muslims to Europe from Asia; Description of the Muslim faith. INSET: Cultures in Collision.

Examines efforts by European investigators to track down members of Osama bin Laden's terrorist network, al-Qaeda. Activities of terrorists in European cities; Arrests of key suspects since the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States; Experience of the French with Algerian terrorism; British Home Office investigations; International cooperation in arresting terror cells; Why European antiterrorist officials are frustrated; Background on suspected terrorists. INSETS: PRIME SUSPECTS;ROOTS OF RAGE;CHANGED WORLD.

Focuses on the quality of work done internationally by Polish restorers and conservators of buildings. Foundation of the Atelier for Conservation of Cultural Property (PKZ) by the communist Polish government; Work done by Polish restorers, such as Teresa Stankiewicz and Jadwiga Styrna-Nawrocka, in Germany; Divergence of ideology between Polish and German restorers; Possibility that the art of restoration may not survive because of economic and cultural concerns.

Focuses on the Wandergesellen of Germany who are reviving the practice of the Walz, a period of time during which young artisans roam the world looking for temporary employment. Purpose of the Walz, which is to sharpen their skills as craftsmen; Traditions and dress of the wandergesellen; Comments from various craftsmen about the experiences and skills they learned. INSET: Career Paths.

Discusses problems with air traffic delays in Europe. Impact of increased flights, pilot strikes, and bad weather on delays; The need for air traffic control reform.

Focuses on a trend of increasing transience and cultural displacement among a generation of young European professionals, as of April 2001. How many of them are multilingual and multicultural; Frequency of international travel among this generation; Minimal national barriers which exist between countries in the European Union; Impact of technology on this trend; Social and political values of young Europeans; How this generation is more individualistic than nationalistic.

Discusses potential physical dangers involved with flying for long periods of time. Description of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), in which blood clots form due to long periods of immobility; Other potential problems, including high levels of cosmic radiation and questionable cabin air quality; Comments from major airlines.

Focuses on the possibilities of tourism in space as of October 2000. Increase of tourism in the world; Companies that are making plans to carry paying passengers into space, including Bristol Spaceplanes; Prediction that regular suborbital tourist trips will be operating by 2004; Reward offered by X-Prize Foundation for the first privately funded team to send a spacecraft capable of taking three people to an altitude of 100 km and returning them to earth within two weeks; Price for space travel.

Focuses on the protests in Europe against rising fuel costs, as of September 25, 2000. Failure of politicians to see the public's discontent earlier; Support of the protests by ordinary people; Part that globalization plays in the discontent of Europeans; Inability of the European Union countries to act in concert or concordance.

Focuses on the soaring fuel prices in Europe as of September 18, 2000. Protests against rising oil prices and fuel taxes; Meeting of oil ministers from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries; Discussion about Europe's energy sources; Reliance on nuclear power in France; Forms of renewable energy. INSET: MOX 'N' ROLL, by Nicholas Le Quesne.

Reports on the first crash of a Concorde jet on July 25, 2000, near Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, France. Background on the supersonic jet and its 30 year history of safety; Details regarding the crash and number of deaths; Speculation regarding the cause of the crash and the future safety of Concorde passengers. INSET: A MAN AT HOME WITH DANGER.

Discusses the right-wing ideology of Jorg Haider, which brought him and his Freedom Party into a coalition government in Austria. Efforts of the European Union and others to keep Haider from power; His views on immigrants and Nazism; Family background and career in politics.

This article discusses ways that Volkswagen can increase sales in North America. Adam Hallmark Executive V.P. of Volkwagen of America admits to underperformance in the market and regrets that they haven't moved up in the independent quality rankings. He says they have targeted the midmarket with pricing and standard features. VW doesn't make cars in the U.S. so Europe is supplied first. Wolfgang Bernhard, chairman of VW, plans a joint project with Chrysler to build a minivan in America.

Focuses on the ongoing debate over the development of wind power in the United States. Review of how opposition to wind power has in the past centered on the affect of wind turbines on wildlife; Review of how farmers in the United States and Europe are leasing their land for wind turbine use as a source of extra income; Discussion of how some homeowners are beginning to grow concerned about wind power's effect on real estate values.

This article presents information from a space probe that landed on Saturn's largest moon. The probe took seven years to fly to the Saturnian system and lived, as planned, for only 70 min. on Titan's plains. But the data it radioed home in the eyeblink of its active life should keep investigators busy for years. If Titan is a chemical cousin of Earth, it's an Earth gone terribly wrong. The surface is etched with riverbeds and shorelines carved by the methane rains. The ground seems to be a thin, frozen crust over a smoother, softer layer. "Kind of a crème brûlée consistency," says John Zarnecki, a principal science investigator. The atmosphere produces plenty of wind and weather. INSET: SO, WHAT'S IN THOSE PICTURES?.

Profiles Hermann Scheer, a German economist and the founder of EUROSOLAR, a renewable-energy organization in Europe. Involvement of Scheer in the sponsorship of alternative power laws in Germany; Wind energy produced in Germany; Solar energy laws; Reaction of German utilities to renewables laws.

Focuses on protests in Great Britain over the rising prices on gasoline as of September, 2000. Description of the protest during which people blockaded refineries and emptied filling stations; Decision of protesters to stop their gas embargo before it caused damage; Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries' (OPEC) role in the raising of prices following a near bankruptcy; Expectation of protesters that British Prime Minister Tony Blair will do something to relieve the high prices.

Focuses on problems within the European Union. Report from the Committee of Independent Experts which detailed fraud, cronyism and mismanagement at the Commission; Resignation of 20 commissioners in the wake of the report; Need for the European Union to make critical decisions about the future of the Commission; Views of Commission President Jacques Santer. INSET: Edith Cresson: How to Lose Friends and... by T. Sancton et al.

The article discusses the fund raising efforts of the University of Oxford in England. The university hopes to raise $2.5 billion to improve its competitive standing among global institutions of higher learning, citing low investment by British citizens. Efforts to increase funds through endowments and alumni donations are also described.

The article discusses the renewal of interest in nuclear power due to increasing concerns about greenhouse gases and a growing need for large-scale energy production. European countries are slowly accepting proposals for nuclear plants despite lingering fears since the partial meltdown at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in the Ukraine in 1986. Increased public support of nuclear power is noted. Concerns about the safety of facilities and the link between nuclear power and weapons are raised.

The article looks at the popularity and performance of Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel. Approval ratings for Merkel has been 80% in February 2006, the highest for any German Chancellor since World War II. Merkel heads up a grand coalition with her former adversaries, the Social Democratic Party, and must find consensus on ways to revitalize the economy, repair the health system and boost employment.

The article presents information about young soccer players who are playing in the Euro 2004 soccer tournament. All the signs say Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo could be the newcomer who turns into something special at Euro 2004. Football aficionados praise Dutch player Rafael van der Vaart's feel for the ball, and even compare it to that of French guru Zinedine Zidane.

The article presents information about soccer players over 30 years of age that are expected to retire after the Euro 2004 soccer tournament. French playmaker Zinedine Zidane is nearing 32. Frank de Boer, aged 34, will make his last appearance with a Dutch team he joined in 1990. Sweden stands to possibly lose only Henrik Larsson and his former Celtic teammate Johan Mjallby.

Focuses on Simon Fuller, a British entertainment entrepreneur, who created the television program 'Pop Idol,' its offshoot, 'American Idol,' and 'Germany Seeks the Superstar.' Mention of his privately held company, 19 Group; Discussion of his reality television plans, including the outlook for 'Second Chance Idol'; Background on music-based reality or talent shows and their impact on the music industry.

Profiles Simon Fuller and the idea behind his proposed television show for American network television. Success of his show, 'American Idol', in England and the U.S.; Use of has-been music stars in the possible new show, 'Second Chance Idol'; Popularity of reality TV.

Focuses on firearms regulation in Europe. Idea that limiting ownership of firearms to hunters, collectors, and gun-club members has kept firearm homicide rates lower than those of the U.S.; Problem of illegal weapons in Western Europe; School shooting in Erfurt, Germany, by a student with a pistol. INSET: Laying Down the Gun Laws.

Reports on the challenges facing Europe in light of the failed peace mission of United States Secretary of State Colin Powell in the Middle East. Mediation efforts of European leaders, such as Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Piqué; Discussion of the state of U.S.-European diplomatic unity; Role of British Prime Minister Tony Blair; Differences between Europe and the U.S. over the Arab-Israeli conflict, especially the issue of support for Israel.

Focuses on Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. How he was elected despite the allegations of corruption surrounding him during his campaign; His promise to work for tax cuts, higher pensions, new jobs, major public works and crime reduction; Criticism of a possible conflict of interest due to his control of most of the country's television networks; Conservative nature of Berlusconi's government; Implications for the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Discusses online security in Europe and what law enforcement agencies are doing to make the Internet safe for electronic commerce. Increase in the number of computer-related crimes in 1998, as a result of more businesses using the Internet; Examples of web-related crimes, including sabotage, fraud, and the spread of computer viruses; Examples of law enforcement agencies in Europe, such as German's Computer Emergency Response Team. INSET: THE EXTERMINATORS.

Discusses the potential of interactive television (i-TV) viewing in Europe. Expected increase in the number of i-TV boxes by 2003 and the expected revenues it will generate; How France is leading the way in the global i-TV industry, with two companies; Features offered, including e-mail, shopping, and stock trading; How i-TV is different from the personal computer, and reasons it will remain so. INSET: CLICKIN' FOR CHICKEN.

Reports on the expense of Expo 2000 which opened in June 2000 in Hanover, Germany. Amount of money that the Expo is expected to lose; Expectation that German taxpayers will end up paying for much of the budget; Confusion over the message and image that are being conveyed by the Expo.

Reports on politics in Germany. Idea that German voters are concerned about taxation and regulation in Germany; Outlook for the coalition government headed by Angela Merkel and her Christian Democratic Party; Factors that contributed to a generational shift in German politics that voted out Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, who is credited with making Germany an eco-friendly and tolerant country; Comments from law student Jan Bottcher and businessman Max Wirtz.

Profiles Angela Merkel, the front runner to become Germany's next Chancellor. Biographical and career details; Overview of Merkel's political campaign against Gerhard Schröder; Views of political analysts; How her experience in East Germany helped shape her pro-market philosophy; Observation that Merkel maintains a lead that would give her and her coalition partner, the Free Democratic Party, a narrow majority.

Focuses on the January 1, 2002 introduction of the euro in 12 European countries. Impact on banking systems; Reaction of shop keepers and others to the euro; How the transparency of euro pricing will work to consumers' benefit; Indication that the single currency will make Europe's economies more difficult to manage.

Relates attempts by advertisers to influence children. Children's influence on the spending of their parents; Statistics on the amount of money children spend, their parents spend, and money that children are somehow linked to; Sweden's ban on advertising directed at children for reasons of exploitation; Possible reasons for the influence children wield; Role of schools in research and in advertising.