Search results for

The Civic Miracle

African musicians Thomas Mapfumo and Oliver Mtukudzi have dealt with Zimbabwe's political upheaval in far different ways. They explore their differing views on two new CDs. Banning Eyre has a review of both.

Failed anti-communist fighters are beginning to emerge from the jungles of Laos, 30 years after defeat. The fighters once worked with the CIA to overthrow the communist government of Laos -- and ran for their lives after the communists won in 1975 -- are finally beginning to leave the jungles of Laos and re-enter society. Doualy Xaykaothao reports from Bangkok.

Robert Siegel talks with Middle East analyst Flynt Leverett, who's in Damascus while Syria's Baath Party holds its first meeting in five years. Leverett is author of the new book Inheriting Syria: Bashar's Trial By Fire and is a senior fellow at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution.

A suicide bombing in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar kills at least 19 during the funeral ceremony for a slain cleric known for his outspoken criticism of the Taliban.

Robert Siegel talks with Hugh Pope of the Wall Street Journal about his latest book, Sons of the Conquerors: The Rise of the Turkic World. Pope follows the history of the Turkic people — an ethnic group covering some 140 million people in Central Asia.

Antonio Villaraigosa is set to become the Los Angeles' first Latino mayor since 1872 after a historic coalition of Latinos, blacks and whites buoyed his candidacy. But he says that after the publicity dies down, he will be judged by his ability to tackle problems such as L.A.'s public school system.

The German government has begun sending refugees back to Kosovo this week. The majority of the 50,000 people eventually expected to return are Albanian-speaking Gypsies known as Roma. Their deportation is controversial because human rights groups say they won't be safe in Kosovo.

As the Senate considers President Bush's re-nomination of Priscilla Owen to a federal appeals court, a simmering debate over the use of filibusters to block judicial nominees is likely to begin in earnest.

Democrat Antonio Villaraigosa becomes first Latino elected as Los Angeles mayor in over 100 years. His rise in Los Angeles politics marks a distinct shift in California's largest city.