Infocus

  • Free Fall
    Even as the analyses of 2013 becomes a ritualistic saga, what strike us is how the year surpassed others with its scams, messy politics and political charlatanism. The only beacon was perhaps the resounding suc
  • Mediterranean diet may protect against diabetes
    Without cutting back on calories, adopting a Mediterranean diet rich in extra-virgin olive oil may protect people at high risk for heart disease against diabetes, a new study found. Researchers who analyzed dat
  • SOCHI OLYMPICS: The good and the bad
    In this photo taken on January 4, 2014, and provided by Olympictorch2014.com, Olympic torch bearers Mikhail Schukin, left, and Anton Pritulin hold Olympic torches during the torch relay in Perm, Russia. The rel
  • Political swipes in India show rape a voter issue
    In this Friday, January 3, 2014 file photo, activists of Indian National Congress with black bands around their mouths block traffic during a protest against a gang rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl at Madh
  • New Year and Money
    Whether your finances took a turn for the better or for the worse in 2013, there’s no better time than the present to ensure that things look rosy in 2014. Take the time to research each of these categori
  • Parents Are Powerful Role Models
    The foundation of good character is a good family. What we believe and practice at home portrays our true character. Children's character development certainly cannot come from the classroom alone. Character de
  • Small Is Really Beautiful
    In an age of obsession with everything big, we live under the illusion that bigger is better. We tend to believe that we need big farms, big dams, big corporations to meet our needs for food and water. Giant co
  • ‘Money cannot buy me’
    One of Bollywood's favourite Khans, Aamir, claims to earn the "least compared to others", and says he "cannot compromise" with his emotions as "money cannot buy me"."Till toda
  • South Africa, Unequal by Design
    South Africa is not happy. Not only has the country lost its first black president, Nelson Mandela, but it is now facing its deepest crisis since its democratic transition in 1994. A host of challenges face the
  • Asians are highly respectful of officials
    Officials in uniform stopped reader Janakan Arulkumarasan outside the door of a shopping mall, saying: "Excuse me, sir. We are checking random bags because of a significant terrorism threat." Janakan
  • 2014
    2014 is here to stay. Everyone without exception will be wondering subconsciously what the future holds for each one of us this Year. I would presume nothing dramatic is about to happen with our indifferent min
  • Decades later, a Cold War secret is revealed
    This undated image made available by the National Reconnaissance Office shows a declassified photo of a man standing next to a satellite control section from the Hexagon program. It was dubbed "Big Bird&qu
  • 2012, the age of the citizen
    It may be unwise to make a judgment about history while it is still unfolding. But 2011 compels me to claim that 2011 marked the beginning of the Age of the Citizen. This is seen most dramatically in the Arab w
  • 2012, democracy's monster
    The contagious spread of democracy in the Arab world in 2011 was truly amazing and heartening. It aroused a huge wave of hope and solidarity across the globe. So great indeed was the empathy, particularly with
  • Third-Year Blues
    President Barack Obama holds 1 month old Adeline Valentina Hernandez Whitney as he and first lady Michelle Obama visit members of the military during Christmas dinner at Anderson Hall on Marine Corps Base Hawai
  • 2011, a year of wonder
    Maybe every generation believes that it lives in uniquely interesting and challenging times. The last year seems too to fit the description. European nations that have struggled for centuries to realise their v
  • How the US coaxed Myanmar in from the cold
    In this Friday, December 23, 2011, photo, Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, left, and Myanmar lower house speaker Thura Shwe Mann, right, pose for photos during their meeting at parliament buildi
  • The Essential Flame
    Protesters gesture during a demonstration demanding the prosecution of Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sanaa, Yemen, Tuesday, December 27. (AP Photo) Why does change seem so desirable and so exhila
  • Kind hearts or a dead giveaway?
    IN THE mountainous state of Nagaland, in far north-eastern India, they have a unique tradition. It is called the Feast of Merit. To host a Feast of Merit, one must invite the whole village to a feast and that f
  • Indian outcast millionaire mulls caste and riches
    In this Tuesday, November 22, 2011, photo, dalit Hari Kishan Pippal, 60, a member of India's outcast community once known as untouchables, sits on a scooter inside his Honda dealership showroom in Agra, India.