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Murder of Roy: Championing illiberal liberals

 Despite rising political violence in Bangladesh, the west has reserved its outrage for the murder of a secular Bangladeshi-American blogger. But his site tended to curtail rather than uphold free speech.

The murder of Avijit Roy, a Bangladeshi-American blogger, in Dhaka last week has provoked much due outrage and denunciation. Avijit was stabbed to death at University of Dhaka campus and his accompanying wife was also viciously attacked. That it was so brutally inflicted on both Roy and his wife only adds to the horrific nature of this crime.

“I just want to be human”

The gate closes and the ferry sails away from Lampedusa en route to Sicily. On board are over 80 children who 12 days ago survived one of the most treacherous sea crossings in the world, traveling on rickety boats or rubber dinghies from lawless Libya to seek asylum in Italy. They came to Italy in search of a better life, a future in Europe. Like all children they are full of dreams and hopes but many grew up in very difficult circumstances and lost the chance to have a childhood. rohingya-childrenSome of them, like 17-yea...

Gates on philanthropy and optimism

Bill Gates is still best known as the co-founder of Microsoft, but, since 2000, when the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was launched, the American software billionaire has devoted much of his energy to global development philanthropy. Gates was in Ottawa last week to discuss overseas aid with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the opposition party leaders, and others. He spoke with Maclean’s just before appearing on stage with Harper—largely to bill gateshighlight aid to improve the health of mothers and children in poor countries—at an eve...

Secrets of learning a language — quickly

Picture this: You want to apply for a dream assignment abroad. There’s just one problem. You need foreign language skills that you don’t have — and time is not on your side. An employee of the Westlausitz museum paIt might sound like an impossible task, but according to language experts, you can learn basic communication skills in weeks and master the basics of a foreign language in several months. While you might not quickly reach the fluency that allows you to understand great foreign literature classics, you can, though, quickly hone in on...

How about a bit of body makeup?

bm-640_0You know how much work goes into red carpet hair and makeup, but what about those glowing limbs? From Julia Roberts to Beyoncé, hundreds of stars have hit the red carpet in the past few days, showing off sculpted legs, strong arms, and toned tummies. Turns out, they had a little help. Body makeup — tinted lotions that sculpt, smooth, and even firm — has always been used behind the scenes on photo shoots and ad campaigns, but now it’s making a play for the real world. Last summer, Gwyneth Paltrow told The Telegraph, "One of the best ...

A Valentine to Bangladesh

On a frigid and windy Friday afternoon after listening to a Philharmonic concert at Lincoln Center, my husband and I snatched a cab on Columbus Avenue to race down to meet our daughter for drinks. As we settled into the cab, the driver asked me, “When is Valentine’s Day?” I replied, “It’s tomorrow.” Then I suggested that he send either flowers or bring candies to his girlfriend. texting-eHe replied, “What about my wife?” “Absolutely,” I exclaimed. “Is she here?” I asked. “No”, he replied, “she’s in Bangladesh.” Then he passed back ...
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