MEDICINE IS A SCIENCE DEALING WITH THE TREATMENT ONLY OF THE RICH AND FREE. IN RELATION TO EVERYONE ELSE, IT IS MERELY A THEORETICAL SCIENCE DEALING WITH HOW THEY WOULD BE CURED IF THEY WERE RICH AND FREE - NOTES OF A PHYSICAN (NINETEENTH CENTURY)
With the disintegration of the socialist system throughout eastern Europe, wife beating is on the increase. But everyone conspires to keep the secret: women are ashamed to report it; and if they do, the authorities dismiss it as trivial
In a face-off with the West, Russia is rebranding its image – spinning the present as the latest chapter in a triumphant, grand narrative, reports Irena Maryniak
POLISH JOURNALISTS ARE ADEPT AT SELF-CENSORSHIP. NOT THAT THEY WOULD CALL IT THAT; MORE A QUESTION OF NOT WASHING DIRTY LINEN IN EURO-WATERS AND KEEPING UP THE SELF IMAGE
An interview with Craig Murray, Britain's former ambassador to Uzbekistan. Murray was removed from his post in October 2004. He describes Uzbekistan's extensive use of torture in persecuting political opposition groups and extracting intelligence information. Murray claims that Uzbekistan is a totalitarian state effectively ruled by President Karimov and that, therefore, any torture occurs because he allows it. Murray is especially critical of the US for strongly supporting Karimov in support of US military and energy interests. He is also troubled by people in the diplomatic and intelligence communities who implicitly sanction torture by using information obtained in Uzbekistan by means of torture.