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Local News (International)
![]() ![]() ![]() To know somebody, Native Americans used to say, you must walk a mile in their moccasins. To know another country, it could be argued, one must read the news that is written and read by its inhabitants. Details can be lost in the translation when, say, an American correspondent in the Middle East sends news dispatches back to America. However, news stories written by and for local residents include cultural nuances and history that foreign correspondents often miss. Many nations have at least one news service on the Web. We looked at the most interesting English-language international news sites.
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The Jerusalem Post Internet Edition, the most polished of the foreign news sites we saw, provides thorough and even-handed weekly news coverage of Israel and the Middle East. It is the only English-language newspaper on the Internet from that area. We found relatively few stories here: A recent edition had only six news stories, six business articles, one sports story, and a handful of pieces about cultural events. But the stories are lengthy and detailed, and we found a wide range of editorials and columnists. In the tradition of Western journalism, the news is handled in an even-handed manner, and the editorials are anything but shy. Typical of the Jerusalem Post's features are those about the future availability of water and the usefulness of private schools in Israel. The English is fluent and tightly written, and screens are well laid out and attractive. Access often is slow, however, so be prepared to wait. But if you're looking for strong news coverage from the Middle East, The Jerusalem Post Internet Edition is an excellent source.
The St. Petersburg Press delivers well-written, often entertaining, weekly glimpses of Russian life. Sometimes that life isn't pretty: You'll see many stories about Russia's seemingly out-of-control criminal element, although it also has its share of upbeat stories, such as one recently about students working to improve the environment. Reading The St. Petersburg Press lets you see news in a new light and illuminates the nature of relationships that aren't necessarily clear to casual outside observers. For example, one story linked a grenade lobbed at the American embassy to Russian ultra-nationalists who were upset about the United States' role in the bombing of Serbian positions. The article explained that Russians and Serbs share Orthodox religious beliefs. A recent Peter's Town column, which describes the cultural comings and goings, discussed a restaurant opened by a Russian movie star and a disagreement between the local Greenpeace chapter and businesspeople who wanted to include an elephant in a parade along Nevsky Prospect. The Culture section is particularly lively: In a recent restaurant review, the writer described herself as being surrounded by three young toughs with weapons on one side and a woman with armed body guards on the other. The dedicated reviewer concluded: "The murky presence of imminent death certainly added spice to an otherwise bland and poorly cooked meal. . .If we had not been in close proximity to lethal weapons I would have asked for a reduction in the cost of the meal."
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If you've ever been to India, you know that scheduled events rarely take place on time there. The Hindu, a weekly version of India's official newspaper, is no exception. When we looked in, the current issue was more than a week old. However, if you want to learn the minutiae of life in India, this is a good place to look; the reporting is thorough, if a bit bland. You'll find dozens of news stories in each edition and, since The Hindu's writers don't always provide background, you'll have to read them all to get a complete picture. The cultural coverage is wide-ranging: We checked recently in the Cuisine section and found a recipe for a sweet Indian candy called peda. The Biography section held information about three influential people living in India: a business leader, a regional political leader, and a British designer trying to impress on Indians the importance of art and design. While the writing is sometimes difficult for Westerners to understand, The Hindu paints a complex, fascinating picture of India.
The Electronic Telegraph is the electronic version of London's Evening Telegraph. This traditional newspaper makes a graceful transition to the Web, providing sound coverage of British government and world news. Unlike most news sites, it is well-designed, with a large number of articles linked together nicely. Blurbs of each article are provided, making the page a winner for a fast daily news hit, and a search engine is included as well. The Electronic Telegraph is not without a bit of subtle British irony. A recent story, for example, reported that "the managing director of Yorkshire Water, who is seeking to limit 400,000 customers to supplies on alternate days, has been setting an example in rationing by going without a bath or a shower for three months." Added his wife, "Neither of us has been bathing or showering at home for months. We have not really noticed the difference."
If you prefer British irony to news, the place to go is The Guardian, which offers sometimes biting, often hilarious commentary on British news and culture. Typical of The Guardian's approach is its "Guide To the Tory's Leadership Contest," a thorough rundown on the early 1995 Tory elections. While this site is intelligent and engaging, it has a few problems: The issues aren't always up-to-date, access is often slow, and the interface (while visually attractive) is disorganized. Still, you'll find high-quality writing. If you want insights into British life and don't care about up-to-the-minute news coverage, it's worth the trouble.
The Cambodia Times, the national newspaper of that country, is well-designed and packed with news. Some of the news, however, will make you glad to live in a relatively stable democracy. For example, a recent article reported that: "The Phnom Penh Municipal government has ordered English-language teachers in the capital not to discuss politics or criticise the Government during their lessons. . .The Municipality will also send 'investigators' to English-language schools to ensure the order is complied with."
Don't expect sparkling graphics when you log on to Asahi.com. This on-line version of Asahi Shimbun, the venerable Japanese national newspaper, has very few stories and even fewer graphics. However, the news it does carry is thorough and even eye-opening, particularly its coverage of the United States and Americans in Japan. For example, we saw a recent lengthy article and an editorial about sexual assaults against Japanese women by American servicemen stationed in Okinawa. The article, written from the Japanese viewpoint, reminded us of the understandable terror and anger felt by residents of that city after those events. Similarly, while Americans may think of Japan as a monolithic economic force, the news reports at this site indicate that it has financial concerns as well. We read about a massive government plan to spur the economy and continually dropping land values. While the content of this site comes from Japan, the server is in San Jose, California, which is good news for Americans, since it means relatively fast access. But more photos and other graphics would be a welcome addition.
China News Services posts about 15 articles each day, focusing on what the Chinese Central Government is doing to improve the economy. You'll also read news of economic scofflaws. One story told about "the director and deputy director, surnamed Li and Yao respectively, of the Yitong Food Storage [who] conspired together to mix sand with maize to be purchased for the government store." Officials caught and punished the lawbreakers.
The news is only slightly brighter at the Taiwan Headline News. True, this site, developed in the United States, is more pleasing to western eyes than China News Services. But with headlines like "Hsinchu Science Park to Team Up with French Science Park," you can guess that the focus here pretty much on business and commerce.
If ever there was a storied newspaper, it is the International Herald Tribune. It conjures images of Ernest Hemingway drinking coffee in Paris cafes, reading the Herald Tribune and arguing about fishing or fascists. This new site doesn't offer much yet, but stay tuned.
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Copyright (c) 1995 Ziff-Davis Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Ziff-Davis Publishing Company is prohibited. Internet Life and the Internet Life logo are trademarks of Ziff-Davis Publishing Company. |
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