Everyday life

To Die as an American

At the end of last year, the Pentagon leadership announced a forthcoming experimental program under which not only Green Card holders but also students studying at US universities, holders of work…

Smoke-free Fatherland

Conscription on Autopilot

Last week, Lithuanian Defense Minister Juozas Oliakas, following his Polish counterpart Bogdan Klich, signed a decree abolishing military conscription. While the Poles will begin transitioning their…

How much does an army cost?

In any country, when discussing a new state budget, disputes flare up over what to spend money on and what not to. And if to spend, then how much.

Land of the Elderly

Social security may soon become a strategic sector for the UK. Recent research by the National Statistics Service showed that the number of elderly people in the country has for the first time…

Not a Prison, but a Paradise

The Norwegian Interior Ministry has raised the alarm about the overcrowding of prisons with foreigners. According to official data, out of 3,340 people serving sentences in the northernmost kingdom…

Hijab Prevents Woman from Becoming Citizen

Against the backdrop of momentous events in Paris in recent days, a noteworthy episode was overlooked. According to Novye Izvestia, for the first time, the French state denied citizenship to a woman…

Small-Displacement America

Financiers watch oil prices: $100 per barrel, $115, $120, $140. And ordinary Americans track rising fuel prices by the numbers at gas stations. As Lenta.Ru notes, in the summer of 2007 a gallon of…

China Again Expects Baby Boom

The recent earthquake in China could lead to a complete change in the country's demographic policy. The authorities may take an unprecedented decision: to abolish the long-standing principle of 'one…

A Look at the Religious Landscape of the US

The Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life released the results of a survey of 35,000 American adults about their attitudes toward religion. According to Voice of America, the survey…

Why Inmates Don't Want Freedom

Recently, British Justice Minister Jack Straw announced startling figures: between 1999 and 2006 alone, more than 37,000 prisoners in the United Kingdom refused various forms of parole. Moreover, 42…

American Muslims to Be Counted

This summer, American sociologists and human rights activists intend to do a very serious job – to count the Muslims living in the United States. At first glance, notes Lenta.ru, the task seems…