We went without Coke in Sri Lanka in the 1960s. It was a simpler era, full of hope, before a civil war almost tore our society apart. Adam’s Peak in central Sri Lanka (Wikimedia Commons, by Astronomyinertia) This article is part of a series by our correspondents and...
I spent an evening with the Beatles in 1963, escaping with them from their frenzied fans through a window after a concert that launched Beatlemania. This article is part of a series by our correspondents and guest writers reflecting on the 1960s — a decade of...
Autocrat or nation-builder? Malaysia’s Mahathir still stirs mixed feelings even as he stuns the world by regaining power and reuniting with his nemesis. Mahathir Mohamad, left, and Anwar Ibrahim in September 1997, a year before the prime minister sacked his...
Malaysia has stunned the world with a political tremor that has reunited two foes and which bucks a trend towards authoritarianism in Southeast Asia. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, center, visits former Deputy Prime Minister and opposition leader Anwar...
“Wake up! They’ve come!” A Russian-led invasion force riding tanks had rolled into Prague, crushing reform hopes and deepening the Cold War divide. A Soviet tank moves into Wenceslas Square in Prague, 21 August 1968.(AP Photo/Peter Winterbach) This article is part of...
“Free love” of the 1960s fueled the sexual revolution, which liberated many women but failed to end violence and inequality. #MeToo is a needed next stage. The author and her sister at a march in 1979 in favor of abortion rights(photo by Roy Cuckow ) This...
I covered the fall of Saigon when South Vietnam collapsed and North Vietnamese seized the city. I now ask myself: What was the sense of it all? The author standing on the steps of the former Saigon Opera, which had been converted into the South Vietnamese National...
It was 1963 in London. No one knew it, but we were witnessing the makings of a musical legend. And I wrote the first review of the Rolling Stones. The first review of the Rolling Stones, by News-Decoder correspondent Barry May, published on April 13, 1963 This article...
Fifty years ago in May ’68, angry students and workers brought France to a standstill in a bout of civil unrest that had a whiff of revolution. Students and workers demonstrate during a general strike in Paris, 13 May 1968(AP Photo/Eustache Cardenas) Fifty years...
Smartphones can be great learning tools, but they can also be addictive, interfere with learning and contribute to bullying. I know — I teach high school. Students send text messages, Manila, Philippines, 10 June 2008 (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) I walk into a...