Minister of Health Khaw Boon Wan explains Singapore's health care system and compares it to systems in the U.S. and Britain in this extended interview.
Asia-Pacific
The fundamentals of Singapore’s health care system
Week in review: China, special envoys and Guantánamo
Gideon Rose of Foreign Affairs Magazine and Carol Giacomo of The New York Times editorial board discuss the new direction of U.S. foreign policy.
North Korea renews aggression toward South Korea
Leon Sigal of the Social Science Research Council speaks with Martin Savidge about the motivation for this aggression and its implications for the new Obama administration.
Vietnam and U.S. outshine shared history of war
U.S. ambassador to Vietnam Michael W. Michalak comments on the country's challenges and successes.
World’s strongest economies are quickly deteriorating
The OECD warns that what had been some of the world's strongest economies -- China, Russia and Germany -- are now deteriorating the most quickly. Marcus Mabry of The New York Times discusses how this will impact the U.S.
China prepares $6.6b to improve image in foreign media
A Worldfocus contributing blogger writes about China's 45 billion yuan plan to expand its media outlets and improve its image in international news coverage, assessing the likelihood of its success.
Week in review: Gaza, gas disputes and the Chinese economy
James Hoge of Foreign Affairs magazine discusses the gas dispute between Russia and Ukraine, the war in Gaza and China's situation in the global financial crisis.
Japanese whaling sparks cultural, environmental debate
Japan's annual five-month research hunt in Antarctica has angered anti-whaling activists. Though Japanese whalers say their work is part of legal scientific research, critics say they are hunting for commercial purposes.
World faces economic and political challenges in 2009
The world is bracing for a difficult economic year as the global financial crisis continues -- but there are also significant social, environmental and political landmarks ahead. Bloggers around the globe make their predictions for 2009.
Chinese ships navigate Somalia’s waters
A Worldfocus contributing blogger writes about the announcement that China plans to send at least three ships to Somalia to protect its vessels from rampant piracy and assesses the Asian country's naval ambitions.