World AIDS Day, observed December 1 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection.
World AIDS Day has become a time to reflect on the obstacles we face in the fight against HIV and AIDS. UNAIDS estimates that 32.9 million people were living with HIV/AIDS worldwide as of the end of 2007, up from 29.5 million in 2001. Although huge strides have been made over the past two decades, we are, in many respects, continuing to lose ground as new infections outpace our ability to deliver treatment. Despite nearly a quarter of a century of treatment and research, nearly two million die from AIDS every year.
The pandemic only gains momentum: nearly three million new cases of the disease occurred this year, and only a small percentage of these patients will receive treatment before they die. In June 2008, a joint WHO/UNAIDS report showed that nearly three million people were receiving anti-retroviral drugs in the developing world, less than a third of the 9.7 million people who needed them at that time. That's a polite way of saying that 6.7 million were dying for lack of drugs.
In Bombay, children as young as 9 are bought for up to 60,000 rupees, or US$2,000, at auctions where foreigners bid against Indian men who believe sleeping with a virgin cures gonorrhea and syphilis.
The Story of India is a BBC TV documentary series, written and presented by historian Michael Wood, about the 10000-year history of the Indian Culture. Watch the full 7-part documentary online: www.documentary-log.com
The Taj Mahal (also "the Taj") is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles. In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage.
Holi, also called the Festival of Colors, is a popular Hindu spring festival observed in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Srilanka, and countries with large Hindu diaspora populations, such as Suriname, Guyana, South Africa, Trinidad, the UK, USA, Mauritius, and Fiji. In West Bengal of India and Bangladesh it is known as Dolyatra (Doul Jatra) or Basanta-Utsab ("spring festival"). The most celebrated Holi is that of the Braj region, in locations connected to the god Krishna: Mathura, Vrindavan, Nandagaon, and Barsana. These places have become tourist destinations during the festive season of Holi, which lasts here to up to sixteen days.
India is home to over a billion people and business is booming. Now, this Asian tiger is at a crossroads. CNBC's Erin Burnett takes you inside India, the new empire.
Sometimes a piece of stirring choreography comes along and moves us in many ways. This particular piece choreagraphed by Canada's Mandy Moore did just that. Pay attention to the gentleman on the left at 48 seconds. Billy Bell has since contracted MONO and will be unable to finish the season but judging by this piece, it will not be the last we heard of him.
Bhangra is a fusion of music, and, most significantly, the beat of the Dhol drum, a single stringed instrument called the iktar, the tumbi and an instrument reminiscent of an enlarged pair of tongs called the chimta. The accompanying songs are small couplets written in the Punjabi language. They relate to harvest celebration, love, patriotism or current social issues.
Goa, a former Portuguese territory, for more than 450 years is often described as 'The Rome of the East'. It has over the past decades, become the dream holiday destination, for many a foreign tourist. More than 40 years after the departure of the Portuguese, Goa is perhaps the most westernized of all the states in Modern India.
No matter what your opinion of Michael Jackson, no one can deny the talent he exuded while performing on stage. Michael not only shaped generations but was highly influential to the creation and success of MTV. I myself remember saving up enough allowance money to purchase my replica of the jacket worn in the video "Bad". I would put on a pair of black floods, loafers, white glove and fedora only to run to the concrete slab in front of our garage to perform as best I could my version of "Billy Jean". My fondest moment was staying up with my family gathered around the television set for Motown's 25th Anniversary. Although I lost interest in Michael's music after the "Bad" years, I will always remember the years of enjoyment he not only gave me but the world.
MTV is scheduled to host a live tribut at 6:30pm (Eastern Time) this evening.
In honor of this talent, I have put together a jukebox spanning the career
of Michael Jackson for you to enjoy.
We also encourage you to comment with your stories of how Michael impacted your life.
Love is any of a number of emotions and experiences related to a sense of strong affection and attachment. The word love can refer to a variety of different feelings, states, and attitudes, ranging from generic pleasure to intense interpersonal attraction. As an abstract concept, love usually refers to a deep, ineffable feeling of tenderly caring for another person. Even this limited conception of love, however, encompasses a wealth of different feelings, from the passionate desire and intimacy of romantic love to the nonsexual emotional closeness of familial and platonic love to the profound oneness or devotion of religious love. Love in its various forms acts as a major facilitator of interpersonal relationships and, owing to its central psychological importance, is one of the most common themes in the creative arts.
