Paul Harrison, an expert in Buddhist studies, says recent unrest in Myanmar and Tibet showcases major challenges facing the religion.

A primer on the dispute over Tibet’s sovereignty, which has risen to public attention following recent protests in Lhasa and demonstrations surrounding the 2008 Olympic Games.

“These days, nobody seems to doubt that the U.S. dollar will lose its status as the world’s reserve currency. To watch the financial news channels you would think that the dollar-yuan relationship is so unstable that the only question is whether it will be Ben Bernanke or Chinese monetary authorities who will determine the details of the breakdown.  Perhaps the dollar won’t be surrender its anchor role so soon. And perhaps that loss, if it comes, will happen because of events that take place nowhere near men in suits at a central bank. Maybe the answer to the dollar’s riddle can be found in the cellphone photo image of a Tibetan monk in crimson and orange squaring off with a Chinese soldier.” Amity Shlaes looks at the role of China in the future of the US dollar.

Beijing Bureau Chief Melinda Liu reports that in recent weeks China has been acting less like a budding superpower than a tin-pot dictatorship-petulant, preachy, defiant.

Newsweek's Melinda Liu argues that even though the Dalai Lama wants to talk peace, the anger of his long-suffering people is only hardening.

During an exclusive interview at the headquarters of the Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharamsala, India, the Dalai Lama talked about his willingness to negotiate with Beijing, his fears for the future, and how some government officials in China have sent him private messages of sympathy.

A week of protests in Tibet escalated sharply with China’s military threatening action if demonstrators refuse to surrender.

The new elevated railroad linking Beijing and Tibet may be an engineering feat, but critics say the train is part of China's tightening grip over the territory.