Despite some signs of decrease right-wing extremist violence in Germany as a whole, the former Communist eastern part of the country has registered an uptick in Neo-Nazi action.
Month: June 2011
Op-Ed: Deeply indebted euro zone countries are hoarding significant quantities of gold reserves: Greece has 4 million ounces, Portugal’s stash is worth 13 billion. But instead of selling it to pay off their creditors, they’d rather ask t
Contemporary artists in Indonesia are starting to gain the attention of Western galleries. And like the craze for Chinese art that preceded it, the sudden attention could send prices for Indonesian pieces through the roof.
It’s not just the disgraced former New York Congressman: philandering Chinese politicians are being caught out online too. Exposed in naked chat rooms and saucy blogs, they remind Chinese of…Bill Clinton
Convicted rapist and murderer Jean-Louis B. escaped from his Swiss jail on Monday. “As he talked about his dark past, his eyes lit up”, recalls journalist Fati Mansour from her 1999 encounter with the man considered Switzerland’s most dangerous c
A R A B I C A ارابيكا > SYRIAN ARMY*AFP Arabic reports at least 16 Syrians were believed killed as the army pushed into new villages in northwest Syria, close to the Turkish border. “The soldiers deployed in the villages and began raids,” said Ramy Abdel Rahman, the head of the Syrian-based Syrian Observatory […]
Upon returning from Afghanistan, French Army Chaplain Julien de Pommerol accused the military of bending to Islamic pressures and “babouche-licking.” Some accuse him of Islamophobia, others applaud his candor.
In a view from the ground in Brega, signs of bombing campaigns carried out with oil production in mind. Gaddafi loyalists say NATO attacks kills civilians, spares the oil in a dirty war.
Rebels in the southern mountains have advanced on government troops, and France believes they may have best chance of reaching Tripoli, which could lead to Gaddafi’s overthrow.
Chinese lawmakers have drafted a law designed to protect people from the so-called “made mad” phenomenon. As several high-profile cases have shown, people in power sometimes manage to force political opponents into mental hospitals.
It’s the second smallest state in the world, stomping ground for millionaires and eccentrics, and host to Prince Albert’s royal wedding this weekend. But there’s more to Monaco, from the snubbing of the nouveaux riches to mingling at the local fruit marke
Op-Ed: Barack Obama wants to end a “decade of war” by withdrawing troops from Afghanistan. But as the United States increasingly focuses on its own problems at home, its allies will be vulnerable to an ever more uncertain world.
A R A B I C A ارابيكا JORDAN: ROUGH POLITICSIn Jordan’s Lower House of Parliament, largely wedded to the status quo, Prime Minister Marouf al-Bakhit barely managed to win a 53-50 vote of confidence following accusations of involvement in a murky casino deal involving King Abdullah’s closest advisers and confidantes. The representatives already voted […]
Venezuela’s normally bombastic president has been uncharacteristically quiet as he recovers from hip surgery in Cuba. Chávez’s prolonged silence is now sparking rumors that his health condition could be far worse than officials sources a
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Gay Marriage: Meanwhile In France…
Trailing other Western European countries — and several U.S. States — in gay rights laws, France has again opted against legalizing gay marriage. Still, same-sex French couples are increasingly making sure civil union ceremonies walk and talk like a wed
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‘It’s Day One’- Jeff Bezos Takes Stock
In a sit-down with France’s top business daily Les Echos, Amazon founder Bezos reflects on the pure speed of innovation on the Internet, and why the “posture” of consumption can change everything.
Once in the frontline of Afghanistan’s civil war, the Kabul zoo attracted hungry militiamen, not tourists. But now it is bringing in peaceful crowds again.
A R A B I C A ارابيكا 12-MM TALKING*A man in the northern Syrian city of Idlib found a creative way to describe recent protests in the city. “The city of Idlib, June 26th 2011,” he begins the narrative, while filming bullets placed on two pieces of white paper spelling out the word “freedom” […]
Yuan Jiang has struck gold with his B2C wine business. Through his website, the Chinese entrepreneur is already moving about 10,000 bottles of wine per day and chalking up annual sales of more than 20 million euros.
Op-Ed: Germany is doing itself no favors by sticking with the euro. Instead of bailing out the hapless likes of Greece and Portugal, Germany should join other countries that share a similar economic culture and create a new hard currency: the “nordeuro.’’
Europe’s consumer electronics industry is already reeling from the recent disastrous showing of Nokia. Now Philips has announced it would stop making televisions, another sign that the historic brand is struggling to compete.
Offering instant citizenship and huge salaries to star athletes, maneuvering for major sporting events are a way for small Gulf nations to aim big on world stage.
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DANZIGER
As a potential place to invest, Berlin ranks high. At least that’s what the polls say. But when it comes to putting its money where its mouth is, big business is shying away from launching into a long-term relationship with the attractive German capital.
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Flickers Of Hope In Somalia
Plagued by civil war, terrorism and poverty, Somalia and its capital Mogadishu are often described as hell on earth. But thanks to international help and a handful of courageous citizens, some light has appeared at the end of the tunnel for the troubled A
Mercedes is building a hybrid Popemobile for Benedict XVI’s upcoming visit. That’s a departure from the usual—for every day getting around, His Holiness sticks to Italian makes.
A police clampdown on Maori activists in New Zealand netted an unlikely “terror” suspect: 27-year-old Urs Signer of Switzerland. Awaiting his trial, Signer continues life as “usual” in the indigenous village of Parihaka, where he lives with his Maori part
A R A B I C A ارابيكا By Kristen Gillespie ALL-SYRIA FRIDAYThe “Friday of the Fall of Legitimacy” was met with protests around the country. Meanwhile, the Syrian military rolled up to within 500 meters of the Turkish border. HAMAA short clip of protests in the small city of Hama is here. This one, […]
A “crazy” pan-African plan is looking to fight desertification in the Sahara with a giant green belt. The ambitious initiative calls for planting millions of trees – from Senegal all the way to Djibouti.
Tunisia’s recent “Jasmine revolution” has brought much of the country’s economy to a standstill. Foreign tourists are still a rare sight right now, but long-established Italian companies are eager to reignite old economic ties.
Op-Ed: If China indeed wants to be a protagonist on the world stage, it can no longer ignore human rights issues. A good place to start would be the case of artist Ai Weiwei, whose recent release from jail had everything to do with Chinese Premier Wen Jia
Op-Ed: Founded 83 years ago, the Islamic organization manages to be both politically astute and yet rise above politics. But for post-revolution Egypt to turn into a vibrant democracy, other forces must emerge with the same connection to people’s
Op-Ed: The veteran Prime Minister’s passivity suits the Israeli public, interested in neither war nor peace. Still, to turn the short-term success into a lasting legacy Netanyahu must radically change his strategy — and coalition partners.
Unemployment, economic hardship, and the shame of being considered Europe’s black sheep – the Greek have never been so dispirited. And the number of cases of clinical depression and suicides is soaring.
A R A B I C A ارابيكا TURKISH BORDERAs the situation along the Syrian-Turkish border becomes increasingly tense, BBC Arabic was leading its website with an amateur video clip of a building close to the border with Syrian soldiers and armored vehicles next to it. Two snipers are in position on the rooftop. The […]
A report by China’s central bank found that thousands of Chinese government officials have smuggled billions out of the country and fled, mainly to the U.S., highlighting “the corruption within a corrupt system”.
Anglo-French oil and gas giant Perenco accused of using cultural sponsorship to try to whitewash its polluting of the water of a Guatemalan nature reserve.
Airbus engineers are coming up with startling new ideas for how planes could look – and operate – 40 years from now. By 2050, commercial aircraft may have transparent cabins, fly in formations and shuttle some 9 billion passengers.
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When Your Dog Needs A Shrink
Unruly — and unhappy — dogs and cats can be a real nightmare for their human masters. One option? Therapy. Specialized dog and cat psychologists can work wonders with perturbed pets, but only when their owners are willing to open up as well.
The young people on the two shores of the Mediterranean each have demands, but the sense of possibility embodied in North African and Arab quest for freedom is utterly absent in European youth protests.