The latest edition of China’s best-known dictionary shows how the country has changed — and not changed. Terms included for the first time include “TV show’’ and “migrant worker.” The word “firewall” is not.
Month: July 2011
As Putin stays mum on his intentions to run for a new term as president, supporters are growing increasingly vocal. And bizarre.
Weekend newspapers around the world reacted to the terror attacks Friday. See a gallery of the images at Kiosko.net
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Mingling With Gorillas In Rwanda
Northern Rwanda is the only place in the world where mountain gorillas can be observed in their natural habitat. It is a boon to tourism in a country healing the scars of a brutal 1990s civil war.
Ottolenghi’s famous London eateries offer a feast for the eyes and stomach. Though not a vegetarian himself, the Israeli-born entrepreneur has developed into a world-renowned master of meat-less cuisine.
Faced with a severe drought, farmers in the region decided to begin planting manioc and sorghum, two crops that need less water than traditional corn.
Belgium’s political parties have failed for nearly a year and a half to form a working government. Now its royal family is fueding as well. King Albert II gave his youngest son, Prince Laurent, a public slap on wrist this week by barring him from National
Nine Egyptian artists offer their interpretations and instinctive reactions to the popular upheaval that swept their country. One of those artists paid the ultimate price.
The end of the U.S. space shuttle program could be just what the doctor ordered for NASA’s old rival, the Russian Federal Space Agency, whose Soyuz rockets are now the only show in town when it comes to sending humans into the great beyond.
For years, the German government has steadily raised the price of cigarettes. But rather than rake in revenue, the tax policy has sparked a spike in cigarette smuggling. Jin Lings, snuck in from Russia, Moldavia and the Ukraine, are particularly popular.
Aimed at assisting police in tracking down those running Naples’ infamous racket of illegal parking, a new Google maps page may be more useful for those desperate for a spot.
A R A B I C A ارابيكا ROAD RULES*Saudi daily Okaz reports that an unidentified 35-year-old woman is facing trial for driving herself to the hospital following a seizure. The unmarried woman was indicted for illegally driving, and will go on trial in September. She was arrested while on her way to the hospital […]
Already recognized as a humanitarian crisis, the ongoing drought in Somalia has now been officially classified as a “famine.” The United Nations made the annoucement Wednesday.
Perhaps nowhere was the Japanese team’s World Cup victory more deeply appreciated than in Fukushima. Four months ago the Japanese city was hit by a massive earthquake, a subsequent tsunami and an ongoing nuclear radiation crisis.
The squatter movement has long had a foothold in the Netherlands’ canal-carved economic capital. As evidenced by a major early July raid, authorities are now looking to send its squatters packing.
The European Court of Justice has ordered France to take measures to save the endangered species, which has become a symbol for fighting urbanization and single-crop industrial farming.
According to many experts, the capital of Thailand is in danger of being submerged by waters. The Thai government does not seem to realize the urgency of the situation.
Colombia‘s drug barons are going underwater, with million dollar submarines that can ship up to eight tons of cocaine per load.
Three go on trial for allegedly planning to bomb an IBM facility in Switzerland. Prosecutors say the accused have ties with an Italian anarchist group known as the FAI, which claims responsibility for several recent bomb attacks in southern Europe.
With its “Euro Crisis Song,” the British newspaper The Guardian is having a bit of a laugh at the Continent and its currency woes. But is this not a case of the pot calling the kettle black?
China’s CCTV recently exposed a company called Da Vinci Furniture for putting fake “foreign-made” labels on its domestically-manufactured goods. The case says as much about Chinese consumer habits as it does about the questionable ethics of a single compa
A R A B I C A ارابيكا SYRIA AND QATAR Qatar has closed its embassy in Damascus after a protest there against the Qatari government-owned Al Jazeera news station, and its coverage of Syria. The diplomatic mission is being closed “mostly” for security reasons, news site Al Youm Al Sabaa reported. Young protesters threw […]
After India‘s Bollywood, Nigeria produces the most movies on the planet per year. However, producers have big business drama: only one in ten DVDs is sold legally as piracy runs rampant.
For France, nuclear deterrence is very much an underwater affair. At all times, one of the country’s four ballistic missile submarines quietly patrols the ocean depths. Armed to the teeth, each vessel is equipped to carry more than a dozen nuclear missile
Analysis: Western euphoria about the popular uprisings in the Arab world is dissipating – and being replaced by fatalism. The Western powers clearly have no master plan to take the reins of the situation, and in the end, Iran may end up benefiting the mos
Essay: The aftermath of revolution can carry society toward democracy or facism. Understanding where Egypt will wind up means listening to the words used to describe the conflicts that erupt.
Prora, a 4 km-long monster of a building on the Baltic Sea island of Rügen, was originally a Nazi project. Now the bizarre structure – which is arguably more moderne than National Socialist — is part youth hostel, part tourist attraction.
The Chinese mega-city has grown so fast that it has built seven peripheral roads, but has also become surrounded by rings of garbage dumps. A journey to the depths of Beijing’s sprawling, unregulated trash dumps.
The Venezuelan government is on a “mission” to set millions of poor Venezuelans up with public housing. The plan is kindling hope among some Caracas slum dwellers. Critics, however, say Chávez’ housing scheme is more than a little far-fetched.
A R A B I C A ارابيكا ESTONIAN HOSTAGESLebanon’s An-Nahar daily features several articles examining the release of seven Estonian tourists who were kidnapped at gunpoint in the Bekaa Valley on March 23rd. While the circumstances surrounding the release are not clear, the Estonian Foreign Minister Uramas Paet is quoted as saying it happened […]
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Born To Serve – Butlers Are Back In Style
Though the market for butlers is centered in the UK and Arab countries, the super-rich everywhere are hiring. It is a job that requires very special training.
Though no widespread risk had been identified since the release of the Gardasil vaccine, several young French women have suffered what they say are brutal side effects from what was supposed to protect them from cervical cancer.
What does Sarajevo look like today? Nearly two decades after a devastating siege, the city’s reconstruction tells the story of both renewal and a troubled history not quite healed.
Op-Ed: Facing territorial disputes with its neighbors and deep uncertainties on the home front, China’s newfound strength also requires stability that only the U.S. can help provide. A Chinese bet on the G2 alliance.
Buttes-Chaumont, one of Paris’ hidden gems, is a leafy urban oasis for residents in the French capital’s eastern arrondissements. For the past several weeks, it has also been home to Karim, a 27-year-old immigrant from Tunisia, and three of his f
Massive fishing ships from virtually all the major world powers are draining a way of life from the local fishing-based economy. It could also presage larger geopolitical battles to come.
A R A B I C A ارابيكا WHAT IS THE LIMIT?A Turkish grassroots campaign to “welcome our Syrian brothers to our country” is organizing a caravan to transport citizens from Istanbul on July 16th to the Turkish-Syrian border where refugees are staying. Calling the effort “For Syria – we will go to the limit” […]
Just a month after 20 people were killed in northern Italy when a low-flying American military jet clipped a gondola line, the U.S. had already concluded that the crew and their supervisors were at fault. The pilot was later acquitted of manslaugher charg
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Swiss Study: Nuke Plants OK For Kids
Children growing up near nuclear power plants are not at higher risk of developing leukemia, Swiss researchers concluded this week.
Breast enlargement? Botox alternative? Nestlé is expanding investment in anti-wrinkle creams, injectible gels and a breast augmentation product Macrolane that is a source of profit – but also controversy – for the Swiss food giant.