After the Kremlin-backed candidate appears to lose at polls, the Supreme Court overturns the results. But Alla Dzhioyeva, who took 56% of the vote, won’t go down without a fight.
Month: November 2011
German authorities interrupted a gathering of right-wing extremists in Cologne, and took the notorious former KKK leader into custody, and told him to leave the country. Though he is persona non grata in Europe, he continues to try to spread his message t
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Clinton lands in Myanmar for historic trip
Hillary Clinton arrived in Myanmar on Wednesday, marking the first visit to the nation by a U.S. secretary of state in more than five decades.
Iran’s parliament speaker blames Britain’s “domination-seeking” policies for the storming of British compounds by hard-line Iranian protesters the day before. Norway, meanwhile, closes its embassy in Tehran due to secur
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UK public workers in huge strike
Up to two million public sector workers in the UK go on strike over their pensions, in what is set to be the biggest walkout for a generation.
After being subsequently acquitted and released, a 42-year-old falsely accused of multiple murders, and sentenced to death, recounts a decade of torture and forced confession in a Chinese prison. It’s an experience few have lived to describe.
Op-Ed: Thanks to the climate in Washington, the United States is beginning to resemble Latin America’s “Banana Republics,” where for years, ideological fanaticism trumped common sense – all to the detriment of the general population. A view from those who
Users of “Bath Salts” – a trendy new designer drug that’s all the rage in Germany’s club scene – say the substance can be hit and miss: often a rush of euphoria, sometimes an attack of paranoia. In a few cases, users ha
With the help of Italy, Israel enjoyed its first bona fide fashion week in decades, which was a showcase for a unique approach to style inspired by everything from religious vestments to kibbutz clothing to gothic duds.
Analysis: Reforms earlier this year by the King meant to preempt popular uprisings have led to a surge to power of Morocco’s leading Islamist party in this weekend’s election. But as with its neighbors in the region, all wonder what the
A new study about adolescents in Germany finds reading on the rise, with 42% of teens polled saying they read a daily paper. Still, while e-books have yet to break through, Internet consumption dominates overall.
A visit inside a Tajik village that has sent nearly all of its men to work in Russia. These are the people affected when President Dmitry Medvedev talks about restricting Tajik guest workers in Russia.
Cobras and scorpions, centipedes and seahorses on bamboo sticks are among the things you never thought you’d taste. A Laotian in Beijing compares two of the world’s more “out there” eating experiences.
Pakistan will boycott upcoming talks on Afghanistan’s future after NATO raids that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.
The two buildings in the Galilee area were damaged but there were no reports of casualties.
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Norwegian Gunman Found Criminally Insane
Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people with a bomb in central Oslo and a shooting spree at a summer camp, has been declared insane.
Police in Munich are scratching their heads over a bizarre rash of dog poop attacks involving the city’s mailboxes. So far they have no idea who is dumping excrement into the mail, nor what the malodorous attacks are supposed to mean.
Petrobras and other Brazilian firms are using sports sponsorships to up their international profile. Brazil’s booming economy gives them extra leverage in places like Argentina and Chile, but it may also be pricing them out at home.
Op-Ed: Scandals and sex in China are becoming part of the scenery, but what if the public’s eagerness to shame law-breaking officials is in itself undermining the rule of law?
Op-Ed: The euro zone can’t survive intact without Germany. And yet the more Europeans count on Germany, the quicker they are to criticize. Germany may now be to Europe what the United States has long been to the rest of the world: the powerhouse
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11 Killed in Suicide Car Bombing in Baghdad
A suicide bomber slammed a car packed with explosives into the gate of a prison north of Baghdad on Monday, killing at least 19 people, Iraqi officials said.
The global economic recovery is stalling, leaving the euro zone stuck in a mild recession, and the United States at risk of following suit, the OECD said on Monday, sharply cutting its forecasts.
Egyptians headed to the polls Monday to vote in the first election since an improbable revolt toppled one of the world’s longest-serving rulers.
A growing body of data shows just how important oral hygiene is – not just healthy teeth, but also to avoid life-threatening medical events like heart attacks and strokes. Brushing is a must. But people should also have their teeth cleaned professionally,
Analysis: Just a year ago, Prime Minister Erdo?an was viewed in many Western capitals with deep suspicion, accused of pushing Turkey towards an Islamic republic. Though basic positions haven’t changed, five specific Erdo?an actions have helped cr
Jailed Russian oil baron Mikhail Khodorkovsky isn’t going to be released anytime soon. In Russia, a new documentary about his life is struggling to see the light of day as well. “Khodorkovsky” is set for release Dec. 1 — but virtually no cinemas
It’s not surprising that women don’t play as large a role as men in the telling of history. But a new study in France shows just how small: less than four percent of the figures given their own biographies in French history books are wom
Bidzina Ivanishvili made billions in Russia. But his heart has always been in Georgia, where he’s openly criticizing the “Rose Revolution” he himself helped fund. With an eye on next year’s parliamentary elections, the oligarch is now ready to launch his
Many intellectuals have found inspiration in the bottom of a wine glass. But Swiss scientists may be the first to draw lessons from the way a good wine taster swirls that glass. The subtle slosh, it turns out, may be just the thing drug makers need for mi
Swiss butchers have a bit of leeway when it comes to aging meat. From mincing to marinating, there are several “tricks” they can legally employ to keep their products appealing – even after the meat’s sell-by date has expired.
Among the most influential living thinkers, Jürgen Habermas has a timely new treatise on Europe. He sees beyond the “crisis” a Europe leading the way for a coming world based on supranational institutions.
U.S. bedroom scandals have long culminated in sex addiction revelations. But now the French are starting to face this bona fide medical diagnoses since Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s super active sex life has been dissected following his encounter with
Essay: A Beijing-based Japanese writer looks at history, diplomacy and body language to try to explain the chilly reception new Japanese Prime Minister Noda has received from China’s Hu Jintao. What could it mean for a region at the center of shi
Taiwan’s president urged China on Friday to respect the artistic freedom of outspoken Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, who was detained for nearly three months earlier this year and is currently confined to Beijing.
U.S. stock futures declined, indicating the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index will drop for a seventh day, as the euro area’s leaders grappled with how to contain their region’s debt crisis.
Iraq, tourist destination? The central city of Najaf will be declared cultural capital of the Islamic world in 2012, which is expected to help jump-start tourism in Iraq nearly a decade after the beginning of the American-led war to oust Saddam Hussein.
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Egypt protests: ‘Friday of the last chance’
Thousands gather in Cairo’s Tahrir Square demanding immediate end to military rule, while Washington urges a shift to civilian government as soon as possible.
Western European employers had hoped for a flood of new qualified workers from the new E.U. member states of Eastern Europe. And though requests jumped as soon as the last barriers were lifted, more and more from Poland and elsewhere are deciding to stay
Germany has registered a rise in pet owners shelling out big bucks for complicated procedures like organ replacement or chemotherapy. Not surprisingly, dog and cat life expectancy is on the rise.
British researchers used in utero video imaging to conclude that babies develop the basic muscle mechanisms for smiling well before they’re even born. This would offer evidence that laughter and smiles are inherent to humans, not necessarily only