Worldcrunch
The largest US military base in Asia is Yongsan, in the South Korean capital. Long considered a plum and relatively safe posting, there is new uncertainty in the face of an untested new leader in North Korea, and growing US interest in containing China&am
In Switzerland, police officers and educators invite themselves to dine with kids under investigation, and their families, in a new effort to get both parent and child to understand the consequences of criminal behavior.
For the first time, the high-end fish eggs are being bred in Switzerland, where the well-to-do have long enjoyed imported caviar. But it was an odd twist that allowed for the sturgeon to flourish: lukewarm water coming out of a draining gallery in railway
Analysis: In the aftermath of his party’s poor showing in parliamentary elections, Vladimir Putin is focused now on his race to return to the Russian presidency. Though he is still strongly positioned, Putin now faces a new dynamic where he can &
With enough space to hold 200 people and an icy 17-meter-high tower, the Schneekirchen snow church has been christened near the German town of Mitterfirmiansreut. Builders had to overcome both architectural and ecclesiastical challenges, not to mention Mo
The euro weakened for a sixth day against the yen on concern Europe’s debt crisis will weigh on the region’s economic growth. The 17-nation currency also fell against the dollar.
Some of the crew of a burning Russian nuclear submarine were still inside and seven others had been evacuated to hospitals after inhaling toxic fumes.
North Korea announces there would be no change in its policy under its new leader, Kim Jong-un, striking a characteristically hostile posture with a threat to punish President Lee Myung-bak of South Korea for “unforgivable sins.”
Op-Ed: As North Korea bids farewell to its all-powerful leader Kim Jong-il, foreign powers look with uncertainty toward his son and successor Kim Jong-un. Its giant neighbor China could be both model and power broker for Pyongyang, but the West may have o
Italians know that love can never be reduced to euros and cents. Still, by surveying intended sentiments behind purchases, one market research project tries to put a price tag on saying ‘ti amo’ (I love you). It’s cheaper than &
Op-Ed: Ankara’s is coming down hard against Kurdish opposition forces, including dozens of new arrests of journalists. It is a bad sign for the health of Turkey’s democracy, with the West watching and the Muslim world holding it up as a model in
The French National Assembly’s decision last week to approve a bill criminalizing public denial of the 1915-16 Armenian Genocide in Turkey triggered a stiff rebuke from Ankara. Over the weekend, Turkish hackers took down the French Senate’s website.
European stocks were little changed after Italy missed its fundraising target at a bond sale, while its borrowing costs eased. U.S. index futures rose, while Asian shares fell.
A judge subpoenas the husband of the daughter of Spain’s King Juan Carlos to testify as a suspect in a corruption case, deepening a public relations nightmare for the royal family.
An air strike by Turkish warplanes near a Kurdish village of Uludere in Sirnak, close to the border with Iraq has left 35 people dead.
Op-Ed: Things look gloomy indeed as Europe’s single currency marks exactly 10 years since going into circulation. But even in this lowest moment, we can pinpoint the path forward. And it may start by acknowledging that Greece, for the good of all
A program started in 2006 offers benefits to lure back home the Russians who left as the Soviet Union was crumbling. But the price to get the top qualified emigres to return is apparently more than Moscow can afford.
Noldi, an eight-month-old domesticated ass, was born blind on a Swiss farm, and was never accepted by his herd, as he struggled to avoid running into obstacles. Farmers considered putting him down, until an outcry from animal rights groups led to a happy
A R A B I C A ارابيكا By Kristen Gillespie BAHRAIN, BELOW THE SURFACEThough largely ignored by the English-language media, Bahrainis continue to press for revolution. Soldiers were brought in earlier this year from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other countries in an effort to keep the Sunni Al Khalifa family from overthrow. With […]
Analysis: When a Chinese fisherman was accused of the fatal stabbing of a South Korean coast guard officer public outrage came quickly from both countries. The incident shows the fragility of all the new talk of regional cooperation when ancient mistrust
A chimpanzee who apparently starred in Tarzan films in the 1930s has died at the age of 80, according to the sanctuary where he lived.
The funeral of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-il unfolded across the snow-laden streets of Pyongyang, a three-hour event that displayed the secretive regime’s ability to choreograph elaborate state ceremonies.
Argentina’s president Cristina Fernandez will undergo surgery next week after doctors diagnosed her with thyroid cancer.
In the former East German state of Thuringia, Uwe Böhnhardt was a good student in elementary school. Then something changed. He would wind up at the center of a murderous Neo-Nazi criminal cell. Böhnhardt’s parents try to retrace the steps that l
![Israeli air power on display [nivs]](https://worldcrunch.com/assets/uploads/2025/03/israeli-air-power-on-display-nivs-1568x1175.jpg)
The Sudanese press insists that between Dec. 15 and 20, Israel carried out air raids that destroyed at least two convoys headed across Sudan toward Egypt. This is not the first time in recent years Israel is accused of launching attacks in the African cou
German billionaire Nicolas Berggruen has a plan to make America’s “Golden State” sparkle again: cut income and sales taxes, but broaden the revenue base by taxing services at 5%. Now he just has to convince California’s voters and political leade
After four people were killed recently while crossing the street in Bern, the Swiss city looked to the Austrian luxury crystal maker’s affiliate that mixes Swarovski glass beads into road surfacing to increase visibility. It’s a top-end
Massive protests, economic worries and Mother Nature made 2011 a particularly turbulent year. Latin America was hardly exempt. Hugo Chávez came down with cancer. Dilma Rousseff took on government corruption. And in Mexico, a bloody drug war killed thousan
An al-Qaeda front group in Iraq says it was behind the wave of attacks that killed 69 people on a single day last week.
Two Swedish journalists have been jailed for 11 years in Ethiopia on charges of illegally entering the country and supporting terrorism.
An Arab League mission arrives in Homs amid reports of escalating violence. The team is in Syria to assess if the government is upholding commitment to end its crackdown.
Essay: A Beijing-based Taiwanese writer picks apart the twisted attempts by mainlanders to make sense out of Taiwan’s upcoming presidential election.
For those in the know – and with the willpower not to drink up their assets – fine whisky can be quite a rewarding investment. A bottle of 1995 Brora, for example, was worth 100 euros in 1998. Now it sells for five times as much.
Turned away from state centers in and around Switzerland’s Basel, some migrant asylum seekers have had no choice but to sleep on the streets. A handful of concerned citizens, however, have organized through e-mail and Facebook to offer their homes as emer
Brazil has overtaken the UK as the world’s sixth largest economy, an economic research group reports.
A delegation of South Korean citizens arrived in Pyongyang on Monday to express condolences over the death of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.
At least seven people have been killed in a suicide car bomb attack outside Iraq’s interior ministry in Baghdad.
Early export stats suggest that so far this year, Italy’s Prosecco variety of sparkling wine is outselling Champagne, its better known – and generally more expensive – French counterpart. A victory for the underdog? Not so fast, says France. Chri
Dating sites make fantastic claims about the number of users who find true love. But a closer look shows that online dating has the same pitfalls as conventional dating: men shy away from successful women and too many women care more about paychecks than
Once known for it’s left-leaning politics, the region of Emilia Romagna has recently witnessed a high school council taken over by a far-right group. As much as ideology, the election victory is another sign that traditional politics has lost legitimacy a