Worldcrunch
The mayor of Cousolre, a small village in northern France, was recently sentenced by a court for slapping a wisecracking teenager. The verdict led to an outpouring of support for the 63-year-old “disciplinarian,” and has even entered the French president
Brazil is expecting huge crowds when it hosts the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games. In fact the country’s tourism industry is already heating up – especially in Rio, home to the soon-to-be refurbished Gloria Hotel, and more and more economic alternat
Accelerated by the financial crisis, Europe has seen a trend for small businesses looking to make more cashless exchanges. Nantes is becoming Europe’s first major city to experiment with a virtual currency that can be used both businesses and ind
Mega-selling tabloid Bild has bumped buxom “dream girls” from the front page. Readers will now have to dig deeper into the daily to find the signature images, which enjoyed top billing for 28 years. All that’s left on page one a
Authorities have completed the initial selection of crew members for China’s first manned space docking mission, and the roster includes female astronauts.
Activists believe as many as 47 people have been killed in an attack by pro-government militia in the embattled Syrian city of Homs.
Afghan Taliban fighters say they will seek revenge after 16 people were left dead when an American soldier went on a house-to-house shooting rampage in two villages.
Op-Ed: New measures have been announced in China to require authorities to inform families of anyone arrested. It is a small sign of progress, but caveats in the law mean that secret arrests are sure to continue. What is the regime afraid of?
Analysis: Because it’s not making news anymore, people think the problem of under-capitalization of big banks in the West has been taken care of. Not so. Indeed, big banks continue to behave like companies who cause environmental damage. We all must cover
Multinationals like Canada’s Barrick Gold are making money hand over fist in mineral-rich South America. Proponents say the mines provide jobs and tax revenue. Many local communities, however, oppose the mega-projects on environmental grounds.
More and more Western governments have outlawed the methods required to fatten geese for the production of foie gras. Meanwhile, China turns out 1,000 tons a year, and is set to open the world’s biggest production facility of the rich delicacy.
Essay: In the United States, a president without a pooch would be as unthinkable as Thanksgiving without turkey. But in Germany, “first dogs” have been the exception since World War II. History may offer an explanation.
While some cities take a bigger-is-better approach to high-rise construction, Moscow is looking to curb enthusiasm for skyscrapers in much the same way as Saint Petersburg. Proposed regulations would impose a 75-meter height limit for most of the historic
Whether they realize it or not, French fans of Philip Roth and John Irving know the work of Josée Kamoun as well. The Parisian woman has translated novels by more than a dozen writers. The work is “painstaking and solitary” but fulfils a
President Giorgio Napolitano demanded an explanation for Britain’s failure to inform Italy before launching a botched raid in which an Italian and British hostage were killed in Nigeria
Syrian opposition activists angrily reject calls by Kofi Annan, the UN and Arab League envoy to Syria, for dialogue with the government.
Op-Ed: The latest Chinese government plan to tax the rich to bridge the income divide will have the opposite effect. In China — perhaps even more than the West — markets must be free, taxes low and Leviathan reigned in to increase and share wealth acros
Consumer prices rose 3.2% from a year ago, a steep slowdown from a 4.5% inflation rate in January.
Hacker network Anonymous has vowed to take down the world wide web on March 31 to protest a U.S. anti-piracy bill. Though chances are low they could pull it off, it’s worth considering how far-reaching the effect an Internet blackout would be. It
Op-Ed: In its renewed push for sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, Argentina is making some major waves three decades after its disastrous 1982 invasion of the British territory. But if it wants something, Buenos Aires must offer benefits — or be prep
Authorities in Bavaria want more severe laws to punish teachers found guilty of sex with teen students. In one recent case, a 34-year-old substitute teacher kept up a five-month relationship with his 14-year-old student — and got off scot-free.
The finer things in life sometimes just need a twist to be shared by everyone. The authentic coffee-and-steamed-milk recipe for cappuccino will now be available in Italian caffès for those who are lactose intolerant. The capriccino recipe replaces cow&
At the University Hospital in Liège, Belgium, a group of scientists is making great progress in determining the true conscious state of supposed comatose patients. It gives new hopes to loved ones, though won’t make decisions about life support a
The Earth is currently being battered by a storm of charged particles from the Sun, the largest in five years, which could disrupt power grids, satellite navigation and plane routes.
While the world celebrates International Women’s Day, a helpless woman has attempted suicide after her husband abandoned her on a highway in Kashmir.
“Terra” potato chips, a popular Swiss brand, has gotten people talking about its latest flavor options. How? By having consumers come up with the new recipes themselves. But the real novelty is that the “inventors” of the winning flavors get a nice little
Shelling and explosions have rocked several Syrian cities, leaving at least eight dead, a day after a high-ranking official apparently resigned to join the “revolution.”
From 1966-1968, Romney spread “the word of Jesus,” door-to-door from Bordeaux to Paris, as a Mormon missionary. It was a tumultuous period, both politically and personally for young Mitt. Indeed, some say his French tribulations are the source of his ambi
A clothing brand popular with Neo-Nazis has caused outrage once again. In Chemnitz, Germany, Thor Steinar has just opened a new outlet called “Brevik,” a name alluding to the infamous author of last year’s Norwegian massacre.
Last month, Rike R. lost her beloved young husband to cancer. She received a second blow four days later when, to her great disappointment, she was denied access to her husband’s frozen sperm.
Norway was the first European country to introduce a quota system for women managers. Results are now in – and they demonstrate that women may, indeed, have a fundamentally different approach to doing business. Wish your boss a happy International Women&a
Pressure mounts ahead of Friday’s scheduled appearance of Dominique Strauss-Kahn at the British University’s prestigious debate society. After seeing sexual assault charges in New York dropped, DSK is facing allegations in France related
Through his bold designs, Wang Shu is bringing culture and soul to Chinese architecture. Last week, he became the first architect working in China to get the profession’s highest honor, the Pritzker Prize. But his colleagues and art students back
Analysis: With his victory on Sunday, Vladimir Putin returns to the Kremlin with a renewed mandate and promises of major reforms. But a growing mass of disaffected Russians may be bound to push the incoming president out of office no matter what he does.
European stocks are treading water, flitting between small gains and losses, with investors reluctant to make any bold moves ahead of Greece’s debt-swap deadline.
Mitt Romney’s showing in six states was not a super one for the Republican presidential hopeful, who failed to produce the convincing wins needed to demonstrate his ability to generate support among diehard conservatives.
Anders Behring Breivik, who confessed to killing 77 people and injuring 151 in Norway last July, has been formally charged with committing acts of terror.
Essay: Perhaps the closest historical comparison with recent worldwide social disaffection and civil unrest is in the lead-up to the mid-19th century revolutions that roiled the globe.
A rare visit to a location deep inside the tropical forest of Mahé, in the Seychelles archipelago, where a prison has been established to hold the captured Somali pirates wreaking havoc in the Indian Ocean. Once captured – and land-locked – the pirates ch
Essay: Roxxxy is always hot and bothered – and she can even be programmed to talk about sports. Our writer was pleasantly surprised to find a male version too, Rocky, who comes with blue eyes. Snuggle up, strip down, log on… the age of sex robots is upo