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Geopolitics

Obama’s Historic Error: The Irony Of A Nobel Laureate Opposing Palestinian UN Bid

-OP-ED- PARIS – Israel and Palestine, two states living side by side in fair and sustainable peace. This is, for any genuinely pro-democracy advocate – be they Jewish or Arab – the deeper meaning and the real political impact of the vote that took place Thursday at the United Nations General Assembly. Yet this upgrade […]

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Food / Travel

Great News From Mediterranean Diet Experts: French Fries Are Good For You!

NAPLES – Great news for all connoisseurs of French fries – that is, practically everyone: if it’s done correctly, frying is not bad for your health. Researchers at the Federico II University of Naples and from the nearby “Dolce & Salato” professional cooking school, have conducted a study that shows that frying isn’t bad, if […]

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Society

When Demolition Men Come To Force Chinese Martial Arts Family From Home

YANZHAO URBAN DAILY (China), NEW TANG DYNASTY TELEVISION (US) Worldcrunch BAZHOU – In this small northern Chinese village, seven strangers, all dressed in black, arrived on a mission. They would force a family out of their own house, and then swiftly demolish it. It was one of the few houses still occupied on a street […]

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Future

Secrets And Lies: Why Children Develop Better If They Don’t Always Tell The Truth

PARIS – One recent Sunday afternoon, a father sits on a park bench reading his magazine; all the while watching his six-year-old son Sébastien out of the corner of his eye, as he plays on the seesaw with the other children of his Parisian neighborhood. One of the children runs back to his mother, followed […]

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Economy

Protectionism For Russia’s Automakers, With “Recycling” Tax On Foreign Imports

MOSCOW – At the beginning of November, Russian automaker executives testified in front of the Trade and Industry Ministry about a network of sites around the country they had set up to allow car owners to drop off unwanted cars for recycling. It was the first sign in a move towards the creation of a […]

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Geopolitics

Muslim World Reacts To Palestine’s “Observer Status” Entry In UN

AL QUDS (Palestine), AL SABAH (Palestine), MASRAWY (Egypt), AL JAZEERA (Qatar), HAARETZ (Israel) Worldcrunch NEW YORK – Newspaper headlines around the Arab world Friday hailed the results of a historic UN vote that grants Palestine entry to the international body as a non-member observer State. After a request submitted by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, […]

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Economy

Eurozone Unemployment Rate At Record High, Euro Recovery Late 2013

EUROPE 1, LE FIGARO (France) Worldcrunch PARIS – Unemployment has reached a new record high in the eurozone, with European Central Bank (ECB) President Mario Draghi saying Friday that the single currency would not recover until the second half of 2013. “We have not yet emerged from the crisis,” Draghi told France’s Europe 1 radio […]

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Society

A Real Animal Lover? Meet The Man Fighting To Keep Bestiality Legal In Germany

A photograph on the Internet shows Michael Kiok gazing into the eyes of his life partner, Cessy. Cessy is an eight-year-old German shepherd. Kiok, 52, is a zoophile — by his estimation one of 100,000 in Germany. The university librarian is sexually attracted to animals. Hans-Michael Goldmann, an animal protection expert who chairs the federal […]

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Geopolitics

Pyongyang Style – Trouble Brewing Again On The Korean Peninsula

BEIJING – The recent speculation about North Korea’s (DPRK) intention of launching a ballistic missile is causing widespread concern. On November 24, the South Korean daily JoongAng Ilbo revealed that the South Korean military had detected North Korea transporting rocket components from its Pyongyang arsenal to its rocket launch site in the Northwest. The components […]

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Food / Travel

The Feminine Nose: How Women Have Come To Dominate Argentina’s Wine World

BUENOS AIRES – When television was in black and white, women took care of the home, which included buying wine for the family dinner. By the time TV was in color, the reds and whites were typically selected by the men of the house — and the restaurants. But lately, more and more women have […]

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Future

How Antartica Ozone Hole Stunts Growth In Patagonia’s Famous Forest

CLARIN (Argentina) Worldcrunch BUENOS AIRES – The old-growth forests of South America’s Patagonia region are now, more than at any time in the past 600 years, extremely slow growth, according to researchers from Argentina’s National Council of Scientific and Technical Research, or CONICET. What’s causing the slow down? The scientists point to ozone depletion in […]

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Geopolitics

Morsi To Address Nation, Egypt Speeds Constitution

AL-AHRAM, EGYPT INDEPENDENT (Egypt), TIME Worldcrunch CAIRO – As opposition protests across Egypt gather momentum, the Islamist-dominated Constituent Assembly is rushing to finalize a draft of a new constitution that will be voted on Thursday. Egyptian daily Al-Ahram reports that the government body worked into the early hours of Thursday in an attempt to finish […]

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Society

Turkey To Loosen Longstanding Ban On Headscarves In Schools

New rules on school uniforms in Turkey will now allow young girls to wear headscarves while attending religious vocational schools. The move comes as a part of a new regulation that will no longer force children in state schools to wear secular school uniforms. Children will be able to wear their own choice of clothes, […]

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Society

Behind Every Corrupt Chinese Official Is A Woman Who’s Not His Wife

GLOBAL TIMES (China), CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY (Taiwan) Worldcrunch BEIJING – As a recent wave of corruption has been denounced in China, we have heard of the important role played by bloggers and a progressively more open press. But there’s another segment of society that has been absolutely crucial in busting bad politicians: their mistresses. And […]

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Food / Travel

Watch: Australia’s Most Famous Beach Turns Blood Red

SYDNEY MORNING HERALD (Australia) Worldcrunch When you see red water on an Australian beach… you immediately think “shark attack!” Sydney’s most famous beach, Bondi beach, and neighboring Clovelly beach were closed on Tuesday after the water turned bright red. On Wednesday, 10 other Sydney beaches were closed according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Photo: Bondi […]

Categories
Ideas

Why New EU Quotas For Women Executives Are No Threat To Male Domination

-Analysis- BRUSSELS – “It’s done,” a relieved Viviane Reding tweeted in several languages. The European Union Commission had finally approved her plan for women to constitute 40% of non-executive board directorships in large listed companies in Europe by the year 2020. In October, Reding had delayed the launch of her proposal which, having now been […]

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Geopolitics

The World’s A Mash – Presenting: Bo Xilai Nouveau

Worldcrunch PARIS – Get it!? Ok, we know our pronunciation of both French and Mandarin is less than perfect…But this is the sort of stuff that gets mashed together at Worldcrunch HQ, where the continents converge, cultures cross and alcohol is not forbidden. So we hope you like our super-fresh bottle of Bo Xilai Nouveau […]

Categories
Future

Welcome To The Deep Web: The Internet’s Dark And Scary Underbelly

SANTIAGO – “The visible web is the tip of the iceberg,” says Anand Rajaraman, co-founder of Kosmix, a search engine for the Deep Web (DW). One of Kosmix’ investors is none other than Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon. The iceberg sounds daunting, but Rajaraman seems to know what he’s talking about. How is it possible […]

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Society

Death And Beauty – When Is War Photography Art?

MUNICH – In his Munich art gallery, Daniel Blau has an exhibition called Death and Disaster, which features German and American war photographs. Whether to view these photographs as documents or art depends on one’s perspective. The pictures bear witness not only to death and destruction but also to the power of imagery as a […]

Categories
Economy

China’s Consumption Engine: 280 Million Chinese To Be “Affluent” By 2020

CAIXIN MEDIA, CHINA DAILY (China), BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP (USA) Worldcrunch BEIJING– China’s middle class will triple in the next 10 years, according to a new report by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). By 2020, it should have 280 million affluent consumers, representing 35% of the country’s consumption and 5% of the world’s total consumption. Photo […]

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Food / Travel

Not Shaken, Not Stirred: James Bond’s Champagne Of Choice Is Crisis Proof

PARIS – “An exceptional year for Bollinger champagne…” Considering the current economic situation, Jérôme Philipon’s comment is refreshing indeed. Even as the overall champagne market was down by 5% at the end of September, the family-run Bollinger producers predict record sales for 2013, says Philipon, the CEO of the champagne house. He expects a growth […]

Categories
Ideas

What The Qing Dynasty And Charles Dickens Tell Us About Modern China

-Essay- After Mo Yan won this year’s Nobel Prize for Literature, many Chinese people predicted that this would contribute greatly to the expansion of Chinese culture in the world. I sincerely hope so. However, in peaceful times the transmission and penetration of a culture are extremely slow. The Italian Jesuit priest, Matteo Ricci (1552-1610), was […]

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Society

TVs But No Toilets – A Snapshot Of Daily Life For Brazil’s Indigenous

BRASÍLIA – Brazil’s indigenous people increasingly live an urban existence. Televisions, DVDs, refrigerators, gas ovens and cellphones are all consumption goods that have been integrated into the daily lives of many tribes. And the dream for young Brazilian native people: going to university. These are among the findings from a survey conducted by Datafolha and […]

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Society

Gay, French, Faithfully Catholic – Living A Paradox, As Marriage Debate Heats Up

PARIS – To look at them, you would never know the agony these young men, relaxed and self-assured, have endured. Drinking wine and eating blinis in their comfortable Parisian apartment, Nicolas (not his real name), Bertrand, Fabrice and Damien all tell a similar story. Raised in practicing Catholic families, and believers themselves, they have taken […]

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Geopolitics

Gaza Ceasefire Crumbles, Fighting Continues To Escalate

AL JAZEERA (Qatar), THE GUARDIAN, BBC NEWS (UK), REUTERS Worldcrunch JERUSALEM – Two Palestinians were reportedly killed during the visit of Egyptian Prime Minister Hesham Kandil in Gaza, dashing hopes of a possible ceasefire between Israel and Palestine According to Al Jazeera, a new air strike hit the Jibaliya refugee camp located at the northern […]

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Society

Poor South Africans Living On Toxic Remains Of Defunct Gold Mines

MOGALE CITY – Patience Pumlangadu’s black skin is now a yellowish color. “I put this powder on my face to protect it from the sun,” explains the South African mother of three. Pumlangadu makes this sun protection herself by mixing water with bits of crushed rock she says are “good for your health.” But in […]

Categories
Eyes on the U.S.

From Bismarck To Bill Clinton, History Helps See The *Real Petraeus Story

-OpEd- BERLIN – The resignation of David Petraeus as head of the CIA means that we can once again play that great political guessing game that measures the gap between what’s being said and the real reasons behind what’s happened. It is apparent yet again that moving out of public office is almost as difficult […]

Categories
Economy

Peace Dividend? Measuring Colombia’s Profits And Loss From FARC Settlement

BOGOTA – Last month marked the third time in a half-century of armed conflict that the FARC rebels and Colombian government started a bona fide peace process. Colombia faces more than one threat to public safety, but the fight against the FARC insurgence is the most burdensome for the military budget, which surpassed 3.7% of […]

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Society

Brazilian Justice Minister: Our Jails Are Worse Than Death

FOLHA DE S.PAULO, O ESTADO DE S. PAULO (Brazil) Worldcrunch SÃO PAULO – Brazilian Justice Minister José Eduardo Cardozo has sparked controversy by describing the nation’s prison system as “medieval” and declaring that he would prefer to die rather than pass a long period in Brazilian jails. Brazil’s Fohla de S. Paulo daily reported the […]

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Geopolitics

China’s Party Congress Ends With Communist Coronation Of Xi Jinping

SINA WEIBO (China), TEALEAF NATION (China), LE MONDE (France), ASAHI SHIMBUN (Japan), NPR (U.S.A.) Worldcrunch BEIJING – The Chinese Communist Party’s 18th Congress concluded with 59-year-old Xi Jinping being officially chosen as head of state. The decision at the weeklong meeting was in no way a surprise but came as the culmination of the months […]

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Food / Travel

World’s End: A Tourist In Russia’s Far East

KAMCHATKA PENINSULA – “The Kamchatka? Why?” was the response I got from everyone who heard I was going there, even though I think they all knew how beautiful the region is. It’s true; the Kamchatka is far away and expensive (although no further than Japan or Cuba). And for some reason, it’s a little scary. […]

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Geopolitics

Prisoners Release In Myanmar Ahead Of Historic Obama Visit

IRRAWADDY (Myanmar), BBC NEWS (UK), REUTERS, YAHOO NEWS Worldcrunch RANGOON– Myanmar is set to free 452 prisoners in a goodwill gesture ahead of President Obama’s visit next week. This comes as the latest in a series of reforms implemented by President Thein Sein over the past 18 months after nearly 50 years of repressive army […]

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Geopolitics

Gaza Rockets Kill Three Israelis, Violence Escalates

BBC NEWS (UK), JERUSALEM POST, HAARETZ (Israel), REUTERS Worldcrunch JERUSALEM – Three people were killed on Thursday when rockets fired from Gaza struck the southern Israeli town of Kiryat Malachi, a day after Israel’s targetted killing of the military chief of Hamas. Tel Aviv daily Haaretz reports that rockets fired into Israel by militants in […]

Categories
Geopolitics

How The Boom In American Fossil Fuels Could Reshape The Century

-Analysis- NEW YORK – Not long ago, China replaced the United States as the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases on the planet. And now the International Energy Agency (IEA) is predicting two things: the first is that the U.S. will be the world’s biggest oil producer in the next 10 years. The second is that […]

Categories
Society

When Women Conquer Men Of Power – How It Looks In China

BEIJING – Men conquer women by conquering the world; women conquer the world by conquering men. This ancient Western proverb is often cited by Chinese in reference to Cleopatra, and her conquest of Julius Caesar. In 2000, I was responsible for covering the story of Cheng Kejie, the former vice chairman of the National People’s […]

Categories
Geopolitics

Israel Kills Hamas Military Chief In Air Strike, Vows To Open Wider Campaign

Categories
Society

Tijuana Sunset: Shifting Sands, Rising Walls At US-Mexico Border

TIJUANA – There is a party going on across the wall. You can hear the sounds of families and friends, and good fun. Adriana walks towards the fence and explains that further away, some kids are flying kites. But the wind is blowing in the opposite direction. From where we stand, we won’t be able […]

Categories
Society

How The World’s Gambling Mecca Shares The Wealth With Locals

MACAU DAILY TIMES (Macau), CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY (Taiwan) Worldcrunch MACAU – Not far from Hong Kong, a small island off the coast of southern China attracts 28 million visitors a year. The tourists, hailing mostly from Mainland China, come here to gamble. It is the only place in China where gambling is legal, and with […]

Categories
Future

Canary Islands Up In Arms As Oil Drilling Looms Off Scenic Shores

LANZAROTE – The photograph looks like something out of a glossy tourist campaign: a surfer, board under his arms, coming out of the turquoise waters that lap against the fine, white sand. Nothing out of the ordinary, seeing as the shot was taken on the island of Fuerteventura, famous around Europe for its natural beauty […]

Categories
Ideas

Behind The Shades Of Japan’s Not-So-Subtle Diplomacy

TOKYO – The conflict between Japan and China over the sovereignty of the inhabited Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu in Chinese) is symptomatic of Tokyo’s diplomatic weakness. In its duel with Beijing, Japan appears isolated in its claim and abandoned by its allies. The United States announced that the islands were covered by the U.S.-Japan security treaty, […]

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