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Society

While Chavez Gets Embalmed, Lenin May Be Kicked Out Of Red Square

KOMMERSANT (Russia) Worldcrunch MOSCOW – There are fresh grumblings in the Russian government suggesting that Vladimir Lenin has finally overstayed his welcome in Red Square. Lenin’s body has been displayed in a specially-designed mausoleum in the central Moscow square since his death in 1924 — the kind of treatment that apparently is destined for Venezuelan’s […]

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Society

Real Hair, Real Nails … Really Creepy? Auction For Inflatable Doll Tops $100,000

CLARÍN Worldcrunch SÃO PAOLO – “The Girl from Ipanema” made Brazilian women famous for their beauty but now, it seems, the South American country has a new fetish for a different kind of woman says Clarín. For three days, São Paolo will host the first Inflatable Doll World Congress, organized by an online sex shop, […]

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Geopolitics

Aung San Suu Kyi’s First Party Conference Marks Milestone In Myanmar

FRANCE 24, THE GUARDIAN (UK), AFP Worldcrunch RANGOON – In a milestone for the fledgling Burmese transition away from its longtime military autocracy, the first party conference for Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy’s (NLD) opened Friday. After decades of oppression under strict military dictatorship, leaders of the longtime opposition, are set to […]

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Geopolitics

Exposing The Brutal Truths Of Gaddafi’s “Viagra Totalitarianism”

A French war correspondent’s new book recounts the horrors of the Libyan dictator’s rape and torture of women, which was yet another way to subjugate the population.

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Society

The First Winner At Rio 2016 May Be A Red-Headed Monkey

RIO DE JANEIRO – Every Olympics needs a strong mascot. But for the 2016 Summer Games, the two animals leading the pack are in a rather weak position. Each of the two primates being considered to become the face of Brazil’s first-ever Olympics is in risk of extinction: the mico-leão-dourado (golden lion tamarin) and muriqui […]

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Society

New Head Of Brazil’s Human Rights Commission Known For Racist, Homophobic Rants

O ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO (Brazil) Worldcrunch SÃO PAULO – The election of a new President of the Commission for Human Rights and Minorities in Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies typically wouldn’t make much of a splash. But the brand new President, Marco Feliciano, an evangelical pastor, happens to already be well-known for making racist and […]

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Society

Logging On To A Hole In The Wall: India’s Poor Kids Teach Us How We Learn

NEW DELHI – Mukesh is standing barefoot in front of the computer embedded in the wall, deep in concentration. He’s trying to guide the little arrow of the mouse onto the number eight because the talking machine asked him how old he was. This is the first time that he has come to the “Hole […]

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The Next Pope

A Pope From Across The World? The Time Is Now

Most say the cardinals must shake up the Church. That gives better chances to electing a cardinal from South America… or North America.

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Society

A Menace Or A Matter Of Pride? When Miss Daisy Wants To Drive Herself

-Essay- MUNICH – The day comes in life when you realize you don’t really need a car anymore, you can take the train, or bus. The problem is: you may not want to. It’s not as if retirement comes as a surprise, a sudden unexpected stroke of fate. We get a long time, many, many […]

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Geopolitics

Ahead Of Chavez Funeral, Details Of Final Moments And Bickering Over Legacy

EL NACIONAL, VENEZOLANA DE TELEVISION, EL CARABOBEÑO (Venezuela), DIARIO POPULAR (ARGENTINA) Worldcrunch CARACAS – Venezuelans have been lining up over the past 24 hours around the Venezuelan Military Academy in the capital to say their last goodbyes to the late President Hugo Chávez. Meanwhile, Chief of the Presidential Guard in Venezuela, General José Ornella offered […]

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Geopolitics

The Historical Falsehoods And Misleading Language Of West Bank “Settlements”

Palestinians are victims not only of Israeli power politics, but of linguistic deception.

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Economy Geopolitics

Obama-Putin Confab, Erdogan vs. Facebook, Bitcoin Bits

OBAMA-PUTIN PHONE CALL, EU SANCTIONSDuring a one-hour phone conversation, President Barack Obama told Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that he had violated Ukraine’s sovereignty and its territorial integrity by sending troops into Crimea, The Daily Telegraph reports. Putin in turn told Obama that the new Kiev government had imposed “absolutely illegitimate decisions on the eastern, southeastern […]

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Geopolitics

Philippines Demand Release Of UN Peacekeepers In Syria

GUARDIAN, SYRIAN OBSERVATORY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, JERUSALEM POST Worldcrunch The Philippine Foreign Affairs Ministry on Thursday demanded the immediate release of 21 Filipino U.N. peacekeepers who have been taken captive by Syrian rebels. “The main concern of the Philippine government at this time is to ensure the safety and well-being of our peacekeepers,” Foreign Affairs […]

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Geopolitics

North Korea Vows Preemptive Strike Against US Ahead Of Sanctions Vote

KCNA (North Korea), AP, REUTERS, CNN Worldcrunch PYONGYANG– With the UN set to vote on imposing sanctions against North Korea for its recent nuclear test, Pyongyang issued perhaps it’s most virulent threat to date, saying it would exercise the right to pre-emptive strikes against Washington. “Since the United States is about to ignite a nuclear […]

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Society

From YouTube To Royal Albert Hall: The Ukrainian Justin Bieber Of Classical Music

Lang Lang look out!

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In The News

Why China Must Bury The False Alibi Of “State Secrets”

-Analysis- BEIJING – One of the stated functions of the Ministry of Environmental Protection is to monitor the environment, and to publish the findings. But when a Beijing lawyer asked the Ministry to publish its national soil pollution survey, he was turned away. The reason? The findings were a state secret. In China, the “state […]

Categories
Ideas

Karl Marx Dies A Second Death As EU Moves To Cap Banker Bonuses

-OpEd- PARIS – Game over for the last of the European Marxists. Europe is getting ready to cap the size of bonuses for bankers. New rules would prevent bankers in European Union countries from receiving bonuses higher than their annual salary. This world first would put an end to the practice that allows these “workers” […]

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Geopolitics

Toxic Shipping Containers May Be Contaminating Your Food And Clothes

ROTTERDAM – Governments are well aware of the danger, but consumers have no idea. One out of five freight containers arriving in European ports has been fumigated with extremely dangerous, carcinogenic or neurotoxic gases. It is a vast phenomenon: one million containers filled with imported goods arrive in Europe by ship every week. These toxic […]

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Society

Ooh La La – French Art Museum Censored By Facebook For Nude Photograph

LE NOUVEL OBSERVATEUR (France), FACEBOOK Worldcrunch PARIS – On Friday, the Jeu de Paume museum’s Facebook account was blocked for 24 hours, following a decision by Facebook to remove a photograph the Parisian museum posted on its page and which the social network ruled was a violation of its Rights and Responsibilities guidelines. We have […]

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Society

After Michelin Stars, Italian Chef Sends Out-Of-This-World Menu Into Space

Vac-packed pesto risotto never tasted so good!

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Geopolitics

Sarkozy Already Planning Comeback: “I’m Doing It For My Country”

RUE89, BVA (FRANCE) Worldcrunch PARIS – In an exclusive interview with right-wing magazine Valeurs Actuelles, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced that he was thinking about a political comeback. After his defeat at the last presidential elections, Sarkozy had said he was leaving politics for good. According to Rue 89, the interview will be published […]

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Geopolitics

Death Of Hugo Chavez: The Legacy And Void Left In Latin America

BUENOS AIRES – Whatever your view is regarding the Hugo Chávez’ era in Venezuela, it is impossible to ignore two central facts: 1) Chávez was a product of the deep failure of the Venezuelan political system; 2) The deceased president had a strong influence on Latin America, during a historic moment when many countries in […]

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Geopolitics

Crimean MPs Vote To Join Russia, Gaddafi’s Son, Iran Oil

CRIMEAN LAWMAKERS VOTE TO JOIN RUSSIA Crimean lawmakers voted unanimously this morning to join the Russian Federation and asked Russia to examine the request. And the region’s Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Temirgaliev announced a March 16 referendum in which voters will answer two questions: whether they want Crimea to become a Russian territory, and whether […]

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Geopolitics

Chavez Death: Venezuela Mourns, Looks To Funeral And New Election

BBC (UK), EFE, EL TIEMPO, EL NACIONAL, INFOBAE, INTORNO INTELIGENTE (Venezuela), LA VANGUARDIA (Spain) Worldcrunch CARACAS– Though not unexpected, the death of Hugo Chavez after 14 years in power and a nearly two-year battle with cancer, has left Venezeula without a leader. The government announced Wednesday that the funeral for the 58-year-old President was set […]

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Society

Bolshoi Dancer Confesses To Acid Attack

CHANNEL ONE, KOMMERSANT (Russia), BBC NEWS (UK) Worldcrunch MOSCOW – One of Moscow’s Bolshoi ballet leading soloists has confessed to being the mastermind behind an acid attack that nearly blinded the company’s director, Sergei Filin in January. According to a statement released by the Moscow police, Pavel Dmitrichenko, 28, was arrested together with two accomplices: […]

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Economy

How To Make Poland A Truly Modern Nation

-Essay- WARSAW – Poland has always lacked capital for important investments. The roads have always been bad, muddy, full of ruts and potholes. We have great universities, but they are woefully underfunded. In Poland there have always been “islands of modernity in a sea of backwardness,” according to economic historian Witold Kula. In this sense, […]

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Economy

Knives On Planes: Guide For Those Pocket Knives Now Allowed On US Flights

Worldcrunch After 9/11, the list of items and products banned on US flights got much longer. But the news from the Transport Security Administration (TSA) is that folding knife blades –and sports equipment – are now permitted again, in order for security personnel to focus on explosive devices. The official report states the following: “TSA […]

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Economy

The ‘Lucky Country’ Marks Record 21st Straight Year Of Growth

AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW, SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, AAP (Australia) Worldcrunch SYDNEY – It’s not called the “Lucky Country” for nothing. Australia’s resource-rich economy continued to expand last quarter, extending the country’s run of 21 years of uninterrupted growth. Fourth-quarter GDP grew by 0.6% from the previous quarter, and 3.1% from a year earlier according to the […]

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Geopolitics

Hugo Chavez Dies — 32 Front Pages From Around The World

Worldcrunch CARACAS – After a long battle with cancer, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez died on Tuesday at the age of 58. Both in health and in sickness, whether loved or despised, El Commandante was an iconic figure of our times. Newspapers in Venezuela, elsewhere in Latin America, and around the world are dedicating major coverage […]

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Economy

Fair-Trade Smartphones For The Geek With A Conscience

BARCELONA – Bas van Abel brought a novel idea to the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The 35-year-old Dutch entrepreneur is currently at work, with ten others, on the first “FairTrade” smartphone – a phone that will contain no gold mined in war zones, will not be assembled in a soulless Chinese factory, and will […]

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Society

Sixty Years After His Death, Stalin Still A National Hero To Some In Georgia

A visit to the dictator’s birthplace in the former Soviet republic of Georgia where a complicated relationship with the notorious native son plays into current tensions with Russia.

Categories
Society

EU Proposal: Having A Bank Account Should Be A Basic Human Right

SUDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG (Germany) Worldcrunch BRUSSELS – Freedom of speech, right to a fair trial, access to public education and … a checking account for every citizen? In the future every EU citizen should have the right to a basic bank account, according to proposed European-wide legislation, reports German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung. The proposed measure is […]

Categories
The Next Pope

Small Miracles – Why A New Pope Is A Godsend For Rome’s Retailers

ROME – Benedict XVI couldn’t have imagined this, because his thoughts were elsewhere: but the news of his resignation was met with cheers by thousands of people in Rome. Why? Because the resignation of a pope has the same effect as the Olympic Games or a Jubilee for the city of Rome: it brings tourists, […]

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Geopolitics

Meet The Dashing Czech Billionaire Leading The Fight Against Klaus And Corruption

Karel Janecek became a billionaire before 40. Now, as President Vaclav Klaus steps down in a cloud after a decade, Janecek is leading the fight for those who want to clean up Czech politics.

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The Next Pope

Adopt-A-Cardinal: An Interactive Way For Faithful To Join Conclave

Worldcrunch VATICAN CITY – The cardinals are meeting at the Vatican this week to lay the groundwork for the conclave to elect a new pope, after this month’s suprise resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. There is much on their agenda: determining Catholicism’s most pressing challenges, looking for the right man for the papal job, clarifying […]

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Society

What Bill Gates Has Done That’s Setting Off Radical Islamist Killing Sprees

The Microsoft founder and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg are active in trying to eradicate polio. But immunization efforts have led to deadly attacks from Nigeria to Pakistan.

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Geopolitics

Ukraine’s “Contagion”, Chavez One Year Later, Crazy DSK Poll

CAN U.S. AND RUSSIA START DIALOGUE ON UKRAINE? U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov are meeting today in Paris with other world leaders, on the sidelines of a long-planned conference on Lebanon. The encounter will be an attempt “to ease mounting tensions,” according to France24. It comes after Kerry’s […]

Categories
Economy

A Lesson In Money Laundering, Mexican Style

MEXICO CITY – My neighborhood dealer was a low-class guy. We went to the same public school, but he was few years younger than me. He was never very bright nor did he excel in anything; he spent his afternoons standing outside his house or at the street corner, without bothering anyone, and with no […]

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Geopolitics

China And US Reach Tentative Deal On North Korea Sanctions

CNN (USA), REUTERS, AFP, UN PRESS OFFICE Worldcrunch NEW YORK – The United States and China have struck a tentative deal on a draft UN Security Council sanctions resolution to punish North Korea for the nuclear test it conducted last month. A deal, the details of which have not been revealed so far, was agreed […]

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Geopolitics

Chavez Suffering New Severe Respiratory Infection

EFE, EL PAIS (Spain), EL UNIVERSAL (Venezuela) Worldcrunch CARACAS – Hugo Chavez is suffering from another severe respiratory infection said Venezuelan Minister for Communication and Information, Ernesto Villegas, in a video statement. “At the moment the respiratory function is getting worse because of the immunosuppressants. Currently, he has a new, severe infection,” said Villegas. “Right […]

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