Worldcrunch
Ghardaïa is famous for its carpets. At the marketplace, there weren’t any women — but there were plenty of fabrics in this corner of M’zab in Algeria. See more slides from My Grand-Père’s World here.
-Essay- VALENCIA — As a British national living in Spain, it is strange to (still) be an EU citizen and yet start to feel unwelcome in this “European home.” All this thanks to Brexit, that nasty little gnome doggedly making its way through the disbelief of millions. Born in Iran and with nearly 40 years […]
El Comercio Venezuela slid closer toward dictatorship after a Supreme Court ruling Wednesday night gutted the powers of the opposition-led legislature. Peruvian newspaper El Comercio reports that Peru and other Latin American countries have condemned Venezuela’s move toward one-man rule as can be seen on this front page. Peru withdrew its ambassador to Venezuela soon […]
-Analysis- You don’t need to be an army general marching in with troops to mount a coup in a country. Sometimes democracy can be crushed by the very person elected at its helm — the president. In Venezuela, analysts and opposition leaders are describing this phenomenon as a “self-coup,” after President Nicolás Maduro ordered the […]
We have already been revealed, both our leaders and ourselves, by writers of the past.
More and more Japanese, South Korean and other foreign manufacturers of TCM are not even using Chinese raw materials for the ancient cures. What is left then?
As British Prime Minister Theresa May starts the clock on Britain’s departure from the European Union, there’s no real question that the divorce is going to hurt both parties — and Britain, to be sure, much more than the EU. But this isn’t to say there’s no upside. The right kind of deal will recognize these opportunities and try to make the most of them. This whole misadventure began with historic errors of judgment — former Prime Minister David Cameron’s decision to call a referendum on U.K. membership, and Europe’s decision to deny him significant concessions in the talks that […]
BAGHDAD — A continuous flow of cars, scooters, and three-wheeled vehicles pour onto the avenues of Sadr City, Baghdad’s massive Shia district, where roundabouts honor the memories of martyrs killed at the front-lines. Ahmed Houcham el-Alabiad, 29, rides his bike on the wrong side of the road until he reaches home, a shack located in […]
Ready for take off and marveling at the Andes in the distance, I took stock of the things I was lucky enough to see during my trip to Peru: from the heights of Machu Picchu to Lake Titicaca and its islands made of reed, to the incredible geoglyphs of the Nazca Desert and of course […]
PARIS — The 2017 edition of “Paris Plages,” the artificial beaches installed each summer along the banks of the river Seine, will be sans sable— sandless! Why? Because on Monday, the City of Paris announced that it will end its 14-year-old partnership with French-Swiss group LafargeHolcim. But the decision here matters less than what actually […]
PARIS — Even as the global economy struggles to recover, investment in space activities is flying high. The overall public expenditure in the sector — approximately $70 billion today — has been steadily increasing, projected to reach $80 billion in the next few years. And the commitment is not just growing deeper, but also wider: […]
When Big Ben struck midnight, its bells didn’t just signal the start of a new day. They also marked a sea change in geopolitics. That was the moment Prime Minister Theresa May chose to sign a letter of intent that officially begins the UK’s departure from the EU. The date had been marked on everyone’s […]
British Prime Minister Theresa May signed a letter giving official notice of the UK’s intention to leave the EU. The letter, which will be delivered later today to Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, marks the official start of the two-year leaving process. Here’s how Europe and the UK reacted: UNITED KINGDOM The Herald […]
Venezuela’s socialist President Nicolás Maduro has brought his country to the lowest socio-economic levels in its history. His clinging to power is a dangerous thing.
Wild parakeet populations are expanding in many European cities, where they enjoy the relative warmth of dense urban settings and have easy access to food.
-Analysis- It was just a passing reference at Monday’s White House briefing: Press Secretary Sean Spicer mentioned that U.S. President Donald Trump had called to congratulate Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his party’s recent victory in state assembly elections. After all, the Indian leader had plenty to celebrate. His Bharatiya Janata Party was able […]
Germany’s right-wing AfD party says school courses give too much attention to Hitler’s reign, overlooking other historical periods. A syllabus offers an answer.
The Hornberger Uhrenspiele, in Germany’s scenic Black Forest, holds the record for biggest cuckoo clock in the world. My wife and I got to see it just a month after its inauguration, and watched the house-size clock’s wooden characters come to life to the tune of traditional German melodies. See more slides from My Grand-Père’s […]
-Essay- ABU DHABI — For many of us, hip hop has always been more than just another music genre, a passing trend or temporary lifestyle. It’s a cultural movement with deep roots that highlight socio-economic disadvantages, an accreditation to the advancement of civil rights progress, and, in sociological terms, an ongoing challenge to the status […]
Technology is transforming how goods and services are sold, and may soon kick millions of workers out of a job. But certain professions can’t be replaced by bots.
In the overwhelming immediacy of modern society, weekends provide us with the opportunity to slow down, take a deep breath, disconnect. Especially a sunny, early spring weekend. For some, this means catching up on reading or seeing old friends. For others (like yours truly), this past weekend was a chance for an intense session of […]
Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish’s three daughters were killed by an Israeli air strike in 2009. For the past seven years, the Palestinian doctor just wants an apology from Israeli officials.
Maybe the West’s low birth rate arrived when sex was defeated by boredom? One writer’s offbeat reflection on how sexuality overload has backfired.
-OpEd- PARIS — A lot is being said and written about the “Molière clause,” first introduced by Vincent You, an elected representative in the western French city of Angoulême, and which mandates the use of French language on construction sites. This is, first and foremost, a case of guaranteeing safety at dangerous sites. A large […]
It wasn’t long ago that Turkey was a nation envied around the world for growing freedoms and a growing economy. Things have changed fast.
The half-timbered Feathers Hotel in Ludlow, western England, is a gem of Tudor architecture. Strangely enough, when I took this picture, all I could think of was the time it must take to clean the inn’s dozens of diamond-paneled windows … See more slides from My Grand-Père’s World.
Fascism fears were greatly exaggerated in a system that puts limits on any individual’s power.
It’s a looming question for any reader of the news and follower of current events:Time magazine’s “Is Truth Dead?” cover this week does well to capture the zeitgeist of public discourse in the early months of Donald Trump’s presidency. The central article travels through the place of truth in American public life, all the way […]
MUNICH — On Oct. 5, German doctor Alexander Haase* opened his web browser and dropped merchandise he wanted to purchase into a checkout basket. He paid 590,99 euros — money that went into a Hungarian bank account. A few weeks later, an inconspicuous brown package arrived by DHL delivery. He opened it. There was a […]
Innovative television programming could be challenging the dominance of youth on television in Argentina and Brazil.
BEIJING — For rich and single Chinese women who want it all, America is there to help. The Beijing-based website Tencent Finance reports that U.S. fertility clinics are increasingly catering to single Chinese women who want to have a child on their own. Annie Liu, a successful high-end real estate dealer in New York, saw […]
It’s a pattern that, sadly, is becoming too familiar in Europe. The initial shock of the latest terrorist attack soon gives way to anger, sadness, prayers, and a gnawing sense of powerlessness. And then, eventually, we move on — until the next time. Yesterday’s attack in London had the particularity of actually occurring on the […]
A British-born attacker killed four and injured about 40 others yesterday in an attack on Westminster in the heart of London. The attack coincided with the one-year anniversary of the Brussels bombings, leaving police on high alert around Europe. Here’s how international newspapers reacted to the attack on the British capital: UNITED KINGDOM The Daily […]
-OpEd- BERLIN — The rise of populists has given way to an alarming reaction among so-called elites. Many of them are blaming themselves for not having considered those who have been “left behind,” for not having paid attention to the needs of common people. Journalists blame themselves for having been too politically correct, too fond […]
Murderous paramilitary organizations that formed in the 1980s were supposedly dismantled. Elements, however, continue to live on through what the government now calls Organized Armed Groups, or GAO.
Two months into Donald Trump’s presidency, we already know more — real or fake — than many care to know. But as far as Slovenian-born First Lady Melania Trump, remarkably little has been said or seen. Will the closed doors stay closed forever? Will Mr. Trump’s third marriage survive the White House? Here’s how it […]
After several weeks of heavy rains, Lima daily Peru21 has tallied the death and damage from flooding that stretches from north to south in the Latin American nation.
The anniversary of the March 22, 2016 terrorist attacks is a time to reflect on the humanity of the capital of both Belgium and the European Union bureaucracy.
It is cold in the Lofoten islands of Norway, even in the summer. Not so cold that the fish freezes — just cold enough that salted cod can dry on racks in the sun and wind without rotting. The resulting delicacy, klippfisk, is pretty darn good. See more slides from My Grand-Père’s World.
AMATRICE — Seven months after a powerful earthquake in central Italy reduced Amatrice to rubble and killed almost 300 people, mayor Sergio Pirozzi has declared the town a free trade area, Italian financial daily Il Sole 24 Ore reports. Amatrice’s town council approved a motion to establish an Amatrice County Free Trade Zone (ZFCA), under […]