Worldcrunch
Countries are rolling out increasingly aggressive campaigns in an international effort to vaccinate the world out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Two weeks ago, Italy became the first European country to make COVID-19 health passes mandatory for all workers, while others, including the U.S, France and Hungary, have mandated vaccination for federal workers or healthcare staff. […]
? Molo!* Welcome to Thursday, where Kim Jong-un offers to reopen hotline with Seoul, a 96-year-old Nazi war crime suspect flees and a Turkish man gets so drunk he joins a search party for himself. From France, we also take a look, and listen, to the surprisingly loud noises of the countryside. [*Xhosa – South […]
To most, the French countryside evokes an idyllic paradise, from the southern Provence region with its lavender fields to vineyard-covered Burgundy to the castles of the Loire Valley. In this postcard vision, you can smell the soft air, see the grazing cows and hear the silence, broken only by the rare tolling of local church […]
Male contraception, both pharmaceuticals and procedures, is gaining increasing interest. Yet to date, there is no male contraceptive drug authorized on the market.
In its diaspora around Asia and the rest of the world, Hong Kong’s identity is closely tied to its food and tea. Now with the pressures from the mainland, the stakes are suddenly multiplied.
Following bold promises from Western leaders to send millions of jabs to the developing world, there is still an extreme shortage in most African countries.
? Bula!* Welcome to Wednesday, where Japan has a new Prime Minister, Canada grants asylum to four Edward Snowden “guardian angels,” and a rodent gives cryptocurrency trading advice. Spanish daily La Razon also crunches the numbers to counter those who blame immigrants for spikes in crime. [*Fijian] 7 THINGS TO KNOW RIGHT NOW • […]
Cyberbullying has gained ground again this school year. For philosopher and free-market advocate Gaspard Koenig, it’s simple: social media has the effects of an addictive and harmful drug, and thus forbidden for those under 16.
A new platform called Masterworks allows individuals to buy shares of specific artworks in $20 increments. The platform capitalizes on the democratization of online investing, but is also a variation on a model that dates back a century.
Crunch the numbers, or just look around…and we see that immigrants, wherever they may come from, are not a disproportionate cause of crime or cultural degradation across Europe.
? Hyvää huomenta!* Welcome to Tuesday, where North Korea conducts its third weapon tests in just over two weeks, R&B singer R. Kelly is found guilty of sex trafficking, and an unearthed John Lennon tape is up for auction in Denmark. Meanwhile, we take a look at why despite being an oil- and gas-rich country, […]
The Islamic Republic of Iran has no shortage of oil and gas. And yet, its people and industries are having to contend right now with regular power cuts. The question, then, is why, and what — if anything — the Iranian government can hope to do about it.
Born some eight centuries ago, the famed poet and philosopher Rumi offered ideas on religion that bear little resemblance to the brand of Islam being imposed right now in Afghanistan by the Taliban regime.
? Laphi!* Welcome to Monday, where post-Merkel Germany looks set shift to a center-left coalition, San Marino and Switzerland catch up with the rest of Europe on two key social issues, and a turtle slows things down at a Japan airport. Meanwhile, we take an international look at different ways to handle beloved, yet controversial, […]
People used social media to help organize the large, anti-government protests that took place on the island last July. And yet, unlike their counterparts in China, Cuban authorities are loath to prohibit access to such sites. Do the math.
Across southern Europe, all eyes are on the German elections, as they hope a change of government might bring about reforms to the EU Stability Pact.
The prima ballerina Eleonora Abbagnato recently bid farewell to the Paris Opera, under the gold roof of the historic Palais Garnier. It’s an obligatory passage for Parisian ballet dancers of a certain age, a moment that is often happy, always dreaded and sometimes salutary.
COVID-19 has disrupted the lives of billions of people all over the globe, and expats are no exception.
As the Taliban closed in on Afghanistan, the European Union co-signed a joint statement with dozens of nations agreeing that “the Afghan people deserve to live in safety, security and dignity” and that the international community was “ready to assist them”. As someone who has been researching the refugee crisis on Europe’s borders for years, I found the statement surprising. Before it was making bold statements about events in Kabul, the EU had spent years failing to help thousands of Afghans seeking help at its borders. Since 2015, more than 570,000 Afghan citizens have sought protection in the EU. Thousands […]
? Բարև Ձեզ!* Welcome to Friday, where Kim Jong-un’s sister extends an olive branch to South Korea, top Catalan separatist leader is arrested in Italy, and a kindergarten thief gets busted by technology. Meanwhile, we bid an international auf wiedersehen to Angela Merkel’s through iconic front pages that featured the German chancellor over the years. […]
Approaching Angela Merkel’s final days in office, we take a look back at the major chapters in her reign as German Chancellor and an unlikely political icon on magazine covers around the world.
-Essay- PARIS — I’ll admit it straight away: As a bilingual journalist, the growing use of Franglais by French politicians makes my skin crawl. Not because I think this blend of French and English is a bad thing in and of itself (it is!), or because the purity of the French language should be preserved […]
? 안녕하세요* Welcome to Thursday, where Tunisia’s president tightens his grip, Lithuania tells people to throw away their Made-in-China phones, and a memeworthy side-eye gets the NFT treatment. Chinese-language weekly Economic Observer also explains why some cities in China waste millions in massive building projects that go unused. [*Korean] 7 THINGS TO KNOW RIGHT […]
The so-called “White Elephants,” or massive building projects that go unused, keep going up across China as local officials mix vanity and a misdirected attempt to attract business and tourists. A perfect example the 58-meter, $230 million statue of Guan Yu, a beloved military figure from the Third Century, that nobody seems interested in visiting.
Hopes were dashed by local officials to see the completion of the iconic Barcelona church in 2026, in time for the 100th anniversary of the death of its renowned architect Antoni Gaudí.
Institute for Science and International Security concludes that Iran is enriching uranium at a 60% level, with new centrifuges meaning that Tehran is a month away from obtaining arms-grade material to move toward its first weapon.
? Laba diena!* Welcome to Wednesday, where Afghanistan’s Taliban demand to speak at the United Nations, China takes a bold ecological stand and we find out why monkeys kept their tails and humans didn’t. Business magazine America Economia also looks at how Latin American countries are looking to attract a new generation of freelancers known […]
Alice, 28 years old, from Genoa, terminated her pregnancy one year ago. “It is neither a transgression nor disgrace, I only exercised my right to do so.”
Latin American countries want to cash in on the post-pandemic changes to the fundamental ways we work and live, in particular by capitalizing on a growing demand from the new wave of remote workers and “youngish” professional freelancers with money to spend.
Germany’s anti-immigrant far-right party has so far been unable to benefit from the decline of the Merkel’s CDU party and find new voters.
The possibility of transitioning to a greener energy future varies among economies that are fossil fuel-dependent , which represent nearly one-third of the world’s population and one-fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. For some, the question is purely financial; for others, political factors are slowing the shift.
Affluent countries have begun offering COVID-19 boosters to already fully vaccinated citizens. Meanwhile in some low-income countries, access to doses is virtually non-existent.
? Goedendag!* Welcome to Monday, where a shooting in a Russian university leaves at least 8 dead, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is confirmed to be safe for children and Philippine boxer star Manny Pacquiao announces he will run for president. Meanwhile, Persian-language daily Kayhan-London meets women in Afghanistan who are taking part in protests against the […]
How have 16 years of Chancellor Angela Merkel changed Germany? The Chancellor accompanied the country’s rise to near economic superpower status — and then progress stalled. On technology and beyond, Germany needs real reforms under Merkel’s successor.
Some might ask: Why is there such a thing as International Country Music Day? Turns out the American musical genre has pockets of popularity around the world, from twanging sounds in Japan to South Africa to line dancing in France.
Italy’s new “Super Green Pass” is great, but where’s “Super Mario”? Such a sweeping measure, which requires workers to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test, risks encroaching on the fundamental right to work. It’s necessary right now, but also needs Prime Minister Mario Draghi to explain why.
? Сайн уу* Welcome to Friday, where the new U.S.-UK-Australia security pact is under fire, Italy becomes the first country to make COVID-19 “green pass” mandatory for all workers, and Prince Philip’s will is to be kept secret for 90 years. From Russia, we also look at the government censorship faced by brands that recently […]
Russian sushi delivery Yobidoyobi removed an advertisement with a Black man and apologized for offending the Russian nation, while a grocery chain was attacked for featuring an LGBTQ couple.
The military pact between Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom is further proof that Europe’s influence is eroding. To make up for the absence of a collective defense from the bloc’s 27, it is urgent to establish alliances with different countries.