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In The News

Two Years On, A Dangerous Temptation To Recognize The Taliban

After taking control of Kabul two years ago, the Taliban has continued to present a threat to human rights in the region. But the Taliban’s takeover, now slowly nearing official recognition by some governments, has also posed challenges for the country’s neighbors, including Iran and Pakistan.

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Society

Hummingbirds Consume Alcohol But Don’t Get Drunk, New Lessons For Human Alcoholism

Like many creatures, hummingbirds consume alcohol, which they’re able to metabolize quickly. A new study explains how they do it — and how it might just helps us understand why humans are so attracted to alcohol.

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In The News

In Brazil, A New Generation Of Tarot Readers Rethink The Ancient Game

For the new generation of tarot readers in Brazil, the art of reading the cards aims not to guess the future, but to promote a deep search for self-knowledge.

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In The News

Dating Polls Show “Old-Fashioned” Values Are The New Trend

Contrary to what you might hear, 18-25-year-olds are less concerned with looks and more with kindness and respect when it comes to finding a partner.

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In The News

Long Live The Negroni, The Eternal King Of Cocktails

How is a cocktail invented, and how does it become iconic? An analysis of the art of mixology, through what may be the most famous cocktail in the world.

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In The News

Perfume Politics: The Scent Of Women’s History

The fragrances we use are not just a matter of personal taste, but a choice connected to the time in which we live. Perfumes of the 20th century varied between bold and soft, depending on the role that women played in society at the time. What does today smell like?

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Geopolitics Russia-Ukraine War

Will Putin’s Quiet Bodyguard Replace Him As Russian President?

Alexei Dyumin, a former bodyguard of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been touted as a likely successor to the man he once protected. Russian independent news outlet Important Stories takes a closer look at a man who prefers to keep a low profile.

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Geopolitics Ideas

How Can Colombia’s President Petro Still Sympathize With Russia?

Colombia’s leftist president claims Russia and the United States act in “much the same” way in the world, disregarding the fact that only one of those states poisons or throws critics out the window.

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Economy Society

Inside ​The Last Penicillin Factory In The West​

There are currently supply bottlenecks for around 500 medicines, including the antibiotic penicillin. Every second box of the active ingredient in Europe comes directly or indirectly from one place: a factory in the Tyrolean town of Kundl, Austria. Die Welt takes a look at the factory and what’s causing the supply problems.

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Geopolitics Ideas

China And Taiwan: The Why, When And How Of An Inevitable War

Beijing is obsessed with absorbing the “rebel island,” but a peaceful reintegration seems more and more unlikely. Despite the risk of an economic, and maybe military, confrontation with the U.S. and allies, an attempt by China to take Taiwan by force is probable, sometime between 2027 and 2049.

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In The News

Tourist Trap: How Big Investors Are Changing The Tuscan Valley Forever

Along with mass tourism, large investors have arrived in the Tuscan Valley — investors with no ties to the traditions and agriculture of the place. If the residents leave, the landscape of this countryside will disappear forever.

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In The News

That Rare Mariupol Happy Ending: How One Ukrainian Couple Was Reunited

An estimated 700 soldiers who defended Mariupol remain in Russian captivity. As prisoner exchanges prove challenging, relatives wait nervously for news.

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Ideas Society Women Worldwide

The Problem With India’s Violence Against Women Starts At The Linguistic Level

The clear lack of words, in Hindi and other Indian vernaculars, to describe feminine reproductive organs, feminine hygiene or women’s reproductive rights, says a lot about a country plagued by violence against women and rampant rape culture.

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Green

Study: Rising Prices Force Organic Food Consumers To Switch To Cheaper Alternatives

A study shows that a rising tide of consumers are prioritizing their wallets over organic products, switching to more budget-friendly, non-organic options as the cost of living crisis continues.

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In The News Society

Le Weekend: Yarny Potter, Mexico v. Sexist Lyrics, Shower Beer

August 5-6   OUR WEEKLY NEWS QUIZ What do you remember from the news this week? 1. After Turkey, which country is now emerging as a potential peacebroker in the Russia-Ukraine war? 2. Donald Trump has sparked global outrage by comparing his third indictment to what? 3. Which city has UNESCO suggested adding to its […]

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Ideas Society

End Of The Road? When A Vanlifer Buys Her First House

After living in a campervan for more than a year, the author reflects on the limits of both settling down and rolling on forever.

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In The News

770,747 Babies And (Barely) Counting – Why Japan Is Struggling So Much With Falling Birth Rates

The world’s third largest economy will see its population shrink by 40 million people by 2060. Among the root causes: millions of men in precarious employment, excluded from the marriage market, and work pressures that weigh heavily on families.

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Eyes on the U.S. Society

America’s Obsession With UFOs Is Just Out Of This World

The U.S. Congress recently held a public hearing about “Unidentified Aerial Phenomena” (previously known as UFOs), partly because of intense public interest on the matter. But what is it that makes Americans so prone to believe in aliens and conspiracy theories?

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Food / Travel Society

Gùsto! How • What • Where Locals Eat (& Drink) In Cape Town

The best tables near Table Mountain!

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In The News

Worldcrunch Magazine #45 — The Siege On Democracies

August 7 – August 13, 2023

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This Happened

This Happened — August 4: Beirut Blast

A massive blast in the port of Beirut took place on this day in 2020 — an explosion so powerful that it physically shook the whole country of Lebanon. What were the causes of the explosions in Beirut? The primary cause of the explosions was the improper storage of approximately 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate […]

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Russia-Ukraine War War in Ukraine

Far From Home, Never To Return: With Those Who Fled Mariupol’s Hell

Almost immediately after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Mariupol found itself under siege. After weeks of devastating battle, the Russians took over the city. Ukrainian news analysis and opinion website Livy Bereg spoke to Inna Shumurtova, a member of the city’s Jewish community, about her escape from Mariupol.

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Eyes on the U.S. Geopolitics Ideas

Trump, That “Chief Annihilator Of Democracy” — With A Little Help From Neoliberalism

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has just pleaded “not guilty” criminal charges linked to his push to overturn 2020 election results. Indicted for the third time in four months, he is still somehow able to use the situation to fuel his campaign for re-election in 2024. The future election, American-Canadian scholar and cultural critic Henry Giroux writes, is a choice between democracy and the further criminalization of U.S. politics.The Conversation

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Society

Inside The Lead-Poisoning Scandal Rocking Bangladesh’s Spice Bazaars

Traders in Bangladesh use lead chromate to enhance the appearance of turmeric roots. But the use of the chemical compound has now been linked to potential kidney and brain damage, and could cause developmental delays in children.

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Society

Free Curls In Cuba: An Afro Hairstyle Revival Of Identity And Politics — And Fashion

In the island nation, Rizo Libre (free curl) seeks to rescue Afro-descendant roots on the island.

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Economy Future Society

Inside Poland’s Quietly Booming Tech Sector

Poland has received widespread investment from multinational companies and now, the country is bucking the worldwide trend by adding jobs in the tech sector.

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Dottoré!

Homicidal Thoughts, Al Dente

For this patient, it’s the last spaghetti that broke the camel’s back.

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In The News

This Happened — August 3: A Historic Gold Medal At Hitler’s Olympics

Jesse Owens won his first gold medal at the Summer Olympics held in Berlin, Germany on this day in 1936. The American athlete was the first to cross the line of the 100-meter dash — one of the marquee track and field events at the Olympics. What was significant about Jesse Owens’ victory? Jesse Owens’ […]

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Food / Travel Society

La Dolce Vita Has Gotten A Lot More Expensive

On the Italian coast, you’ll be asked €200 per day for a beach umbrella and sunbed at the cheapest bathing establishments. Nowhere else makes clear the huge post-pandemic gap between the haves and have-nots.

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In The News

The HIV-Positive Pastor Breaking Down AIDS Stigma In Zimbabwe

In the long fight against HIV/AIDS, advancements in medicine mean that today, shame and stigma is often more deadly than the disease itself. One Zimbabwean pastor has been preaching a gospel of hope in one of the countries worst affected by the virus.

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Geopolitics Russia-Ukraine War War in Ukraine

Up Close With The “Beaver” Drones Leading Ukraine’s Airborne Counteroffensive

In recent days, multiple drone attacks targeted and hit skyscrapers in Moscow’s business district. These strikes are thought to have been led by Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), reportedly belonging to a new category of “Beaver” drones. Here’s what we know about them.

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In The News special series Trump And The World

Indicted, Again! Another Opportunity For Trump To Play The Martyr Card

The third indictment against Donald Trump raises the legal dispute between the United States and its former president to a new level. While Trump cries foul play, drawing shameful comparisons with Nazi persecution 1930s Germany, the consequences of the trial can’t be predicted.

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Geopolitics Society

Beyond Bibi: Israel’s Crisis Is Part Of The Wider Siege On Democracy

The Israeli government’s aggressive bid to curb judicial powers fits into a bigger picture of the degradation of liberal democracy worldwide.

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Geopolitics Russia-Ukraine War

Fear Or Fear-Mongering? What’s Lurking Behind Poland’s “Wagner Panic”

The presence of Russian Wagner paramilitary troops near the Polish border has sent the country’s prime minister into a panic, while on the campaign trail. But are worries about the presence of a mere 100 mercenaries justified or is it somehow part of Mateusz Morawiecki’s scare tactics, as in 2015?

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Society Work In Progress

Work → In Progress: The Glass Ceiling Is Dead, Long Live The “Glass Wall”

Hit the pause button and rewind to a world grappling with the COVID-19, not that long ago. The world of work, like virtually all aspects of our daily lives, is bearing the brunt of the pandemic, with a particular emphasis on female-dominated sectors of the economy. Millions of women across the globe are forced to […]

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Economy

Unpacking Erdogan’s Charm Offensive In The Gulf (It’s Complicated)

Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent tour of Gulf states is proof that the Turkish president aims to repair his country’s diplomatic ties in the region, all the while looking for investment for Ankara’s floundering economy. Quite the reversal of fortunes considering that not so long ago Gulf countries faced accusations of sponsoring the 2016 coup attempt in Turkey.

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Geopolitics Russia-Ukraine War

Can Saudi Arabia Really Broker Ukraine Peace Without Russia?

Saudi Arabia is set to host non-Western countries to discuss how to initiate peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. Moscow-based daily Kommersant takes an in-depth look at what the high-level talks, slated for Aug. 5 in Jeddah, mean for Russia — who wasn’t invited to the summit —, Ukraine and the world.

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