Worldcrunch
The surge in toy sales sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic has tailed off, and the industry is now in a serious crisis. LEGO, Mattel and others see a potential lifeline in a new target: adults who play. The “escape into the inner child” could become a market worth billions.
French researchers have recovered a pair of viruses that were long frozen below the Siberian tundra. In this case, the microorganisms are harmless, but others may not be.
Since the Israel-Hamas war began in Gaza, Israel has imposed severe restrictions and economic sanctions on the Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, further exacerbating the already dire living conditions of Palestinians there.
Working neither from the office nor from home: the flexible concept of “workation” is appealing not only to digital nomads but increasingly to regular employees who want to find new ways to for peak work-life balance.
Updated Feb. 22, 2024 at 12:20 p.m. The People Power Revolution in the Philippines started on this day in 1986. What was the People Power Revolution? The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution, was a series of popular protests and civil disobedience that occurred in the Philippines in 1986. The revolution was […]
Some movies portrays a character’s bisexuality as a temporary identity, a stop on the journey towards “true” homosexuality, mirroring the biphobic idea that it is not a “real” sexuality in itself.
Rafah has become the new focus of Israel’s war. It is pressing to invade the city on the border with Egypt, where 1.4 million people — more than half of Gaza’s population — are now sheltering.
Russian authorities have said they will need two weeks before releasing the body of Putin critic Alexei Navalny, who died in prison on Friday. His widow says this is enough time for traces of lethal nerve agents to dissipate. In an interview with Agenstvo, one of the Soviet creators of the Novichok poison weighs in.
After posting online her answer to a homophobic comment about her restaurant near Milan, Giovanna Pedretti lived the peak of fame in its ups and mostly in its downs that lead to her drastic decision of ending her life.
The war in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has been going on for decades, with ups and downs. An offensive by a Rwandan-backed armed group threatens to degenerate into a regional war. A forgotten war while the world looks away.
Germany has been shaken by a study showing that sexual abuse has been widespread and systematic within the German Protestant Church, which has 19 million members. Now it is time for society to wake up to the fact that Protestantism is not superior to Catholicism when it comes to abuse.
Updated Feb. 21, 2024 at 12:45 p.m. Malcolm X was assassinated on this day in 1965, at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem, New York City. Who was Malcolm X? Malcolm X was an African American civil rights activist, preacher, writer and speaker. He was a vocal advocate for the rights of black people and a […]
We’re renouncing books to gorge ourselves on digital imagery and short texts. If we continue like this, ditching the written word of the past, we may soon become fitting descendants of the cringing, timorous masses of the dark ages.
The arrest and trial of a female associate of the Islamic, one of many stories of women that have never been told, how the militant group employed them in various forms during its rule and even after its defeat and its transformation into separate but active cells.
There are many analogies between 1916 and 2024, two years into World War I and the War in Ukraine respectively. It offers a clear way to try to understand what may happen next in Ukraine — and the world.
As the war in Gaza hits a critical juncture, the approaching Ramadan deadline adds urgency to international efforts, with Israel’s threat of an offensive on Rafah escalating tensions and raising the stakes for peace negotiations.
Updated Feb. 20, 2024 at 1:05 p.m. Rihanna was born on this day in 1988 on the island of Barbados. One of the most popular singers of the 21st century, she is also a very successful businesswoman. Who is Rihanna? Rihanna is a singer, actress, fashion designer, and entrepreneur from Saint-Michael, Barbados in the Caribbean […]
Hitler wielded much of his power through his public discourses, yet a serious academic edition of his speeches has never been published. An unprecedented project led by Germany’s Institute of Contemporary History and the National Broadcasting Archive aims to better understand how he wielded power through rhetoric.
Will the Bard, Taylor a poet…
“If heroes were to ask themselves each time about the risks they face, then they would never accomplish their feats…”
Neville Tranter and Nikolaus Habjan, global stars of the puppet world, are performing in Berlin. Their caustic satire about Austria is definitely not for kids. It shows why hand puppets are not only hot right now, but they’re also incredible actors capable of convening the magic of theater at its utmost.
Space may be the true battleground of the future, which explains Washington’s growing concerns over Russia’s alleged plans for deploying anti-satellite weapons. Yet what if not even this can push Trump and his Republican allies to support Kyiv?
The competition dreamed up by Spain’s former soccer star Gerard Piqué is developing at breakneck speed in Spain, and beyond. Thanks to a fun format and rules borrowed from a number of other sports, it is attracting a younger audience, which is something advertisers are keen to see.
Updated Feb. 19, 2024 at 12:40 p.m. Executive Order 9066 was an order issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942, during World War II. The order authorized the Secretary of War to prescribe certain areas as military zones, and to exclude any or all persons from those areas. Why was Executive Order […]
Originally celebrated in the United States, to highlight the achievements and role of African Americans in the country’s history, the practice has found echo in recent years, in nations with a colonial past in Africa — including Italy — and in other places around the world.
Injuries are on the rise in the United States’ NBA, but also in sports in general. Now a growing body of scientific research is studying new approaches to improve player safety.
Bookshops’ shelves display an increasing number of books with a smaller number of pages. Data seems to confirm that books with more than 400 pages are increasingly becoming a rarity. Why are shorter books being published, and what does that tell us about how we engage in our free time?
Updated Feb. 17, 2024 at 11:25 a.m. On this day in 1963, Michael Jordan was born. Many consider him the greatest basketball player of all time. What was Michael Jordan’s childhood like? Michael Jeffrey Jordan, was born in Brooklyn, New York, but moved to Wilmington, North Carolina as a young child. He was the third […]
With Putin’s war in Ukraine, people may need reminding that Belarusian leader and Putin ally Alexander Lukashenko is a dictator in Europe’s midst, write German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in an article for Die Welt.
Argentina’s rabidly privatizing president, Javier Milei, had a curiously warm meeting with “socialist” and fellow Argentine Pope Francis. As both have an emotive side and abhor the technocratic élites, it could even open the door to an unlikely entente, and even a long-awaited papal visit.
From setting new rules, imposing tolls and fines, local officials in some of the world’s most desirable tourist spots are trying to figure out the right balance to keep visitors coming without ruining the environment, or the experience.
It’s what we call lighting a counter-fire. At a time when U.S. support for Ukraine is under threat, Europe is coming together. But can it fill the void that may be left by Washington?
Longtime Putin critic Alexei Navalny has died in prison at the age of 47, sparking outrage inside and outside of Russia. While widely esteemed for his courage challenging the Kremlin, the Russian politician’s views on Ukraine were more ambiguous. Here’s a commentary by a Ukrainian writer after a documentary last year about his struggle won an Academy Award.
Updated Feb. 16, 2024 at 12:45 p.m. British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered King Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt in November 1922. The tomb was opened on this day in 1923. Why was the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb so important? The discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb was significant because it […]
February 19 – February 25, 2024
It’s not easy coming out to your family as gay or transgender, nor for every family to accept it, especially in conformist societies like Latin America’s. But, unlike decades ago, today families can seek out sensible information and professional help to avoid hurting their children.
With Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas suddenly appearing on Moscow’s wanted list, both the past and present offer plenty of evidence that the small Baltic nation — with 40% Russian speakers — could be the next neighbor after Ukraine in the Kremlin’s crosshairs.
When Arab countries started normalizing relations with Israel, they did so disregarding the fate of Palestinians. It was a terrible error of judgment, and worse. Yet while the Palestinian cause remains a cornerstone of political legitimacy in the Arab world, few reasonable solutions are being brought forward, and radicalization continues to gain ground among the masses.
In Oulu, Finland, near the Arctic Circle, 500 researchers at the 6G Flagship laboratory are already outlining the next generation of mobile technology, due to arrive by 2030. Nokia’s homeland wants to turn the page on 5G, which failed to win over the industry.
The 19th-century publishers of classic Fairy Tales like Cinderella and Hansel and Gretel were also renowned academics who established a way of working that offers important lessons for the modern world.