The biggest firms and richest people in the world have the money states need to invest in services that can improve the lives of billions of people. That could help stop a collective slide into acute social and political tensions.
Month: August 2024
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Worldcrunch Summer Reads: Tech
As the Worldcrunch Today crew takes a week of break, we offer a series of thematic articles straight from the Worldcrunch vault. AI Can Manipulate Us But Not Persuade Us — And We Must Regulate Accordingly -Analysis- TURIN — What does it mean to approach technology with an ethical perspective? Rather than seek the Ten […]
Updated August 14, 2024 at 11:50 a.m. Lech Wałęsa led strikes at the Gdańsk shipyards in Poland on this day in 1980. A Polish electrician and labor activist, he led the movement to protest against the oppressive Communist regime in Poland. What were the key demands of the strikes led by Lech Wałęsa? The strikes […]
The popularity of cruises on the rivers of France and Europe is growing steadily with the wave of slow tourism. A way of traveling that reconciles freedom, concern for the environment and a different relationship with time.
Daniel Esteve, the founder of Desokupa, a company specializing in the extrajudicial eviction of squatters, has become an important player in Spain’s far-right politics. This investigation by Laura Galaup and Dani Domínguez for Spain’s La Marea shows how Esteve built his image and profitable company on fake news and hate speech.
As the Worldcrunch Today crew takes a week of break, we offer a series of thematic articles straight from the Worldcrunch vault. Are We Anti-Kids? A Deep Dive Into South Korea’s Plummeting Fertility Rate SEOUL — A café owner served Minkyung a persimmon cake stuffed with soft cheese, a seasonal Korean favorite. The 40-year-old is […]
Updated August 13, 2024 at 11:50 a.m. The construction of the Berlin Wall began on this day in 1961. It was constructed by the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) to prevent residents from escaping to West Berlin. It was intended in particular to halt the mass exodus of skilled laborers, professionals, and intellectuals from East […]
Doing the laundry, tidying up after men, “I’ll do it”: Even modern women fall for stereotypical patterns in the household. They should learn to put their feet up.
As the “American Century” and the West’s time at the center of the world draws to an end, Europe — which has died and been reborn many times — may have a new role as the wise teacher of decline, therefore also a teacher of limits and temperance.
Updated August 12, 2024 at 11:50 a.m. The largest and most complete T-Rex skeleton, named “Sue,” was found on this day in 1990, in South Dakota, United States, on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. Who discovered the T-Rex skeleton? The T-Rex skeleton was discovered by Sue Hendrickson, a paleontologist and fossil collector. She was part […]
Olisipo (modern-day Lisbon) was for centuries the Roman Empire’s main supplier of garum, the exotic sardine-based sauce that enchanted Julius Caesar. Much of that cuisine has resisted time and can now be tasted in Lisbon’s restaurants.
Updated August 11, 2024 at 11:50 a.m. Al-Qaeda was formed on this day in 1988 by Osama bin Laden, Abdullah Azzam, and other key individuals. What was the purpose or ideology of al-Qaeda? Al-Qaeda’s main objective was to establish a global jihadist movement based on its extremist interpretation of Sunni Islam. It aimed to resist […]
Iranian authorities have been fining young men for wearing shorts. But while this may be an effort to show they are unbiased in their drive to safeguard public decency, reports suggest the men are treated less harshly than women.
Updated August 10, 2024 at 11:50 a.m. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was sworn in as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice on this day in 1993. She was the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court, following Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, appointed in 1981. Ginsburg was nominated by President Bill Clinton. How long did Ruth Bader […]
Many people, especially in the Arab region, hailed the Houthis’ attacks against Israel. But what they may not know is that Yemeni people have been caught in the crossfire.
Venezuela’s elections this year took a very different course than Nicaragua’s in 2021. In both Latin American countries, an authoritarian leader wanted to stay in power and committed electoral fraud to do so. But in Venezuela, the opposition was able to create resistance to Nicolás Maduro.
Updated August 9, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. Nagasaki was bombed on this day in 1945, towards the end of World War II. Was Nagasaki the first choice for the bombing? The primary target for the second atomic bomb was the city of Kokura. However, due to poor visibility caused by clouds and smoke from a […]
For years Israeli activists have been helping securing water for Palestinians in the West Bank and recording abuses they suffered at the hands of radical Jewish settlers. The stakes, and risks, have never been higher.
Summer Special – Travel Edition – August 12 – August 18, 2024
In the darkest corners of gender violence there is “violencia vicaria”, or vicarious violence, aimed at one person (usually inside a family) to hurt another. It is a devastating shadow over mothers and children. Between silence and invisibility, this form of abuse leads to tragedies and leaves deep scars — and calls for urgent and greater recognition and protection for victims.
Almost 10 months after the Oct. 7 attack, the Middle East appears to be on the verge of a second act of tragedy. This new escalation of the conflict could result in regional war on a massive scale.
Women over 40 are storming the catwalks — and discovering a new source of self-esteem.
The Argentine comic strip, who is now about to get its own Netflix series, was created at a time when Latin America was going through political censorship. A testament to Mafalda’s innocent-but-serious attitude toward world problems, an excellent example of how young people often see more clearly than the rest of us.
The Ukrainian attack on the strategically important Kursk region has taken Russia’s military and residents by surprise. But experts doubt whether the operation makes sense for Ukraine’s depleted military forces.
Updated August 8, 2024 at 11:50 a.m. In the wake of the Watergate scandal, Richard Nixon resigned from the U.S. presidency on this day in 1974. Why did Richard Nixon resign? Nixon resigned due to the Watergate scandal, which was a series of illegal activities conducted by members of his administration. The scandal involved a […]
In a world fixated on visible outcomes, we often overlook the hidden talents and unseen efforts that shape our daily lives. But less visible skills, and the complex journeys behind every achievement, are equally important.
Our Naples-based psychiatrist reflects on summer calm in the city, or lack thereof, and Olympic fervor.
The assassination of Ismail Haniyeh has become the subject of an unhealthy debate between Palestinians and Syrians. Yet this discussion misses the point and has allowed Israel to benefit from the situation.
Oil development in Uganda and Tanzania, driven by the French multinational TotalEnergies, is met with opposition from local communities and social and environmental activists. The projects are surrounded by allegations of threats and human rights abuses.
Updated August 7, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. Philippe Petit, a French high-wire artist, performed a daring tightrope walk between the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City on this day in 1974. How high were the twin towers and how long was the tightrope walk? The twin towers of the World […]
Egypt disqualified a track cyclist from the Paris Olympics following an incident of unsportsmanlike behavior. But there is general confusion in Egyptian society — whether in politics or soccer — over the concept of competition.
While tourism is a boon for the Spanish economy and has seen record numbers since the COVID-19 pandemic — more than 85 million visitors in 2023 — locals say the current model is untenable, and are taking to the streets to demand limits be set.
The “Dubai Unlocked” investigation has revealed how criminals from around the world invested in the UAE to launder dirty money and escape authorities. The local authorities are often complicit in the scheme, an opportunity that has been exploited by the Camorra — as the Neapolitan mob is called.
Young people have played a pivotal role in bringing down Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government, offering hope of a bottom-up transition to democracy for the South Asian country. The army has promised an all-party inclusive interim government, but will youth leaders be invited to the decision-making table?
The leaders of three big Latin American powers, Colombia, Brazil and Mexico, have shown they believe keeping a fellow socialist in power is more important than respecting the votes of millions of ordinary Venezuelans who chose freedom over socialism.
Updated August 6, 2024 at 11:45 a.m. The atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima by the United States on this day in 1945, during World War II. Why was Hiroshima a target for the atomic bomb? Hiroshima was chosen as a target for the atomic bomb due to its military significance and its dense population. […]
A psychologist discusses with three individuals who are navigating diverse identities, as queer and Dalits, while battling anxiety disorders, ADHD and persistent depression.
Several women have announced their candidacy in Algeria’s presidential election, on Sept. 7, which will potentially mark a new chapter in the North African county, five years after peaceful protests forced President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to resign after two decades in office.
The West will be weakened should the United States turn its back on its alliances, but does the isolationist Donald Trump understand what that could mean for U.S. strength and security?
Updated August 5, 2024 at 12:20 a.m. The master illusionist, Harry Houdini, spent 91 minutes underwater on this day in 1929 during a performance at the Shelton Pool in New York City. This feat would be Houdini’s last great escape: The famed magician died two months later from peritonitis due to a rupture in his […]