Worldcrunch
Elephants, symbols of steadfastness and mental strength in Buddhist culture, are a recurring motif in Sri Lankan sculpture. Some of the finest examples can be found in Anuradhapura, the former center of Theravada Buddhism.
It’s been a year since the Russian Federation annexed Crimea. The controversial move, which caused as much anger as paralysis in the West, confirmed Vladimir Putin in his role of strongman of the East. This was a move that the Russian president prefers calling a “restitution” rather than an “annexation” — a mere question of […]
Every now and then, a “new”, “unearthed” or “never heard before” Hendrix song is released. This time, it’s “Station Break”, an instrumental track recorded in 1965 by Curtis Knight & The Squires, to which Hendrix contributes with his already unmistakable style.
ISIS VIDEO SHOWS CHILD KILLING TEENA video posted online by ISIS shows a young boy fatally shooting 19-year-old Muhammad Musallam, an Israeli Arab whom the terrorist group accused of being a spy for Mossad, the Israeli intelligence services, Reuters IRAQI FORCES ENTER TIKRITThe Iraqi military, in alliance with private Shia militias, have entered parts of […]
The Wall Street Journal, March 11, 2015 Like many American front pages Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal features a photo of Hillary Clinton at her Tuesday press conference where she discussed her use of private email while Secretary of State. During her first news conference since leaving her post as as secretary of state two […]
The Stari Most (“Old Bridge”) was infamously destroyed in 1993 during the Croat–Bosnian War. Twenty years later, thanks to UNESCO funds, it was rebuilt with its notable arched Ottoman design. Motivated both by the architecture and recent historical events, I made sure to make my own crossing.
With the release of their first album in 35 years last February, Bristol’s best ever post-punkers The Pop Group prove once again that the most pop thing about them is their name. Because Citizen Zombie, the quartet’s third album, seems to be a glorious mix of all the sounds that ever hit their ears and […]
(March 21 to April 19) Last week Venus came into harmony with Uranus. Now, it’s Mars’ turn to embrace the planet of unpredictability. Masks fall, bogeymen crumble away. You’re free to love or even choose a new career path. You’re looking to the future and, in some cases, abroad. March 12 and 13 are positive […]
GOP, WHITE HOUSE CLASH ON IRANRepublican senators appear determined to derail a possible deal with Iran on the country’s nuclear program, and their decision to send a letter signed by 47 senators to Tehran has worsened tensions between the GOP and the White House, The Washington Post reports. In the letter, the senators tell Iranian […]
In the heart of the Kathmandu valley lies one of the most sacred and oldest Buddhist pilgrimage sites. At the top of the Swayambhunath dome, or stupa, Buddha is looking in all four directions. At this particular moment, I was hoping it meant a special protective glance over these two Nepalese cleaners, standing dangerously close […]
With her laid-back attitude, angelic face and Jasmine revolution experience, Deena Abdelwahed carves a perfect image of a modern, forward-looking Tunisia. She will also make you dance. “I like to mix dance music that comes from the working classes. It is much more sincere. It appeals to everyone, not just the wealthy who can afford […]
ISIS CALIPHATE CRUMBLINGAs Iraqi armed forces close in on the ISIS-held Tikrit, The Washington Post reports that the terrorist group that holds vast parts of Iraq and Syria appears to be “starting to fray from within.” The newspaper cites dissent, defections, battlefield defeats and growing tensions between foreign and local fighters as signs that the […]
Brooklyn lost its hip hop king 18 years ago today. On March 9, 1997, Notorious B.I.G was shot to death over on the west coast, after attending a party in Los Angeles. He was promoting his second album, Life After Death, which would be released on March 25 and soon reach No. 1 in the […]
Vanguard, March 09, 2015 Niger and Chad launched major joint ground and air strikes against Boko Haram in Nigeria Sunday, one day after the militants formally pledged allegiance to ISIS and killed at least 50 in Maiduguri, the birthplace of Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria. The joint military operation represents a new regional push to […]
Saint-Jean-de-Luz in the Basque country of southwestern France is mostly known now as a popular tourist destination for both French and Spanish summer vacationers. But back when I visited it was still primarily a busy fishing port. This sunny summer day was a mix of both, as we stumbled upon an international Amateur Tuna Fishing […]
SENIOR NUSRA COMMANDER KILLEDAbu Hammam al-Shami, a senior commander of al-Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda branch operating in Syria, was killed by a Syrian government airstrike in the Idlib province, both the terrorist organization and state media have confirmed. Shami, who held the title of general military commander, was apparently meeting with other commanders when he […]
Clarín, March 6, 2015 “They killed Nisman.” Although once would probably have been enough to earn top billing in Clarín’s Friday edition, Argentine Judge Arroyo Salgado repeated the statement three times during a dramatic press conference Thursday. She was describing the death of state prosecutor Alberto Nisman, her ex-husband and the father of her two […]
Following British colonial influence, India drives on the left-hand side of the road. That is, in principle. Drivers in a rush tend to occupy the middle of the narrow ribbon of asphalt they call a road in some parts of Rajasthan — only swerving at the very last moment to avoid oncoming traffic. Every 10 […]
The Finnish band Steve’n’Seagulls did a rather amazing cover of ACDC’s “Thunderstruck”.
NORTH KOREA SAYS U.S. AMBASSADOR “DESERVED” ATTACKNorth Korea’s official state media KCNA has described Thursday’s knife attack on the U.S. ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert by a Korean nationalist as “deserved punishment for the warmongering United States.” It also called it “the knife of justice,” adding that it reflected the anger of South Koreans […]
In the early 1990s, Salvador began to clean up and restore its historical center Pelourinho. My grandson and partner-in-crime for this series was there last year on his honeymoon, and found it a bit too touristy. But back when I was there as the restoration began, it was nothing more and nothing less than one […]
The Boston Globe, March 5, 2015 “IT WAS HIM” writes The Boston Globe on the front page of its Thursday edition, alongside a courtroom sketch depicting Dzhokhar Tsarnaev entering the courtroom on the first day of testimony in the Boston Marathon bombing trial. The Boston daily attributes the quote to a lawyer for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev: […]
Today is Dieter Meier’s 70th birthday. In addition to being the best Swiss in the world, the frontman of the band Yello, a millionaire, a performance artist and a professional poker player, Dieter also released a couple of punk records with his previous band Fresh Color. In 1978, their track “Cry For Frame” proved that […]
AT LEAST 32 KILLED IN EASTERN UKRAINE MINE BLASTAn explosion believed to be gas-related at the Zasyadko coal mine in rebel-held Donetsk, Ukraine, has killed at least 32 people, local officials said Wednesday. Reuters reported some 70 miners were working in the mine at the time of the blast, and that dozens more people are […]
Diario Austral, March 4, 2015 The Villarrica volcano, one of the most active in southern Chile, erupted Tuesday, prompting authorities to evacuate thousands of people from the region. The eruption was the strongest since 1985, sending plumes of ash up to 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) into the air for about 20 minutes, before calming down, […]
Before you ask: Yes, I also have the tourist shots of my wife and daughter pretending to hold up the Leaning Tower of Pisa. But this one catches it in a much different light, both in space and in time.
Even as the U.S. and world media mark every step of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s U.S. visit, the Israeli press is keeping even closer eye on his reelection bid later this month. The Israeli leader is set to address the U.S. Congress Tuesday in a speech that has already increased friction with President Barack […]
OBAMA’S IRAN ULTIMATUMIran should agree to a verifiable freeze of its nuclear program for at least a decade if the country wants to strike a deal with the U.S., President Barack Obama told Reuters in an exclusive interview. Obama explained his goal was to make sure “there’s at least a year between us seeing them […]
On our way to Ürgüp and its strange rocks, we drove past a couple of field workers. The whole scene threw me back to my childhood, when I would watch farmers harvest in eastern France.
Reports of skyrocketing ticket prices for the Grateful Dead’s reunion shows in Chicago on July 3-4-5 made us long for the good old days when, as one YouTube commentator puts it, you could see the legendary San Francisco psych rock band for cheap, “sleep in the back of your car, wash up at a gas […]
860,000UN Refugee Agency Commissioner-General Pierre Krähenbühl told the BBC that “it is a figure of shame for the entire world” that 860,000 Palestinians are dependent on food assistance. He also highlighted the significant gap between the money pledged after last summer’s Gaza conflict and the actual money that the agency received to help with the […]
(March 21 to April 19) A powerful desire for love leads you to out-of-the-ordinary situations. The pairing of Venus with Uranus now no longer permits you to shirk the passionate responsibilities of your heart. True, there are rivals, psychological resistance and obstacles, but trust me: You will have the energy to deal with everything and […]
Sidi Bou Said in northern Tunisia is famous for its crisp blue and bright white houses of Ottoman and Andalusian influence. But a few of my slides from the 1970s (probably because of the film I used during that period) have lost a bit of their original color — and the village looks a bit […]
“The reaction to the murder of Boris Nemtsov turned out to be as extraordinary as the politician himself,” Moscow-based daily Kommersant writes on its front page article, alongside a photo of Nemtsov that was carried at Sunday’s memorial march. Organisers said that up to 70,000 came out Sunday to mourn the opposition leader in the […]
Senegalese soul, English surf-psych rock, German slow dancing … Only on Worldcrunch’s weekend playlist!
UNESCO DENOUNCES ISIS ATTACK ON ANCIENT CULTUREThe head of UNESCO called for an emergency meeting of the UN’s cultural agency after a five-minute video clip yesterday showed a group of ISIS militants destroying large statues and ancient artefacts in a museum in Mosul, Iraq. “This attack is far more than a cultural tragedy — this […]
Sure, I could tell you about Ouro Preto’s rich mining past, its baroque churches, its wonderful Mineralogy Museum (that both me and my grandson got to visit, 22 years apart), its failed revolution, its noble colonial architecture … but really: The word pipimóvel (“peepeemobile”) just makes me chuckle.
Anti-austerity party Podemos is not the only group upsetting politics in Spain and trying to capitalize on popular discontent. Another party gaining favor among voters is the significantly less radical Ciudadanos (“Citizens”). Formed in Catalonia, the party promotes national unity and has been attracting voters from both the left and right who are fed up […]
Today is the Man In Black’s birthday. He would have been 83 years old.