A new survey shows that the French have also become experts in digital romance, with both its highs and its heartbreaks and whole new ways of hooking up.
Category: Society
Venice is dedicating a retrospective to one of the defining icons and arbiters of 20th-century fashion (and culture), Diana Vreeland. The influential and ever demanding editor of Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue helped label clothing and luxury design a
Analysis: Li Na became a national hero after she became the first Chinese player to win a Grand Slam singles final at last year’s French Open. But she has enraged many after declaring that she plays tennis for herself, not her country. Patriots a
In London’s most luxurious apartment complex, Arab sheiks and Russian oligarchs share a movie theater and private golf course. A two-story penthouse here recently sold for 162 million euros, a new record for the most expensive home on the planet.
Nearly half the world’s top snooker tournaments are now held in China, where prize money is much higher than in the sport’s original home in Britain. But money alone doesn’t explain snooker’s newfound popularity with Ch
There is now some real science beyond the myths and stereotypes about what sets that relatively rare redheaded breed apart from the rest of us. Though sometimes taunted by schoolmates, redheads turn out to be more resistant to physical pain than blonds an
If you like Banksy, the now rich and famous UK street artist and activist, you’ll love P183, the Russian graffiti and guerrilla artist. A member of no party, whose identity remains a mystery, P183 is emblematic of the country’s growing a
The mayor of Cousolre, a small village in northern France, was recently sentenced by a court for slapping a wisecracking teenager. The verdict led to an outpouring of support for the 63-year-old “disciplinarian,” and has even entered the French president
Mega-selling tabloid Bild has bumped buxom “dream girls” from the front page. Readers will now have to dig deeper into the daily to find the signature images, which enjoyed top billing for 28 years. All that’s left on page one a
Categories
Why German Presidents Don’t Have Dogs
Essay: In the United States, a president without a pooch would be as unthinkable as Thanksgiving without turkey. But in Germany, “first dogs” have been the exception since World War II. History may offer an explanation.
Whether they realize it or not, French fans of Philip Roth and John Irving know the work of Josée Kamoun as well. The Parisian woman has translated novels by more than a dozen writers. The work is “painstaking and solitary” but fulfils a
Authorities in Bavaria want more severe laws to punish teachers found guilty of sex with teen students. In one recent case, a 34-year-old substitute teacher kept up a five-month relationship with his 14-year-old student — and got off scot-free.
A clothing brand popular with Neo-Nazis has caused outrage once again. In Chemnitz, Germany, Thor Steinar has just opened a new outlet called “Brevik,” a name alluding to the infamous author of last year’s Norwegian massacre.
Last month, Rike R. lost her beloved young husband to cancer. She received a second blow four days later when, to her great disappointment, she was denied access to her husband’s frozen sperm.
Pressure mounts ahead of Friday’s scheduled appearance of Dominique Strauss-Kahn at the British University’s prestigious debate society. After seeing sexual assault charges in New York dropped, DSK is facing allegations in France related
Through his bold designs, Wang Shu is bringing culture and soul to Chinese architecture. Last week, he became the first architect working in China to get the profession’s highest honor, the Pritzker Prize. But his colleagues and art students back
Half a millennium ago, the Holy See established secret archives that today house millions of documents, including private papal records, meant to be protected both from the elements, and prying eyes. It is also a great resource for historians.
Politicians in Zurich are debating whether rental agreements can forbid tenants to own a car. But in Bern, the Swiss capital, some 80 people have already signed such contracts.
The “microblog” twitter equivalents in China like weibo are more popular than ever, but they are also increasingly risky. Nervous public officials are imposing harsh sentences to those who send out bad bits of information.
Up close and inside the mind of the Italian designer, who is set to be honored with a show of her creations at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The German city of Frankfurt, from where the Frank family fled rising anti-Semitism, will house personal items in its Jewish Museum. The original copy of the girl’s famed diary will remain in Amsterdam where the family hid until they were reporte
After four frenetic days, Rio’s annual extravaganza has come to an end – but not before adding to Brazil’s Carnival lore with a bevy of fresh anecdotes. One infamous drug dealer, for example, couldn’t resist temptation, and came out of h
Energy efficiency is all well and good – just as long as it doesn’t get in the way of aesthetics. That’s the message being sent by critics of new regulations that make it easier for people to retrofit Zurich’s existing buildings with solar panels
A 39-year-old Bosnian-born sex worker in Zurich hounded a former client who had tried to break off their relationship. She was convicted of several charges, though the court found her not guilty of “coercion” to have sex.
Many Chinese are convinced that the bile produced by a bear’s digestion process has strong medicinal benefits. One of the biggest black bear breeding farms is set to be quoted on the stock exchange. But first, they let reporters and animal rights
A pair of recent cases in Switzerland has turned new attention to the issue of “Babyklappe” – drop-off points for abandoned newborns. The country currently has just one such facility, though more could be on the way.
Analysis: The U.S., Europe and Asia all must keep the relationship between population and productivity at the center of social and economic policy. Education is key, but so too are efforts to commit to the long-term well-being of qualified immigrants.
Analysis: In the birthplace of Martin Luther, the relationship among Roman Catholicism, traditional Protestant churches and newer evangelical movements offers a laboratory for how different strands of Christianity today are united and divided by ethics mo
Considered the most famous drawing ever of the human body, Leondardo Da Vinci’s ‘Vitruvian Man’ was thought to have been the fruit of the Italian artist-scientist’s singular genius. But now a similar image that pre-date
Five centuries after his death, Florentine explorer and chronicler Vespucci is still derided for having his name slapped on two continents that many think should’ve been called North and South Colombia. But the history, and the man, are more subt
Analysis: The unprecedented Academy award victory capped a perfect storm of French culture, Hollywood nostalgia and the “Napoleonic” tactics of U.S. producer Harvey Weinstein.
Coach Özgür Gözüacik earned the respect of her players – and the attention of the media – after breaking into one of the world’s most male-dominated professions: professional soccer. Istanbul’s sole female coach, the 29-year-old yearns for a cham
Essay: A digital spat between mega-popular Chinese blogger Han Han and one of his chief critics reveals that in modern China, despite some state restrictions, the information revolution is changing the relationship between media, fame, power and popularit
Outperformed in school and, in many cases, the workplace too, men are increasingly being seen as a “problem” – especially when it comes to forming families. Women prefer men who are equally if not more accomplished. Trouble is, there aren’t enough such me
Thousands of babies around the world are born each year without a sex-specific chromosome count, and that may have male or female genitalia – or a mix of both. Germany’s top ethics board is deciding if such ‘intersexuals’ should
A recent book is shedding new light on Terezin, a Czech town and fortress that was converted by the Nazis into a Jewish concentration. More than 30,000 people died there. Three times that number were sent from Terezin to Poland-based Nazi camps like Ausc
Op-Ed: In Egypt, development policy has long been driven by the dynamics of those who work in the field of international aid rather by than the needs and political will of the Egyptian people. The Jan. 25 revolution will change that, in spite of the devel
Every year, thousands of tourists and pilgrims travel the world for a chance to stand – or kneel – in front of Jerusalem’s Wailing Wall. Now, thanks to the popular online auction site eBay, they can have the wall sent to them – or at least a piece of it.
Analysis: A new “blue book” on the deepening problem of corruption delves into the unusual ability for the unethical to find new techniques for abusing their power. The cure must be more just as deep as the illness.
Political satirist Bassem Youssef is a rising star in Egypt. His hit show, “El Bernameg,” began as a YouTube sensation but soon found its way onto television. But is Youssef’s scathing commentary making any kind of difference?