Worldcrunch
👋 Ha’u!* Welcome to Tuesday, where the WHO condemns Israel’s ground offensive in central Gaza, Bangladesh mourns the victims of a crash of an air force training jet on a school and our daily quiz question is about a deliciously disappearing artwork. Meanwhile, An Flores for independent Latin American online Volcánicas looks at how discussions […]
Benjamin Netanyahu proposing the U.S. president for the Nobel Peace prize may seem a sinister joke, but it seems the Gaza genocide these laureates-in-waiting are boasting about is reaping them benefits. It is giving them wings, like those of vultures.
Cyber slavery rings are growing across the region, trapping young jobseekers in brutal scam compounds — and fueling a global criminal enterprise.
Dangerous sectarian rhetoric between Sunnis and Shiites is returning ahead of Iraq’s upcoming parliamentary election, on Nov. 11. If Iraq wants to grow stronger, it must restore value to national identity and criminalize hate speech.
👋 ሰላም ሃለው* Welcome to Monday, where Israel launches a ground assault on Deir al-Balah in central Gaza for the first time, Syria starts evacuating Bedouin families from the Druze-majority city of Sweida and our daily quiz question is about rare oysters. Meanwhile, Argentine daily Clarín gives a real taste of tango in Buenos Aires, […]
In Frankfurt, a recent trial opened the door to holding accountable those who thought themselves safe from the law by sneaking out of Syria. Meanwhile, back in Damascus, justice that is geographically closer to the crimes seems impossible to hope for.
New studies from Finland, Denmark and Norway suggest that mental health disorders might spread through social contact. But how strong is the effect — and should we call it an epidemic?
As the Houthis turn politics into perpetual warfare and view the state as spoils, the international community, and UN specifically, must decide whether to treat them as legitimate actors or confront them as extremists threatening Yemen’s fragile sovereignty.
In the 15th arrondissement of Paris, exiled opponents of Iran’s ruling regime are tightening their guard, fearing reprisals against loved ones still in Iran.
👋 Alò!* Welcome to Friday, where the EU imposes new sanctions on Russia, Donald Trump struggles to tamp down the Jeffrey Epstein uproar, and a famed Austrian daredevil dies in a paragliding accident. We also feature an article on the rise of the “Instagram Sheikhs” — a diverse group of digital-savvy Muslims who fuse Islamic […]
After splitting from the Confederation party, Poland’s far-right leader Grzegorz Braun has continued to say ever more extreme statements, including blatant Holocaust denial. It all seems to give him a boost in popularity.
In the age of algorithms and 15-second reels, a new kind of religious voice is echoing across the Middle East and North Africa through smartphones and social media feeds. These are the “Instagram Sheikhs” — a diverse group of young, digital-savvy Muslims who fuse Islamic teachings with modern tools and aesthetics.
The so-called “Hebron Emirate” is not a realistic project — but rather a propaganda tool within a campaign to hinder any progress toward a two-state solution. Netanyahu again succeeds in marketing the illusion of alternative solutions to delay a real settlement.
With Israel and Iran’s shadow war spilling into Syria, the new government in Damascus has warned that “foreign actors” aim to plunge the country into a cycle of instability and chaos.
👋 Hyvää päivää!* Welcome to Thursday, where a ceasefire in Syria appears to be holding after government soldiers clashed with Druze minority forces, Ukraine gets a new prime minister and our daily quiz question is about a festival in Belgium. Meanwhile, Marcelo Cantelmi for Argentine daily Clarín looks at why Trump’s threats against Brazil aren’t […]
Donald Trump says he will hike tariffs on Brazil unless it halts prosecution of the country’s former right-wing leader Jair Bolsonaro. Only, Brazil exports relatively little to the U.S. and Trump’s meddling could be boosting his socialist nemesis, President Lula da Silva.
Remember those late-90s Furbies—cute, creepy, and eerily chatty? A programmer recently fused one with ChatGPT, unleashing a chilling plot: AI-powered Furbies bent on world domination. As retro toys return and emotional robots like Ropet emerge, we must ask: are we ready?
Venezuelan media lambasted Israel during its 12-day assault on the Islamic Republic of Iran, not for justice’s sake, but as an illustration of just how much clout the Tehran regime has bought itself in the Western Hemisphere.
👋 Allegra!* Welcome to Wednesday, where a new round of Russia attacks on Ukraine targets energy infrastructure, UK, France and Germany threaten to restore UN sanctions on Iran and our daily quiz question is all about cuddles in China. Meanwhile, Mostafa Ibrahim for Lebanon-based Daraj explains how the so-called “Hebron Emirate” solution is used as […]
Despite promises of Patriot missiles and steep tariffs, Trump’s latest overtures give Russia time to press its offensive—and the Moscow stock market is celebrating.
👋 Aссалом* Welcome to Tuesday, where Trump threatens Russia with steep tariffs if a peace deal is not reached within 50 days, Netanyahu’s coalition is under pressure after an ultra-Orthodox party quits and our daily quiz question is about the hacking of a famous puppet’s X account. Meanwhile, Johanna Jürgens for German weekly Die Zeit […]
Nomination fees make it difficult for most Nigerians to take even a first step in public service.
This is not (just) about awkward exchanges or conventional indignation. It’s about understanding what’s “happening” to us, the rest of the world, that is forced to adjust to this paradigm shift.
👋 Ćao!* Welcome to Monday, where the U.S. is set to send military equipment to Ukraine as Trump criticizes Putin again, more civilians in Gaza are killed as talks falter, and our daily quiz question is about a mysterious item up for auction in New York. Meanwhile, Aliénor Vinçotte in French daily Le Figaro unpacks […]
As official data vanishes from Russian state reports, independent experts warn that losses from Putin’s war in Ukraine are becoming too large to hide.
Families in Ciudad Nueva unknowingly drank arsenic-laced water. Now, they live with the scars — and they’re losing faith in the government’s ability to solve the problem.
The Islamic Republic of Iran recently sent Ismail Qaani, the Revolutionary guards general who keeps ‘resurrecting’ after being reported as killed or maimed, to Baghdad to discuss rearming its proxy militias. This appears to be Tehran’s first act of regional interference since Israeli strikes in June.
Opponents, and now some allies, are saying the right thing to do is for Modi to respect tradition and retire for his 75th birthday in September. It’s what he’s forced others to do, after all.
Once dismissed as a tragic anomaly of the post–Cold War era, the 1995 massacre of 8,000 Bosnian Muslims now echoes through today’s wars and ideologies. From Gaza to Ukraine, the logic of ethnic violence is back, and the world is once again looking away.
👋 Hay!* Welcome to Friday, where two people are killed in Russia by overnight drone attacks launched by Ukraine, the Kurdish rebels of the PKK are set to lay down their weapons after 40 years of conflict with the Turkish state, and our daily quiz question is about a futuristic restaurant in Dubai. Meanwhile, Bernard […]
Very few people actually need two liters of water a day. But how much do they really need? What changes in the heat, whether coffee counts – and why many amateur athletes drink dangerously large amounts.
Tehran’s revolutionary regime is suddenly turning to Iranian nationalism hoping to rustle up public support for itself as it faces Israeli and U.S. threats. But who in Iran could believe it now, when everything it has done for years has shown its contempt for the very notion of historical roots and national interests.
👋 Da’anzho!* Welcome to Thursday, where a dozen crew members are missing after Houthis sank a ship in the Red Sea, Trump raises Brazil tariffs to 50% and our daily quiz question is about an iconic puzzle design. Meanwhile, Ivan Philippov for Russian independent media outlet Holod looks at why Russia tolerates pro-war “Z” bloggers […]
From cloud dependence to AI policy retreat, the European continent faces a stark choice: play by America’s rules or build a radically different model of technological sovereignty. How it plays out is likely to shape how the digital economy and society looks for the whole world.
👋 Ko na mauri!* Welcome to Wednesday, where Russia launches a record 728 drones and 13 missiles on Ukraine, the ICC issues arrest warrants for top Taliban leaders, and today’s quiz question is about a first-of-its-kind Barbie doll. Meanwhile, Pauline Gable in Le Figaro reports on the VTuber phenomenon that sees anime-inspired virtual avatars become […]
In Putin’s Russia, dissent is silenced. Yet pro-war “Z” bloggers and influencers insult and lambast military failures constantly, and go unpunished. The state tolerates them because without these defiant voices knitting the war machine’s lifelines, Russia’s offensive would stall.
A cable car project to Nepal’s Pathibhara temple threatens the livelihood of porters and is seen by the indigenous Limbu community as a desecration of sacred land. Their protests reflect broader struggles over development and indigenous rights in the country.
Russia has carried out its largest missile and drone bombardment since launching its invasion of Ukraine. And it is preparing its summer offensive, while Donald Trump remains ambivalent about the continuation of his military aid, when the contracts signed by Joe Biden expire over the summer.
As Netanyahu visits Washington, Israel’s intelligence gears up for a covert campaign against Iran, aiming not just at military targets but at the very core of the regime’s power.
Some 17 years since its founding, BRICS+ (now including Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE and Indonesia — beyond founding members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) continues to struggle with delivering on its promise to reform global governance and represent the Global South.