Worldcrunch
A top executive of the Miss Senegal beauty pageant dismissed accusations made by last year’s winner that she’d been raped, igniting furious debate across the West African nation about the treatment of women and the retrograde attitudes across society.
? Hæ hæ!* Welcome to Thursday, where 27 drown in the English Channel’s deadliest migrant crossing on record, three white men in the state of Georgia are convicted for murdering African-American jogger Ahmaud Arbery and the soccer world marks one year since el pibe de oro left us. We also take a look at creative […]
Numbers are rising of girls aged 14 and under getting married, as well as births from very young mothers.
While Cuba has historically been praised for its health care system, the pandemic has struck the population hard, even those not infected. Among the victims are those suffering from psychological ailments whose prescriptions couldn’t be filled because of closed borders and economic crises.
Funeral homes are getting ready to deal with more infectious bodies this winter as Germany has become a COVID-19 hotspot. They require more time and money for safety measures — the cost of which is passed on to relatives. But the true cost for friends and family lies elsewhere.
? Tere!* Welcome to Tuesday, where EU countries face a sharp rise in COVID cases and conflict, at least 25 die in a Bulgarian bus crash, and Uber starts delivering weed. Bogota-based daily El Espectador takes us through the return of gang violence taking over the streets of Medellín, Colombia, which became notorious during the […]
In the countries that require military service, those who refuse to serve must either try to explain their exemption or find a creative short-cut to avoid the obligation. Here are some examples.
The unusual public remarks by Germany’s First Husband comes as the country faces a new wave of COVID-19 infections and trails European neighbors in vaccination rates.
A dramatic, cinematic-like bid to rob a gold depot in the iconic Colombian city associated with Colombia’s most violent drug cartels is just the latest sign that the city is back to its its old system of crime and no punishment.
Boji the dog was giving a good image to Istanbul’s public transportation system. Some wonder if opponents of the mayor exercised the canine nuclear option…
? မင်္ဂလာပါ!* Welcome to Monday, where Sudan’s ousted prime minister has been reinstated after a deal with the military, Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai says she is safe and well in a video call and a Venezuelan orchestra sets a new world record. We also look at the sons of two of the 20th century’s […]
Lockdowns can be justified on an ethical basis to achieve an important public health benefit, even though they restrict individual freedoms. Whether selective lockdowns are justified, though, depends on what they are intended to achieve.
? Dia dhuit!* Welcome to Friday, where Indian farmers win a major victory against the Modi government after a year of protests, Austria announces a full lockdown and mandatory vaccines and the world is treated to the longest lunar eclipse in nearly 600 years. We also have a feature story from Jeune Afrique magazine that […]
Popularized by raucous music videos, sometimes considered quasi pornographic, this phenomenon has its origins in the ancestral Afro-descendant dances and advocates the liberation of the body.
Portugal has become the first place in the world where it is illegal for managers to contact their employees after hours. Will other countries follow suit?
? Ndeewo!* Welcome to Thursday, where drug overdose deaths top 100,000 in the U.S. for the first time, doubts and worries grow about Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai, and Apple finally lets users fiddle with their iPhones. Meanwhile, we also focus on 6 female athletes that have joined male teams. [*Igbo – Nigeria] 7 […]
Italy has long been the European Union’s border-of-choice for would-be migrants, arriving from North Africa to the shores of Sicily. But while the Italian government was hoping for much needed help from the European Union to face the immigration flow, the border dispute between Belarus and Poland has exploded, and diverted attention east and north.
? Zdravo!* Welcome to Wednesday, where Delhi shuts down its schools due to toxic air, Biden bans Nicaraguan officials from entering the U.S., and your dog can now call you. We also see how a new law in Iran, aimed at boosting birth rates in the country, could lead to a rise in HIV/AIDS infections. […]
An Iranian public healthcare official warns that a parliamentary bill to boost birth rates will cut access to condoms, and could fuel sexually-transmitted diseases like AIDS.
? ሰላም!* Welcome to Tuesday, where Russia is under fire for blowing up a satellite in space, clashes erupt at the Poland-Belarus border and Leo’s Beach opens again. Courtesy of German daily Die Welt, we also look at the reasons behind the major discrepancies in COVID-19 vaccination rates across Europe. [*Selam, Amharic – Ethiopia] […]
If you compare vaccination rates in European countries, you immediately notice huge differences. And this is despite the fact that the EU has provided all members with sufficient coverage. There are clear reasons of culture, history and attitudes for the gap.
The final deal at COP26 falls well short of what’s needed to confront global warming. Still, the Glasgow summit has provided a new blueprint for how we measure progress — and shown how pressure can be applied to world leaders.
? Bonghjornu!* Welcome to Monday, where leaders of the world’s two superpowers meet (virtually), the EU is set to tighten sanctions against Belarus, and an Italian racing legend retires on top. We also have a Ukrainian news report on the methods used by Russian authorities to target the Muslim minority Crimean Tatars. [*Corsican] SIGN UP […]
Seven years after Moscow annexed Crimea, arrests and trials of Crimean Tatars are used as weapons to repress this ethnic minority that has already suffered for centuries.
When the author’s father died suddenly two years ago in Colombia, the Catholic Church mourning rituals offered little comfort. Two weeks ago, by chance in Mexico City for the annual Día De Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations, she discovered how these ancient rituals for the departed could finally help her face the pain, and find true peace.
? Kamusta!* Welcome to Friday, where COP26 negotiations near crunch time, two iconic multinationals are split up and a very lost penguin arrives in New Zealand. We also sit back and ask the eternal, though not-necessarily-easy, question: What makes a comfortable chair? [*Tagalog – Philippines] SIGN UP This is our daily newsletter Worldcrunch Today, […]
Buddhist and Shinto temples in Japan hold “ningyo kuyo” (人形供養) funeral rites for unwanted dolls, a spiritual send off to thank dolls for their service and properly put them to rest.
? سلام* Welcome to Thursday, where overnight clashes are reported at Poland’s border with Belarus, South Africa’s last white president died and history links Yuri Gagarin and Elon Musk. We also look at how COVID may be the tipping point to push cities into a bicycle-centric future. [*Salam – Arabic] SIGN UP This is our […]
A highly subjective concept, the notion of comfort has evolved over time and place — but what does it mean today?
? Moien!* Welcome to Wednesday, where COP26 draft calls for higher pledges by 2022, Poland accuses Russia of orchestrating the migrant crisis at the Belarus border, and a vintage Apple computer sells for a whopping $400,000. Meanwhile, Germany daily Die Welt argues that China will be the geopolitical winner in the battle over climate change. […]
M.J. “Sunny” Eberhart just became the oldest person to complete the Appalachian Trail…at the ripe young age of 83. He is just one of many of the graying outdoor pioneers to set mind-boggling records that redefine staying power.
? Habari!* Welcome to Tuesday, where tensions escalate as hundreds of migrants at the Poland-Belarus border, Austria reintroduces restrictions to curb a new COVID wave and an 83-year-old sets a new record on the Appalachian Trail. Meanwhile, Worldcrunch’s Hannah Steinkopf-Frank (a human) takes a look at rad robots around the world. [*Swahili] 7 THINGS […]
Business sectors fear the now less popular President Jair Bolsonaro’s bid to retain power will pave the way for another “red” government under Lula da Silva.
Robotics has become standard in much of industrial production, but AI also means robots are able to accomplish more and more complicated tasks. Here are some living examples around the world.
? Manahoana!* Welcome to Monday, where global coronavirus cases hit 250 million, Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega heads toward a fourth term and Amy Winehouse’s little minidress is a big auction hit. We also look at the ups and downs of Singapore’s Zero-COVID strategy. [*Malagasy – Madagascar] SIGN UP This is our daily newsletter Worldcrunch Today, […]
The decision not to get vaccinated against coronavirus is a personal one, a matter of individual freedom. But the fact that not everyone sees it this way shows the extent to which the pandemic has politicized the private sphere.
Its Zero-COVID strategy has mostly worked, and vaccinations are going well. Now a breakout spread is raising multiple questions for the Asian nation and global financial hub.
