A helpful lubricant for human relations or national corruption racket? Either way, the so-called “gift economy,” now in full swing as the Chinese New Year begins, is key to understanding social and economic interaction in China.
Author: Worldcrunch
Four years after New York stunned previously undefeated New England in the Arizona desert, the Patriots and Giants are going at it again at the Super Bowl — this time in Indianapolis.
The founder of the shuttered file-sharing site Megaupload appeared in a New Zealand court Monday, as the U.S. Department of Justice seeks to extradite him and other company officials on criminal charges.
The EU has agreed to ban Iranian crude oil imports as the Western world turns up the pressure on Tehran to halt its nuclear activities.
Analysis: European leaders accuse Hungary of violating E.U. laws and putting democratic principles at risk. Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban made a special visit to the European Parliament last week. But his conciliatory tone doesn’t mean he
As it does every January, the upscale Belvédère Hotel in Davos will host World Economic Forum guests. Only this year, the VIP’s won’t receive their usual greeting from Ernst Wyrsch, the hotel’s recently-retired director, who has long min
Analysis: The big winner of last week’s elections in Kazakhstan was never in doubt – the president’s party Nur Otan. But due to a recent change in the law, for the first time the parliament is required to have at least one other party represented
In Germany, Weng Fine Art makes quick profits by buying 20th century art priced between 5,000 and 150,000 euros and selling it to galleries via auction houses. A new business model that tries to turn culture into commodity.
After a bitter Socialist primary campaign won by Francois Hollande, Martine Aubry, the party leader and primary runner-up has put all her weight behind her former rival. And If Hollande unseats Nicolas Sarkozy for the Presidency, Aubry may be headed for t
Cosmetic breast surgery and augmentation has been in the news recently following the scandal of dangerously defective breast implants by the French firm PIP. But what really motivates women to go under the knife?
Op-Ed: The killing of French troops by an Afghan soldier has much of France, including President Sarkozy, questioning the country’s continued presence in Afghanistan. A broader hostility to foreigners may also weigh on President Obama’s
Following a similar project outside of Amsterdam, Swiss developers plan to build an entire village for people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. The $27 million Swiss facility will recreate the environment of the 1950s. Not all think i
Essay: The world probably won’t end in 2012, as some apocalyptic theorists predict. But things still look a bit scary, even from the relatively stable confines of Latin America, as an ever-interconnected global map sizzles with conflict.
Starting later this year, all cigarettes sold in Australia must be packaged in absolutely identical greenish packets. Ciggies without a brand? Some say it could quietly kill the pleasure.
By now, the world knows Captain Schettino, accused of steering the Costa Concordia liner into shallow waters, then abandoning the passengers of his sinking ship. But there is another Captain, Gregorio De Falco, who desperately tried to order Schettino to
General Motors back as the world’s top-selling automaker from Japanese rival Toyota Motor Corp, less than three years after the US carmaker filed for bankruptcy.
Four French troops have been killed in northern Afghanistan after a soldier from the Afghan National Army opened fire. President Nicolas Sarkozy said France was suspending its training programs in Afghanistan following the attack.
British author cancels appearance at the Jaipur literary festival in India following warnings of threats to his life from what he called “the Mumbai underworld.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow would veto any UN Security Council resolution targeting Syrian President Assad’s regime, especially any military strikes. It is the latest sign of deep-seated Russian tensions with the West over Syria. An
Some of the world’s trendiest new “bars” don’t serve beer, whiskey or wine. What they do offer is chocolate, and lots of it. From Paris to Tokyo, chocolate bars are attracting all ages eager to indulge their cocoa cravings and fe
Zurich Airport is among the first to begin to test two devices that can detect dangerous liquids. In the future, all of Europe hopes to gradually relax its strict bans on liquids in carry-on luggage.
On the outskirts of Marseille, France’s second-largest city, a string of gangland murders has brought new attention to an ongoing drug war. Inside the perilous cité housing projects, a loose network of dealers, as well as children and single moth
An exhibit about the Cold War will open this spring in the “Black Box,” a building that now fills the space where American and Russian tanks faced off in 1961. It will eventually be part of a permanent museum exploring the Cold War, in the city where it b
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Eastman Kodak Files for Bankruptcy
Eastman Kodak says that it files for bankruptcy protection, as the 131-year-old film pioneer struggles to adapt to an increasingly digital world.
Argentine leaders have reacted with fury after UK Prime Minister David Cameron accused Argentina of “colonialism” for continuing to claim sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.
The Bangladesh military says it has foiled a bid by mutinous officers to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
For the first time in modern history, Russia is turning to foreign weapons manufacturers to boost its military arsenal. Russia’s armed forces have already signed contracts with Italy and France.
A new documentary film takes food giant Nestlé to task for its water bottling practices. Critics say the multinational is busy extracting ground water for its bottled brands and leaving locals, often in poor corners of the world, with the dirty remains.
Art might be the only thing harder than politics to pull off in Gaza, with limits imposed by both Islamists and Israelis. Still, there are small and big achievements, like Palestinian artist Mohamad Abusal’s dream of a full-fledged metro system c
We’re used to seeing blatant racism in children’s classics such as TinTin. But are contemporary books just as guilty of propagating African clichés?
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‘Smoking object’ tossed at the White House
A “smoking object” was thrown over the White House fence late Tuesday. Authorities have closed the north gate of the residence while the object is being investigated.
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Uk unemployement hits 17-year high
Official figures show that Britain’s unemployment rate spiked to 8.4 percent in November, its highest level since 1995.
Five foreign tourists have been killed in Ethiopia in an attack by unknown gunmen in the northern Afar region.
An upcoming documentary lays out an intriguing new twist in the historical saga of the Cold War space race: Yugoslavia had secretly made major advances in space travel technology. Did Yugoslav leader Tito make a pact with President Kennedy that would chan
Essay: As the death toll climbs in Italy’s cruise ship disaster, Concordia captain Francesco Schettino must answer charges that he abandoned his post in the hour of greatest need. It’s a tale as old as the sea itself, where courage or fe
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Egypt’s Africa Problem
Analysis: While everyone from Chinese to Turks is busy profiting from Africa’s newfound economic growth, Egypt has been slow to capitalize on opportunities on its own continent. It’s a question of both initiative and identity for a count
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Rafael Nadal Gets His Game Face Back
The Spaniard is coming off a 2011 that saw him served as a whipping boy for Serbian sensation Novak Djokovic in a series of tournament finals. He insists that his game — and his will — are back in full stride.
Analysis: A French look at the euro zone’s prospects after Standard and Poor’s (S&P) downgraded the public debt of half of the euro zone. Not only did France lose equal partnership with Germany, Italy risks sinking further into crisis. Bu
The small Baltic nation was caught between Soviet and Nazi ambitions, and Estonian members of SS units are remembered by some for staving off the Red Army. But others can’t forget that some 1,000 Estonian Jews, 250 Roma and 7,000 Christians were
Along the river Evros, at the Turkish border, the Greek town of Nea Vyssa has become the first point of arrival for immigrants coming from all points east. Nowhere can you see better both the hopes and futility of the waves of immigration that continue to