Splitsville for Sarkozy and Bruni, Germany buys its way to a soccer championship, Greece can’t kick the habit, China stimulates itself to new heights. Meanwhile, Paul Krugman can’t be satisfied, even as Sarko finds a new bride. These and
Author: Worldcrunch
Behind the rigidity of its political system, the North Korean capital offers evidence of a slow evolution, from construction projects to an emerging underground economy. Will Kim Jong-un accelerate the evolution or nip it in the bud? A close-up look.
Television presenters have mostly gone headscarf-free on Egypt’s state-run Channel 5. The fall of the Hosni Mubarak regime – and a weekend court ruling – may soon change that.
Analysis: The Egyptian army is trying to reassert its control as leftist protesters have returned to the streets. The Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, assured by its electoral success, needs to ally with the protesters to show it isn’t only after pow
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Opposition Protests Constitution in Hungary
Tens of thousands of people have been protesting in Budapest over Hungary’s controversial new constitution, a day after it came into force.
German unemployment has fallen to its lowest rate in December since 1991; by contrast, Spain said on Tuesday the number of people claiming unemployment benefits stood at a 15-year high at the end of 2011.
Los Angeles police book a 24-year-old man on suspicion of arson after an L.A. County sheriff’s deputy detained him in connection with a string of more than 50 deliberately set fires.
Just a few years ago, booming manufacturing industry in the Pearl Delta Region was an unprecedented opportunity for well-paid jobs for millions of young Chinese domestic migrants. Now, shuttered factories and dashed hopes are creating social unrest.
Essay: After Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, Hugo Chávez, who also suffers from cancer, aired the possibility of a covert U.S. conspiracy. There may be other slightly less sinister explanations.
Analysis: Looking ahead to the next 12 months, European business leaders are hoping the current economic slowdown will be more manageable than the crisis four years ago. Fear of a worst-case scenario, however, is part of everyone’s calculation.
Famous for its chocolate production, Switzerland relies on Ghana for half its supply of cocoa beans, even as the West African nation now focuses on other export products. A new public-private Swiss partnership aims to inject new life into cocoa bean farmi
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Iran Tests Naval Cruise Missile
Iran says it has successfully test-fired two long-range missiles during a naval exercise in the Gulf, flexing its military muscle to show it could hit Israel and U.S. bases in the region if attacked.
A massive manhunt is under way for a man wanted for questioning in the shooting death of a park ranger and a shooting that left four injured in Washington state.
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World stock markets quietly usher in 2012
European stock markets head higher in early trading Monday, while South Korea’s benchmark Kospi closes flat following the New Year’s holiday weekend.
The human brain is an incredible machine, but it may have reached the limit of its abilities. Evolution could cause our brains to grow a bit more, though bigger may not necessarily be better.
Getting your own fresh eggs for your morning Parisian omelette doesn’t necessarily require a trip to the local market. More and more French urbanites are finding space for a hen or two in their own homes.
The largest US military base in Asia is Yongsan, in the South Korean capital. Long considered a plum and relatively safe posting, there is new uncertainty in the face of an untested new leader in North Korea, and growing US interest in containing China&am
In Switzerland, police officers and educators invite themselves to dine with kids under investigation, and their families, in a new effort to get both parent and child to understand the consequences of criminal behavior.
For the first time, the high-end fish eggs are being bred in Switzerland, where the well-to-do have long enjoyed imported caviar. But it was an odd twist that allowed for the sturgeon to flourish: lukewarm water coming out of a draining gallery in railway
Analysis: In the aftermath of his party’s poor showing in parliamentary elections, Vladimir Putin is focused now on his race to return to the Russian presidency. Though he is still strongly positioned, Putin now faces a new dynamic where he can &
With enough space to hold 200 people and an icy 17-meter-high tower, the Schneekirchen snow church has been christened near the German town of Mitterfirmiansreut. Builders had to overcome both architectural and ecclesiastical challenges, not to mention Mo
The euro weakened for a sixth day against the yen on concern Europe’s debt crisis will weigh on the region’s economic growth. The 17-nation currency also fell against the dollar.
Some of the crew of a burning Russian nuclear submarine were still inside and seven others had been evacuated to hospitals after inhaling toxic fumes.
North Korea announces there would be no change in its policy under its new leader, Kim Jong-un, striking a characteristically hostile posture with a threat to punish President Lee Myung-bak of South Korea for “unforgivable sins.”
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Beijing Holds The Key To North Korea
Op-Ed: As North Korea bids farewell to its all-powerful leader Kim Jong-il, foreign powers look with uncertainty toward his son and successor Kim Jong-un. Its giant neighbor China could be both model and power broker for Pyongyang, but the West may have o
Italians know that love can never be reduced to euros and cents. Still, by surveying intended sentiments behind purchases, one market research project tries to put a price tag on saying ‘ti amo’ (I love you). It’s cheaper than &
Op-Ed: Ankara’s is coming down hard against Kurdish opposition forces, including dozens of new arrests of journalists. It is a bad sign for the health of Turkey’s democracy, with the West watching and the Muslim world holding it up as a model in
The French National Assembly’s decision last week to approve a bill criminalizing public denial of the 1915-16 Armenian Genocide in Turkey triggered a stiff rebuke from Ankara. Over the weekend, Turkish hackers took down the French Senate’s website.
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European Stocks Flat After Italian Debt Sale
European stocks were little changed after Italy missed its fundraising target at a bond sale, while its borrowing costs eased. U.S. index futures rose, while Asian shares fell.
A judge subpoenas the husband of the daughter of Spain’s King Juan Carlos to testify as a suspect in a corruption case, deepening a public relations nightmare for the royal family.
An air strike by Turkish warplanes near a Kurdish village of Uludere in Sirnak, close to the border with Iraq has left 35 people dead.
Op-Ed: Things look gloomy indeed as Europe’s single currency marks exactly 10 years since going into circulation. But even in this lowest moment, we can pinpoint the path forward. And it may start by acknowledging that Greece, for the good of all
A program started in 2006 offers benefits to lure back home the Russians who left as the Soviet Union was crumbling. But the price to get the top qualified emigres to return is apparently more than Moscow can afford.
Noldi, an eight-month-old domesticated ass, was born blind on a Swiss farm, and was never accepted by his herd, as he struggled to avoid running into obstacles. Farmers considered putting him down, until an outcry from animal rights groups led to a happy
A R A B I C A ارابيكا By Kristen Gillespie BAHRAIN, BELOW THE SURFACEThough largely ignored by the English-language media, Bahrainis continue to press for revolution. Soldiers were brought in earlier this year from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other countries in an effort to keep the Sunni Al Khalifa family from overthrow. With […]
Analysis: When a Chinese fisherman was accused of the fatal stabbing of a South Korean coast guard officer public outrage came quickly from both countries. The incident shows the fragility of all the new talk of regional cooperation when ancient mistrust
A chimpanzee who apparently starred in Tarzan films in the 1930s has died at the age of 80, according to the sanctuary where he lived.
The funeral of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-il unfolded across the snow-laden streets of Pyongyang, a three-hour event that displayed the secretive regime’s ability to choreograph elaborate state ceremonies.
Argentina’s president Cristina Fernandez will undergo surgery next week after doctors diagnosed her with thyroid cancer.
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Our Son Was A Neo-Nazi Terrorist
In the former East German state of Thuringia, Uwe Böhnhardt was a good student in elementary school. Then something changed. He would wind up at the center of a murderous Neo-Nazi criminal cell. Böhnhardt’s parents try to retrace the steps that l