Worldcrunch
A R A B I C A ارابيكا By Kristen Gillespie EGYPT, ELECTIONSIn Cairo, the High Elections Commission is postponing for a third time the announcement of parliamentary election results. A larger-than-expected voter turnout is responsible for the delay, the commission said. EGYPT, RESERVESAlso in Egypt, foreign-currency reserves are expected to drop to $15 billion […]
Chinese manufacturers have figured out a way to cash in on Brazilian Catholicism, flooding the market with inexpensive images of Our Lady of Aparecida, Brazil’s patron saint. Local producers can’t compete, and want the government to intervene.
As U.S. Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton makes a historic visit, Myanmar may be starting to edge to more openness, and perhaps even real democracy. But along the border with China, the so-called “golden triangle”is a haven of drug and
The Federal Administrative Court in Germany has ruled against an 18-year-old Muslim student involved in a drawn-out legal quest for permission to pray openly at school. The decision, however, does not rule out all prayer at school, which pleased activists
The two separate attacks in Northeastern Iraq came on the third day of US Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to Iraq.
Pakistan announced that it would cease to support the War on Terror if NATO does not stop bombing parts of Pakistan.
Laurent Gbagbo’s trial for crimes against humanity will start on Monday at the International Criminal Court.
Op-Ed: With the euro on the brink of collapse, German Chancellor Merkel wants to exploit the acute crisis to impose strong fiscal discipline across the currency union. But facing a vicious cycle of low confidence, now may actually be the wrong time to tig
After the Kremlin-backed candidate appears to lose at polls, the Supreme Court overturns the results. But Alla Dzhioyeva, who took 56% of the vote, won’t go down without a fight.
German authorities interrupted a gathering of right-wing extremists in Cologne, and took the notorious former KKK leader into custody, and told him to leave the country. Though he is persona non grata in Europe, he continues to try to spread his message t
Hillary Clinton arrived in Myanmar on Wednesday, marking the first visit to the nation by a U.S. secretary of state in more than five decades.
Iran’s parliament speaker blames Britain’s “domination-seeking” policies for the storming of British compounds by hard-line Iranian protesters the day before. Norway, meanwhile, closes its embassy in Tehran due to secur
Up to two million public sector workers in the UK go on strike over their pensions, in what is set to be the biggest walkout for a generation.
After being subsequently acquitted and released, a 42-year-old falsely accused of multiple murders, and sentenced to death, recounts a decade of torture and forced confession in a Chinese prison. It’s an experience few have lived to describe.
Op-Ed: Thanks to the climate in Washington, the United States is beginning to resemble Latin America’s “Banana Republics,” where for years, ideological fanaticism trumped common sense – all to the detriment of the general population. A view from those who
Users of “Bath Salts” – a trendy new designer drug that’s all the rage in Germany’s club scene – say the substance can be hit and miss: often a rush of euphoria, sometimes an attack of paranoia. In a few cases, users ha
With the help of Italy, Israel enjoyed its first bona fide fashion week in decades, which was a showcase for a unique approach to style inspired by everything from religious vestments to kibbutz clothing to gothic duds.
Analysis: Reforms earlier this year by the King meant to preempt popular uprisings have led to a surge to power of Morocco’s leading Islamist party in this weekend’s election. But as with its neighbors in the region, all wonder what the
A new study about adolescents in Germany finds reading on the rise, with 42% of teens polled saying they read a daily paper. Still, while e-books have yet to break through, Internet consumption dominates overall.
A visit inside a Tajik village that has sent nearly all of its men to work in Russia. These are the people affected when President Dmitry Medvedev talks about restricting Tajik guest workers in Russia.
Cobras and scorpions, centipedes and seahorses on bamboo sticks are among the things you never thought you’d taste. A Laotian in Beijing compares two of the world’s more “out there” eating experiences.
Pakistan will boycott upcoming talks on Afghanistan’s future after NATO raids that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.
The two buildings in the Galilee area were damaged but there were no reports of casualties.
Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people with a bomb in central Oslo and a shooting spree at a summer camp, has been declared insane.
Police in Munich are scratching their heads over a bizarre rash of dog poop attacks involving the city’s mailboxes. So far they have no idea who is dumping excrement into the mail, nor what the malodorous attacks are supposed to mean.
Petrobras and other Brazilian firms are using sports sponsorships to up their international profile. Brazil’s booming economy gives them extra leverage in places like Argentina and Chile, but it may also be pricing them out at home.
Op-Ed: Scandals and sex in China are becoming part of the scenery, but what if the public’s eagerness to shame law-breaking officials is in itself undermining the rule of law?
Op-Ed: The euro zone can’t survive intact without Germany. And yet the more Europeans count on Germany, the quicker they are to criticize. Germany may now be to Europe what the United States has long been to the rest of the world: the powerhouse
A suicide bomber slammed a car packed with explosives into the gate of a prison north of Baghdad on Monday, killing at least 19 people, Iraqi officials said.
The global economic recovery is stalling, leaving the euro zone stuck in a mild recession, and the United States at risk of following suit, the OECD said on Monday, sharply cutting its forecasts.
Egyptians headed to the polls Monday to vote in the first election since an improbable revolt toppled one of the world’s longest-serving rulers.
A growing body of data shows just how important oral hygiene is – not just healthy teeth, but also to avoid life-threatening medical events like heart attacks and strokes. Brushing is a must. But people should also have their teeth cleaned professionally,
Analysis: Just a year ago, Prime Minister Erdo?an was viewed in many Western capitals with deep suspicion, accused of pushing Turkey towards an Islamic republic. Though basic positions haven’t changed, five specific Erdo?an actions have helped cr
Jailed Russian oil baron Mikhail Khodorkovsky isn’t going to be released anytime soon. In Russia, a new documentary about his life is struggling to see the light of day as well. “Khodorkovsky” is set for release Dec. 1 — but virtually no cinemas
It’s not surprising that women don’t play as large a role as men in the telling of history. But a new study in France shows just how small: less than four percent of the figures given their own biographies in French history books are wom
Bidzina Ivanishvili made billions in Russia. But his heart has always been in Georgia, where he’s openly criticizing the “Rose Revolution” he himself helped fund. With an eye on next year’s parliamentary elections, the oligarch is now ready to launch his
Many intellectuals have found inspiration in the bottom of a wine glass. But Swiss scientists may be the first to draw lessons from the way a good wine taster swirls that glass. The subtle slosh, it turns out, may be just the thing drug makers need for mi
Swiss butchers have a bit of leeway when it comes to aging meat. From mincing to marinating, there are several “tricks” they can legally employ to keep their products appealing – even after the meat’s sell-by date has expired.
Among the most influential living thinkers, Jürgen Habermas has a timely new treatise on Europe. He sees beyond the “crisis” a Europe leading the way for a coming world based on supranational institutions.
U.S. bedroom scandals have long culminated in sex addiction revelations. But now the French are starting to face this bona fide medical diagnoses since Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s super active sex life has been dissected following his encounter with