Canada is looking for ways to exert its authority in the Great North, as global warming invites competition for the region’s valuable resources. Of particular concern is Russia, which is seeking permission from the UN to extend its Arctic borders.
Author: Worldcrunch
Some Palestinians take pride in knowing the ongoing protests in Israel were inspired by revolts in the Arab World. But others fear the demonstrations could justify more Israeli settlements – or even a violent crackdown — in Palestinian territory.
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Don’t Bet On A Global Recession
Op-Ed: deep uncertainty in markets around the world doesn’t change two basic structural facts that will stave off recession: credit is available, and emerging countries are joining the world economy’s top ranks.
Yvonne, a dairy cow, has been hiding since May in the woods near Zangberg, a tiny Bavarian municipality. So far, she has eluded all attempts at capture – but now it’s Ernst the bull’s turn to be trucked in, in the hopes he can woo her out.
With the help of an organization called Dignitas, well-known Israeli television and radio personality Adi Talmor ended his life last week in Switzerland. The euthanasia case came as a huge surprise in Israel, which is now busily examining the issue of ass
As wine grows in popularity with a new Chinese elite, some shady sellers are hocking “French” wine made with artificial flavors and colors. But the labels look great!
Russia has drawn up a list of Americans who will be banned from entering Russia. The move comes as a response to Washington’s blacklisting of Russian officials linked to suspected human rights violations.
A R A B I C A ارابيكا TARGET: MINARETA Syrian television station showed footage of the Othman Mosque in the besieged eastern city of Deir a-Zor, now reportedly occupied and subdued by the Syrian military. The top of the minaret has been blown off as gunfire crackles and artillery booms in the background. This […]
Op-Ed: A countervailing conservative French economist blames the West’s imploding economy on long-accepted Keynesian policies of boosting consumption via public spending.
In post-Mubarak Egypt, both devout Muslims and ardent secularists are calling for the autonomy of Cairo’s authoritative Islamic institution and center for learning. But they have very different ideas about where it will lead.
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What Made London So Ripe For Riots
The uniquely integrated socio-economic mix within the city’s individual neighborhoods are a benefit for London — when times are good. But once the economy tanks, the differences lived up close can be an explosive source of conflict and resentmen
Lebanon’s recent history has long been inextricably linked to its northern neighbor. In the face of Damascus’ crackdown on a popular uprising, the current pro-Hezbollah government has been loathed to criticize the Syrian regime. But the
Lower salaries and a well-structured bailout have made Ireland competitive again, though its export-driven growth is still vulnerable to the fallout of a reeling world economy. Looking for signs of a way out for us all.
A month before harvest begins in Bordeaux, a new technology is being used that takes incredibly detailed images from 800 kilometers above to allow wine growers to gather their grapes at the right moment for maximizing quality.
A court in Kiev has rejected a request to free opposition leader Yulia Timoshenko from detention during a trial of abuse of office. Russia has surprised many by siding with the former Prime Minister.
Hana Gaddafi supposedly died 25 years ago during an American bomb attack. Die Welt has turned up evidence that the Libyan leader’s daughter is alive and well, as doubts swirl around other reported Gaddafi family deaths.
Op-Ed: The worldwide debt crisis means that citizens, governments and the financial world must confront a bitter reality: living on credit has to stop, and dangerous deficits should be forbidden. The transition will be painful. But it’s high time.
Recent race riots and far-right pre-election rhetoric have brought the issue of xenophobia back into the national spotlight in Russia. Prime Minister Putin is proposing a new government body to help keep ethnic tensions at bay, though some activists are s
Mount Everest is unquestionably the world’s highest mountain – but just how high, exactly, is it? Toting the latest technology, a team of climbers is heading for the rooftop of the world to find out.
Millions of people in Somalia are suffering from hunger – not least because militant al-Shabaab Islamists are refusing to let aid organizations in with food supplies. Meanwhile, the group with ties to al-Qaeda is seeking converts to their cause with a biz
A R A B I C A ارابيكا PERSUASIVE BY DESIGN*The Syrian Revolution Facebook group has a new logo, with a face split down the middle; half civilian and half clad in military gear. “We will not serve in an army that is killing us,” the banner reads at the top. The design reflects the […]
Authorities say one stretch of the picturesque region of Puglia is infested with local mob bosses who extort money from beach resort owners and use the coastline for drug trafficking. Locals are scared silent.
After an ineffective weekend flurry of phone calls among world leaders, confidence in governments’ ability to react is eroding. And the uglier it gets, the more politicians will focus on their own skin rather than finding a common solution. Buckle up.
Some 40,000 Hondurans are deported each year from the United States back to their homeland, one of the poorest in Latin America. Many arrive only to once again brave the perilous journey north.
With women long shut out of positions of power in Turkish society, the World Bank has created a new program to offer its official stamp of approval for businesses in Turkey that strive for gender parity.
Analysis: How a toxic mix of public debt, slow growth and paralyzed politics has put the global economy on the edge of another crisis.
One of the fruits of the Israeli pioneer spirit is scant attention to politeness and proper manners. A French reporter asks why a nation has so little time for formalities.
A new German law requires therapy for criminals who served their full sentences but are still deemed too dangerous for release. In the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen, therapy sessions are set to begin in a refurbished facility that looks a lot like a prison
Op-Ed: Some heavy skepticism, and sarcasm, by a Chinese commentator toward a new program that requires Internet cafes in Beijing to pay for a new system to allow authorities to control personal information by online users.
Sri Lanka’s government likes to proclaim that the country has put its bloody civil war behind it. But a visit to the Tamil stronghold reveals open scars everywhere.
Vladimir Putin went to an annual summer camp organized by the pro-Putin youth group Nashi, in what was widely seen as an early stop on his election campaign to retake the Russian presidency.
A new bill would give Bolivian authorities permission to listen in on electronic communications in times of emergency. Critics call it a power play against President Evo Morales’ media opponents.
Charged with redefining the way well-being is measured in Europe’s biggest economy, German social scientist Meinhard Miegel sees the national debt crises as a sign that people will need to find new ways of being satisfied with less.
A R A B I C A ارابيكا PARTY LINE, TAKE ONEHezbollah-backed Al-Manar broadcaster reports on Prime Minister Najib Mikati, an ally of Hezbollah, defending his stance that Lebanon should not judge events in Syria. “This position is consistent with the Lebanese position of not interfering in the affairs of other countries,” Mikati told reporters. […]
French retailers and food manufacturers are realizing there’s money to be made by embracing halal, food produced according to Islamic law. Though sales tend to spike during Ramadan, halal is very much a year-round market.
Children from 5 to 15 years old are increasingly being diagnosed with the eating disorder. It can be difficult to detect by parents who can’t believe their young child could suffer from a disease that is still largely caused by social pressures.
“Süddeutsche Zeitung” sources reveal an operation last spring where Turkey intercepted an Iranian arms delivery, in bald violation of UN sanctions. The weapons were thought to be headed for Syrian-based members of the Lebanon Shiite grou
After big plans in Pisa for a new Ikea store were scrapped, the Swedish furniture mega store has run into another local administrative wall outside of Turin. The price of entering the Italian market remains frustratingly high.
The husband and children of a Jordanian woman can never become a citizen, and enjoys no basic rights in the country. Many of those shut out are Palestinian, which makes the law even more difficult to undo.
Modern medicine makes it possible to perform ever riskier operations on ever older patients. The result? A rising rate of post-anesthesia deaths, according to a study published in the Germany Medical Association’s Deutsches Ärzteblatt journal.