Worldcrunch
Editorial: Just as with the Sep. 11 attacks, a surprisingly large chunk of French society is prone to turn to conspiracy theories to explain Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s sex scandal. It’s a bad sign for the health of public debate in France, says Le Monde.
May 19, 2011
In a country that has banned the building of Muslim minarets, Mormons have set up a new community center with its own, unmarked tower. The locals don’t seem to mind.
Just as the Dominique Strauss-Kahn storm hits, a well-timed book by an American reporter in Paris tries to make sense of the French codes of power, sex and gender. A review by Le Monde’s New York correspondent.
A R A B I C A ارابيكا ANATOMY OF A RUMOR *Bahraini newspaper Al-Wast and other Arabic outlets have published purported comments by the brother of the African maid allegedly assaulted by IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn is a devout, veiled Muslim. “She is a committed Muslim and wears the veil,” the woman’s brother is […]
Swiss policy of neutrality has always made foreign affairs everyone’s business. Which is exactly why think tanks can play such a key role in refining the policy, says Former Secretary of State Franz Blankart.
A parish priest near Genoa is facing pedophilia and drug charges just as the Vatican lays out new guidelines for responding to sex abuse cases. Genoa’s Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, who was integral to establishing the new guidelines, has visited the local ch
A Swiss energy company has just begun construction on what will be by far the country’s largest solar energy producer, as a rooftop project in Geneva will overtake a sun-absorbing stadium in Bern.
With the IMF chief facing allegations of attempted rape of a hotel maid, the French left’s paper of record profiles Strauss-Kahn’s “women problem,” described as hedonistic and on the verge of harassment.
The author of a controversial French book about politics and seduction, which cited Strauss-Kahn’s approach to women and power, says the French media must reexamine its relationship with the ruling elite and the pursuit of the truth.
Armed only with her baby bump and an album of wedding photos, Winny Khamiri of Holland is currently on the Italian island of Lampedusa where African immigrants arrive by the boatload, trying to rescue her Tunisian husband, scheduled for deportation.
A R A B I C A ارابيكا SYRIAN STRIKE *The administrators of the Syrian Revolution Facebook group are calling for a general strike on Wednesday: “Mass protests, no school, no universities, no stores or restaurants open and no taxis.” The call comes as the Syrian military continues a brutal crackdown on the village of […]
Editorial: As far as his political future is concerned, it hardly matters whether Dominique Strauss-Kahn is found guilty or innocent of the sex assault charges being levied against him in New York. That’s because the intersection of politics with the fren
Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s arrest in New York City is likely to result in his withdrawal from the 2012 presidential elections. What’s not yet clear is how much of a benefit that would actually be for President Sarkozy, who stands to lose both a rival and a
Editorial: Allegations of sexual assault against Dominique Strauss-Kahn have almost certainly ruined his chances of ever becoming president. But the scandal’s wider implications could include a further boost to France’s far right.
Editorial: Americans used to like France’s Dominique Strauss-Kahn. From today onwards, they are going to hate him.
Murders of women, often at the hands of ex-lovers or husbands, appear to be on the rise in Turkey. Rights activists say many of the killings could be prevented – if only authorities paid more attention to cries for help.
Drug giant Bayer has rarely seen risk-taking as a cure for its ills. But next month’s relocation of its general medicine headquarters from Germany to Beijing will make Bayer AG the first multinational pharmaceutical company to open a global corporate cent
Cosmetics that have become iconic have three things in common: a strong character, useable on face, hands and body, and they never leave celebrities’ make-up bags. Here are the secret of creams passed down from mother to daughter.
The question of selling his holdings continues to follow the Italian-born Parisian designer, who was always as much a businessman as a master craftsman.
Criticism of current Swiss banking practices is mounting following recent revelations that funds from corrupt foreign leaders are being stored in Swiss banks. Experts and politicians are calling for money laundering laws to be tightened.
New York’s Modern Art and Met museums are both featuring exhibits dedicated to the guitar. Viewed together, the Moma’s “Picasso Guitars” and the Met’s “Guitar Heros” say a lot about diverging trends in modern art history.
A miraculous discovery in Buenos Aires has brought the classic German silent film Metropolis close to the way its producers originally intended before decades of brutal editing.
Scientists are looking at nature’s myriad molecules — studying substances like tree bark and fungi — in hopes of coming up with cures for cancer and other maladies.
Just how effective have NATO operations in Libya been? Depends on who you ask. With propaganda percolating on both sides, military experts say it’s hard to know exactly how the conflict is unfolding.
Canada’s vast northern territories are to be opened up in a plan to exploit its rich natural resources. Some environmentalists are skeptical about the long-term effects.
Newly released Communist-era files show a complicated relationship between the Polish regime and the Wunderkind French-Polish filmmaker, from his first success to his escape from Hollywood after having sex with a minor.
Osama bin Laden’s death has deepened tensions between Islamabad and Washington. Will Pakistan fall into China’s arms?
Times have changed for the world’s carmakers. Renault is investing in aeronautics, while Audi promotes alpine research and water sports. For today’s auto advertisers, preaching a good cause may be every bit as important as pitching the product itself.
After designing London’s Millennium Bridge and the Beijing airport’s international terminal renowned architect Norman Foster is now looking to leave his mark on the Dolomite Mountains, with a ski lodge billed as seven-star luxury. But some local
The democratic movement in Morocco has yet to target the monarchy, which still has wide popular support. But if reform doesn’t come quickly, the King risks the same fate as other leaders in the region.
Award-winning Italian photojournalist Davide Monteleone recently returned from three weeks covering the war in Libya. The April 20 deaths in the coastal city of Misrata of fellow photographers Tim Hetherington and Chris Hondros has added a bitter epitaph to this latest assignment. But sadly, there is still a war to be covered, one more story […]
As they develop a passion for pop gatherings, Chinese music enthusiasts are creating new market opportunities for organizers and sponsors. Authorities are allowing the shows to go on, but with a discrete presence of state police. And state censors.
Exactly 30 years ago — on May 10, 1981 — France elected its first socialist president. This week the country’s Socialist Party is heralding the historical event, overlooking Mitterrand’s dark side to celebrate the highlights of his political legacy.
A recent treaty between Peru and Ecuador could complicate matters for Chile, which is involved in a drawn-out border dispute with authorities in Lima over Pacific water rights.
A recent reconciliation deal signed with Fatah may be proof that Hamas is maturing politically. But is the Islamist group ready to enter into a full fledged unity government?
In keeping with their country’s world famous culinary heritage, Italy’s top corporations have abandoned standard team-building activities in favor of group cooking classes.
While Bavaria leaps forward, Berlin languishes. Germany’s south is on the rise, thanks in large part to tech investments and shifting migration patterns.
A new exhibition at the Louvre features a rare collection of religion-themed paintings, drawings and prints by the Dutch painter who changed the way art depicted the Savior.
In the eyes of Europe, Turkey’s jailing of journalists and limits on Internet access raise serious questions about freedom of the press as the country’s entry into the EU remains in doubt.