Worldcrunch
TEHRAN – As Iran loses ground in Syria, Lebanon, and the Gaza Strip, expect Tehran to try to shore up its ability to influence the Middle East in the most unlikely of places: Egypt. Over the last few years there have been numerous signs that Cairo and Tehran were making tentative steps toward changing their […]
This week’s selection of magazine covers from around the world.
AFP, AL JAZEERA (Qatar), BBC (UK), REUTERS Worldcrunch MOSCOW– Russia announced Friday that the Syrian government has agreed in principle to attend an international peace conference. The summit was proposed by Russia and the U.S. and could take place in Geneva, reports the AFP. “We note with satisfaction that we have received an agreement in […]
A Muslim-American writer recounts the days after the Boston Marathon attack. No doubt, parents in the UK are having similar conversations right now.
A look at what the world has been saying this week…
Worldcrunch BUENOS AIRES – Last week, a study was released that showed Argentinians drink 100 liters of mate per capita annually, double their consumption of beer or wine. It’s even more popular than tea and coffee which, for most of the rest of the world, are the go-to hot drinks. Food and drink traditions are […]
BBC, THE GUARDIAN, ITV, THE TELEGRAPH, SKY NEWS, PRESS ASSOCIATION (UK) Worldcrunch LONDON– One of the two injured suspects has been named after Wednesday afternoon’s terrorist machete murder of a soldier outside a military barracks in southeast London. Both alleged attackers were wounded and arrested by armed police in the aftermath of the spectacular murder […]
BEIJING – Last month, this city’s Human Resources and Social Security Bureau introduced an administrative circular that stipulates “in principle” municipal government departments should impose age restrictions when hiring graduates settling in Beijing who are not officially residents holding local household registrations. Those with undergraduate degrees who have moved to Beijing shouldn’t be hired if […]
AFP, AP, CNN, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, NEWS 9, REUTERS (U.S.) Worldcrunch MOORE – The death toll from Monday’s mile-wide tornado in Oklahoma has risen to 91 people and is expected to keep rising. The deadly twister tore across Oklahoma City and its suburbs flattening houses, offices and elementary schools. According to Reuters, the town of […]
-OpEd- ROME – Italy’s entire political establishment is working together to avoid the collision between addressing the urgent social and economic problems that are engulfing the country, and the personal and judicial destiny of Silvio Berlusconi. Every time there is a political statement, and on the regular talk-show circuit, it is repeated over and over […]
AL BAWABA (Jordan), IRAN’S VIEW, PRESS TV (Iran), REUTERS, CNN (U.S.) Worldcrunch TEHRAN – Two men convicted for spying for the United States and Israeli spy agencies have been hung, reported Iran’s Press TV. There were no details on when the men were arrested, tried or sentenced, only that they were hung at dawn on […]
Take a tour of what the world’s been saying…
BBC (UK), BOSTON GLOBE, NBC NEWS, NEW YORK TIMES, REUTERS (U.S.) Worldcrunch WASHINGTON D.C.– President Barack Obama announced Wednesday night that acting head of the Internal Revenus Service (IRS), the nation’s central tax-collecting agency, had been forced to resign after it emerged that the agency improperly targeted certain groups. A special report released on Tuesday […]
Worldcrunch CANNES – The most prestigious film festival in the world kicks off Wednesday in the south of France for its 66th edition. Opening the festivities is Baz Luhrman’s much-awaited 3D interpretation of The Great Gatsby – fitting for the glamour of Cannes. Twenty films are competing for the prestigious top prize: the Palme d’Or. […]
BEIRUT – Somehow, the shots missed Jesus. He survived the rampage by armed men in St. George’s Cathedral during the Lebanese civil war. But since the mosaic of which he is a part is otherwise shell-pocked, his figure has become something of an attraction. The cathedral is not far from downtown Beirut’s posh hotels, and […]
CANADIAN PRESS, CNET NEWS, THE STAR (Canada) Worldcrunch BAIKONUR – Canadian star astronaut Chris Hadfield landed safely back on earth early on Tuesday morning after a six-month expedition on the International Space Station (ISS) that brought the space age into the Internet era with unmatched aplomb. He arrived at the Kazakh space base in a […]
MUNICH – In early July, Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone may come to Germany to attend the F1 race hosted by the Nürburgring south of Cologne. Ecclestone, the British mogul who has turned motor sports into a billion dollar business, enjoys showing up for the racing events to chat with the drivers, meet sponsors, and […]
DAWN, NATION, THE NEWS (Pakistan), BBC, THE GUARDIAN (UK) Worldcrunch ISLAMABAD – Following the contested Pakistani elections, marred by accusations of voter fraud, several candidates participated in nationwide sit-in protests Monday, writes The News. Muslim League leader, Nawaz Sharif claimed victory in Saturday’s polls, but was short of a clear majority. “There was total rigging. […]
Worldcrunch WASHINGTON – As the list of 2012’s most popular baby names in the U.S. was unveiled this week, it appeared that King and Messiah were among the fastest growing names for boys, said the AP. Major was another fast-rising name. Last week, however, New Zealand released its annual list of banned baby names and […]
NEW YORK – Some people are hailing it as a culinary revolution. One thing is certain, the re-introduction of certain banned Italian pork products after 15 years represents some serious business opportunities. Italian businesses will now be able to sell “Made in Italy” pork products such as salami, pancetta, air-cured pork, and culatello Parma ham […]
In spite of the economic growth and rising living standards in many Asian countries, the status of women has strangely stagnated, and even regressed. If women’s status is only measured by remuneration, Asia surely wouldn’t be the only place where there is a marked disparity between the sexes. For instance, according to the United States […]
This week’s selection of magazine covers from around the world.
Italy’s Giulio Andreotti died this week at the age of 94. His handling of the abduction of fellow politician Aldo Moro tells us much about the seven-time prime minister.
AP, CNN, REUTERS, WASHINGTON POST (USA) Worldcrunch CLEVELAND – Ariel Castro, 52, the man charged with keeping three women captive for almost a decade will appear in court for the first time on Thursday. Castro is accused of kidnapping Amanda Berry, 27, Gina DeJesus, 23, and Michelle Knight, 32, between 2002 and 2004. At the […]
CORRIERE DELLA SERA, LA REPUBBLICA, RAI NEWS 24, LA STAMPA (Italy) Worldcrunch GENOA- A ship crashed into the control tower at Genoa’s port late Tuesday night, killing at least seven people. The ship had been turning to leave the harbor when it hit the tower, knocking most of it into the water, reports Corriere della […]
ROME – Springtime at her villa must have been something beautiful indeed. Livia was the wife of the emperor Octavian, also known as Caesar Augustus, and her villa was surrounded by a breathtaking landscape that was unparalleled anywhere in the surrounding areas of Rome: hills, fields, and the Tiber river flowing by. Built along the […]
AFP, ALJAZEERA (Qatar), PAK TRIBUNE (Pakistan), REUTERS, ZEE NEWS (India) Worldcrunch KURRUM – The death toll from a bombing at a political rally near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border has increased to at least 25 as of Tuesday morning, making it the deadliest attack to date on the current national election campaign, says the AFP. The explosion […]
Italy’s seven-time prime minister, known as one of the most powerful and intriguing post-War politicians, died Monday at 94.
HAARETZ, JERUSALEM POST (Israel), NEW YORK TIMES (U.S.), REUTERS, AFP, BBC Worldcrunch DAMASCUS – The situation in Syria has gotten both more dangerous and more complicated over the past 72 hours. On Monday, Chinese officials indirectly criticized Israel’s weekend strikes in Syria, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began a five-day visit to China. During a […]
PUNTA PIRULIL – You probably couldn’t live any further west than Don Orlando does. He lives in Punta Pirulil on the western edge of the green island of Chiloé, off the coast of Chile. In his book In Patagonia, British writer Bruce Chatwin (1940-1989) described Chiloé as an island of “black storms and black soil.” […]
ALEPPO — The atmosphere was tense in Bustan al-Qasr after a Friday protest turned into a fight between two groups, one calling for an Islamic state after President Bashar al-Assad’s fall and the other demanding a free and liberal future for Syria. The shabiha — pro-government militias or spies in civilian clothing — were spotted […]
Worldcrunch PARIS – La Stampa’s veteran war correspondent Domenico Quirico has been missing in Syria more than three weeks now. Our Turin-based partner released the news earlier this week after working quietly with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs to trace the journalist. Heading for Homs, he crossed the Syrian border through Lebanon on April 6 […]
This week’s selection of magazine covers from around the world.
Worldcrunch LONDON – The annual list of the world’s 50 best restaurants is out… and the Internet is officially HUNGRY! Spain’s El Celler De Can Roca in Girona beat out Noma in Copenhagen, which had taken home the top spot for the previous three years. The list is organized by Britain’s Restaurant magazine, with the […]
THE STANDARD, SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST (Hong Kong) Worldcrunch HONG KONG– A five-story-high rubber duck floated into Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour on Thursday morning. Maybe you’ve seen this before. Maybe not. Maybe you’re really not amused? Well this particular duck happens to be a piece of conceptual art from Dutch sculptor Florentijn Hofman; and the […]
ROME – Italy is a place of culture, beauty, and a well-oiled style of life — crisis or not. Foreigners always return for more. But in order to make sure that the tourists keep coming back — and telling their friends — some guidelines are needed. According to data from the federation of hotels “Fedalberghi”, […]
-Essay- CAIRO – Copts are being persecuted in Egypt. So, what’s new about that? This has been the norm in our “beloved homeland” since at least the 1970s. But in fact, there is something new: sectarianism against Copts and many other minorities — including Shias, Bahais, and Bedouins — intensified after the beginning of the […]
AP, DUTCH DAILY NEWS, DUTCH NEWS (The Netherlands); THE GUARDIAN (UK) Worldcrunch AMSTERDAM– Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands formally abdicated Tuesday, making way for her son Willem-Alexander to become king — the first in the country for 123 years, reports The Guardian. After 33 years, the 75 year-old queen — whose title now reverts to […]
LA STAMPA (Italy); NATIONAL CATHOLIC REGISTER (U.S.) Worldcrunch VATICAN CITY– Charismatic, humble, and kind — it was inevitable that the story of Pope Francis would end up on the silver screen. Bringing the story of Jorge Mario Bergoglio to life is German director Christian Peschken, who received 25 million euros backing from a group of […]
CORRIERE DELLA SERA, LA REPUBBLICA, LA STAMPA (Italy) Worldcrunch ROME – A day after a dramatic shooting outside Italian government headquarters, one of the two injured Carabinieri police officers remains in critical condition Monday as Italy’s entire political system attempts to begin its own recovery with a key confidence vote in Parliament. Sunday morning’s shooting […]