SÜDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG (Germany) Worldcrunch BERLIN – What better way to help educate kids on healthy eating than with some Big-Mac-And-Large-Fries-sponsored lessons!? This special sauce comes courtesy of a German non-profit, that has called on McDonald’s to be one of the sponsors for a new government-sanctioned program to provide nutrition education in schools, writes Süddeutsche Zeitung. […]
Author: Julie Farrar
VATICAN CITY– After the surprise resignation of Benedict XVI, the calls to find a strong administrator to reform the governance of the Church, days of speculation and two rounds of black smoke…the white smoke came after the cardinals chose a new leader for the Catholic Church known for his humility, and notably the first pontiff […]
Reforming a broken Vatican is important, but the true job of the Roman pontiff is to proclaim the Gospel. Is Pope Francis, the Argentine-born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, that man?
LA STAMPA (Italy) Worldcrunch VATICAN CITY– The second round of black smoke puffed out of the Sistine Chapel chimney Wednesday morning, meaning no luck so far for the 115 cardinals gathered inside to choose a successor to Benedict XVI. At 11:38 a.m. local time the smoke emerged, revealing no pope has yet been chosen. The […]
How long the conclave lasts is often an indicator of who is likely to walk out as Pope. The favorites are typically elected quickly, and deadlocks can lead to a surprise compromise candidate.
Thinking beyond the top “papabili,” some have cited Cardinal Bechara al-Rahi, the Patriarch of Antioch. For the Church, the plight of Christians in the Middle East is a key issue of our times.
Press blackout be damned, Cardinal Raymundo Damasceno Assis spoke with Folha de S. Paolo about papal candidates, including fellow Brazilian Scherer. Assis expects a short conclave, but is packed for a long one.
Worldcrunch In elections, there are winners and there are losers. But what happens when the winner cannot actually claim victory? How can the loser manage to hold all the cards? Both Italy and Israel are famous for getting stuck in just these sorts of Byzantine deadlocks, and coincidentally both Mediterranean democracies are swimming in it […]
Worldcrunch With the conclave set to begin Tuesday afternoon, the lists of papabili are being narrowed down and scrutinized by the Cardinals gathered at the Vatican. Back in the home countries and dioceses of the top contenders, the secret vote to choose the successor of Benedict XVI can be viewed with a mix of pride […]
Last March’s killings at a Jewish elementary school in Toulouse shocked many, but French Jews have been feeling less secure for years. Some leave, though security isn’t the only reason.
LA STAMPA (Italy) Worldcrunch ROME– Ever mail something that just flat disappears? Wondering where it wound up? For thousands of Italians whose mail was lost, the only consolation is that they now know where it went. For some, the answer may be exactly what they’d feared: in a pile in some lazy postman’s house. Simone […]
Concrete Canvas, YouTube Worldcrunch CARDIFF – Introducing the concrete tent: It’s made of a material called Concrete Canvas and needs only water and air to “pitch it.” The material has all the elements of concrete, but is flexible enough to move before it hardens. Inspired by plaster casts for broken bones, the fibers of the […]
Worldcrunch The conclave to elect a successor to Pope Benedict XVI will begin on Tuesday. Though the only preferences that count are of the 115 cardinals under the age of 80, the man they choose (yes, it must be a baptized male) will lead the flock of 1.16 billion Catholics around the world. So we […]
TURIN – Marco* was dragged here by his parents. He is 17 and spends 16 hours a day glued to the computer. Two years of school down the drain and no friends. But he still doesn’t get it. “I’m fine,” he says. He wakes up at two in the afternoon and goes to bed at […]
NEW DELHI – Mukesh is standing barefoot in front of the computer embedded in the wall, deep in concentration. He’s trying to guide the little arrow of the mouse onto the number eight because the talking machine asked him how old he was. This is the first time that he has come to the “Hole […]
Palestinians are victims not only of Israeli power politics, but of linguistic deception.
KCNA (North Korea), AP, REUTERS, CNN Worldcrunch PYONGYANG– With the UN set to vote on imposing sanctions against North Korea for its recent nuclear test, Pyongyang issued perhaps it’s most virulent threat to date, saying it would exercise the right to pre-emptive strikes against Washington. “Since the United States is about to ignite a nuclear […]
BBC (UK), EFE, EL TIEMPO, EL NACIONAL, INFOBAE, INTORNO INTELIGENTE (Venezuela), LA VANGUARDIA (Spain) Worldcrunch CARACAS– Though not unexpected, the death of Hugo Chavez after 14 years in power and a nearly two-year battle with cancer, has left Venezeula without a leader. The government announced Wednesday that the funeral for the 58-year-old President was set […]
Worldcrunch CARACAS – After a long battle with cancer, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez died on Tuesday at the age of 58. Both in health and in sickness, whether loved or despised, El Commandante was an iconic figure of our times. Newspapers in Venezuela, elsewhere in Latin America, and around the world are dedicating major coverage […]
ROME – Benedict XVI couldn’t have imagined this, because his thoughts were elsewhere: but the news of his resignation was met with cheers by thousands of people in Rome. Why? Because the resignation of a pope has the same effect as the Olympic Games or a Jubilee for the city of Rome: it brings tourists, […]
Worldcrunch VATICAN CITY – The cardinals are meeting at the Vatican this week to lay the groundwork for the conclave to elect a new pope, after this month’s suprise resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. There is much on their agenda: determining Catholicism’s most pressing challenges, looking for the right man for the papal job, clarifying […]
The Microsoft founder and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg are active in trying to eradicate polio. But immunization efforts have led to deadly attacks from Nigeria to Pakistan.
EFE, EL PAIS (Spain), EL UNIVERSAL (Venezuela) Worldcrunch CARACAS – Hugo Chavez is suffering from another severe respiratory infection said Venezuelan Minister for Communication and Information, Ernesto Villegas, in a video statement. “At the moment the respiratory function is getting worse because of the immunosuppressants. Currently, he has a new, severe infection,” said Villegas. “Right […]
LA STAMPA, GAZZETTA DEL SUD (Italy) Worldcrunch VATICAN CITY– The countdown to the conclave is on, and everyone seem to wants in on the action. Indeed one man dressed up as a bishop and headed to the Paul VI auditorium on Monday where the cardinals were meeting to discuss the date for the upcoming conclave, […]
Worldcrunch TORONTO – The epitome of femininity and glamour is a pair of high-heeled shoes, but originally, they were actually designed for men. According to a recent BBC report, high heels were worn as a form of riding footwear, with the heel allowing a soldier to stand up in his stirrups securely so he could […]
LA STAMPA (Italy) Worldcrunch LOS ANGELES – On Jan. 9, Swedish superstar DJ and producer, Avicii put out a call that he wanted to record a crowd-sourced single. After seven weeks and more than 13,000 fan submissions later “X You” is finally complete and is the world’s largest music collaboration. Here is his call for […]
VATICAN CITY – One of the cardinals getting ready to enter the upcoming conclave knows that he himself is not papabile — that is, his is not one of the names being considered as a possible next pope. Perhaps for this reason he has taken the time to lay out to La Stampa, in a […]
AP, CNN, REUTERS, NEW YORK TIMES (U.S.), THE GUARDIAN (UK) Worldcrunch FORT MEADE– Wikileaks whistleblower, Bradley Manning pleaded guilty on Thursday to 10 of the 22 charges he is accused of in what the U.S. government calls the largest leak of classified documents in the nation’s history, writes CNN. There are many moving parts to […]
ASSOCIATED PRESS Worldcrunch VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI became the first Roman pontiff in six centuries to step down, boarding a helicopter outside St. Peter’s on Thursday that took him to the Vatican retreat of Castel Gandolfo south of Rome where he will stay hidden from view for the forseeable future. Earlier, the Pope […]
AP Worldcrunch ROME — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday the Obama administration will provide the Syrian opposition fighting against President Bashar Al Assad $60 million in assistance and provide food and medical supplies, the Associated Press reports. The AP says the move marks the first time American aid, though still not military […]
LA STAMPA (Italy), VATICAN NEWS (Vatican), BBC (UK), Worldcrunch VATICAN CITY– After a sometimes bumpy eight-year rule, and a surprise decision to become the first pope in 600 years to retire, Benedict XVI steps down from the papacy at 8 pm local time. Benedict met Thursday morning for the final time as pontiff with the […]
CORRIERE DELLA SERA, LA STAMPA, RAI NEWS, LA REPUBBLICA (Italy) Worldcrunch VATICAN CITY– Pope Benedict XVI presided over his final papal audience Wednesday before a crowd of some 200,000, reaffirming his own faith and a conviction that his historic decision to resign was for the good of the Church. Italian daily Corriere della Sera reported […]
Beppe Grillo’s protest movement was the winner in Italy’s election that signals a failure of an entire political class.
BBC, THE GUARDIAN (UK), THE IRISH TIMES (Ireland) Worldcrunch EDINBURGH – Cardinal Kevin O’Brien has announced he will be stepping down as Archbishop of Edinburgh and St. Andrew’s following allegations of “inappropriate behavior” during the 1980s, reports the BBC. The announcement comes three days before Pope Benedict XVI is slated to step down, and Cardinals […]
WASHINGTON POST, VOICE OF AMERICA, YAHOO (USA) Worldcrunch LOS ANGELES – In case you missed it, the 85th Academy Awards took place last night. Life of Pi was the biggest winner of the night, scooping four golden statuettes. Here’s what you need to know about this year’s Oscars: 1. Daniel Day Lewis’ win for his […]
The most alive of the dead languages is also getting a boost in some surprising corners outside the Vatican walls.
-Essay- We’re all critical of the leaders of our time: Obama let us down, Merkel isn’t Adenauer, and Hollande and Cameron are just pale copies of Monsieur Mitterrand and Lady Thatcher. Meanwhile, in Italy, in front of the disappointing batch of candidates for national elections, nostalgia runs deep for figures of the past from Christian […]
CNN, REUTERS AFRICA, NEWS 24, EYEWITNESS NEWS (South Africa) Worldcrunch PRETORIA– Oscar Pistorius has been granted bail after a hearing that lasted four days. He is charged with the shooting of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine’s Day. In Friday’s ruling, Magistrate Desmond Nair stated that his decision does not mean that the State’s case […]
In recent days, U.S. and Mideast officials have reported that Iran and Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite group, are making military preparations for the sectarian chaos likely to engulf a post-Assad Syria. Counterterrorism expert Matthew Levitt says that Hezbollah has closely aligned itself with Iran’s Quds Force, an elite paramilitary group linked directly to Ayatollah Ali […]