Worldcrunch
👋 নমস্কাৰ* Welcome to Friday, where Israel’s plans to take control of Gaza City spark widespread condemnation, historic wildfires rage on in France and California, and today’s quiz question comes courtesy of a motorist in Germany. Meanwhile, Kyrgyz investigative outlet Kloop uncovers potential wavering support from Central Asia’s traditionally Kremlin-aligned nations. The Worldcrunch Today crew […]
On Aug. 6, 1945, the first atomic bomb used in history was dropped on Hiroshima by the U.S. The evolution of media coverage of that day shows how our retelling of history has changed in 80 years.
While Mattel’s Barbie doll is the world’s most popular fashion doll, she faces competition from local and regional dolls: from Mimi in South Korea to Steffi Love in Germany, Worldcrunch takes a look at her past and present counterparts around the world.
👋 ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ* Welcome to Thursday, where Iran’s nuclear sites are reported to be “severely damaged,” Gaza mediators are intensifying ceasefire efforts, and our daily quiz question is related to a very old discovery from a Polish cave. Meanwhile, Inma Mora Sánchez for Ethic outlines the issues surrounding women’s self-esteem, from the housewives’ awakening of the […]
👋 Сайн уу* Welcome to Tuesday, where Israel orders new strikes on Iran as it says Tehran violated a ceasefire announced by Trump, NATO leaders meet Tuesday in The Hague, and today’s quiz question comes from under the sea. Meanwhile, Gazeta Wyborcza’s Anna S. Dębowska tells the story of the Polish influencer suing Netflix for […]
👋 Saluton!* Welcome to Wednesday, where Trump doubles steel and aluminium tariffs, South Korea’s new president is sworn in and our quiz question takes you to one of Amsterdam’s iconic museums. Meanwhile, for Daraj, Iman Adel tells us the story of Laila Soueif, the mother of a jailed British-Egyptian activist who has been on a […]
The election of a new Pope, a mysterious UFO sighting, and the birth of a controversial figure.
A terrorist attack, a global health crisis, and a natural disaster.
It is likely that there will not be a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia this year — or ever one at all. If negotiations stagnate, they could resemble the post-World War II relations between Japan and the Soviet Union: A peace treaty was never signed, and the dispute over the Kuril Islands has persisted for more than 70 years.
Playing to defeat their male opponents — and gender division in sports.
Among the images, are photos from Thailand, Gaza, Turkey, Japan — among other places.
The one of Japan’s deadliest earthquakes, the debut of a one-eyed cartoon character and an infamous sex scandal.
The ZUMA press photographs marking and making news for January 7, 2025 include an earthquake in Tibet, Justin Trudeau’s resignation announcement and Charlie Hebdo commemorations in Paris. Earthquake in the Himalayan region Rescuers help injured people from Zhacun Village in Xigaze, southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake jolted this Himalayan region. A […]
Climate change and demographic collapse have driven bear attacks to reach a record high in Japan. In both the countryside and the cities, bears and other animals are taking back territory from humans. Should locals learn to live with them or take extreme measures?
The premiere of one of the best-known compositions in classical music, the overthrow of a communist dictator and the birthday of an actress with a heavenly name.
As 2024 comes to an end, the words we’ve chosen reflect a year of division, from “polarization” in the U.S. to “brain rot” in the UK, or Switzerland’s “non binario”, international Words of the Year show how languages mirror the complex issues of our world.
The birth of a rock legend, a life-changing operation and a revolution in the gaming industry.
With Spirou as the latest case in point, some of the world’s most beloved comics and graphic novels contain depictions that are antiquated at best — and downright racist at worst.
The closing of the U.S. busiest immigrant processing station, the crowning of a new emperor in Japan and the birthday of the “Godfather of Grunge.”
Updated August 9, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. Nagasaki was bombed on this day in 1945, towards the end of World War II. Was Nagasaki the first choice for the bombing? The primary target for the second atomic bomb was the city of Kokura. However, due to poor visibility caused by clouds and smoke from a […]
Updated August 6, 2024 at 11:45 a.m. The atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima by the United States on this day in 1945, during World War II. Why was Hiroshima a target for the atomic bomb? Hiroshima was chosen as a target for the atomic bomb due to its military significance and its dense population. […]
Updated June 7, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. On this day in 1938, the Yellow River experienced a major flood during the Second Sino-Japanese War when the Chinese Nationalist government deliberately destroyed the dikes along the river to halt the advancing Japanese forces. Why did the Chinese intentionally flood the Yellow River? The decision to intentionally […]
Updated May 22, 2024 at 12:05 p.m. The so-called “Great Chilean earthquake” was a magnitude 9.5 earthquake that struck off the coast of Chile on this day in 1960. What caused the Chilean earthquake of 1960? The Chilean earthquake of 1960 was caused by the subduction of the Nazca Plate beneath the South American Plate. […]
Netflix’s latest anime adaptations Avatar: The Last Airbender and One Piece have received positive reviews from fans and critics — exceptions in a long line of live-action failures. Why is it so difficult to get it right? And are Western fans too harsh?
Updated Feb. 23, 2024 at 12:15 p.m. On this day in 1945, the American flag was raised at Iwo Jima to signal the capture of Mount Suribachi, the highest point on the island, by U.S. Marines during the Battle of Iwo Jima. The moment was captured in what is one of the most iconic war […]
The visiting American writer pieces together how the French culture of comics (bandes dessinées) mixes with their deepening love of Japanese anime’.
Updated Jan. 17, 2024 at 11:30 a.m. On this day in 1995, the Great Hanshin, or Kobe, earthquake rocked Japan. What happened during the Kobe earthquake? The Kobe earthquake struck at 5:46 a.m. in the Japanese coastal city of Kobe. It lasted about 20 seconds and registered as a magnitude 6.9 (7.3 on the Richter […]
After two months of war, experts in Ukraine are starting to consider what plan could work to restore the local infrastructure and economy, looking at the experience of Germany, Japan and Italy — countries that went down in history for their economic miracles after being destroyed by war.
Updated Dec. 7, 2023 at 12:15 p.m. Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor was a day that U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt famously said “will live in infamy.” It would finally bring the United States into World War II, though with a decimated Pacific fleet from the Japanese surprise attack. Why Did Pearl Harbor Happen? The […]
A recent study shows the tens of billions of dollars spent to decontaminate land following the areas affected by the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident may not have been worthwhile and have encouraged only a minority of residents to come back. A better option could be to declare the zone a natural reserve. (new subheadline)
Hot dog-loving Argentines even have a high-class sausage made entirely of tender Kobe beef, to be enjoyed without a thought for its price.
Vladimir Putin was eager to welcome Kim Jong-un for a rare visit to Russia in order to replenish depleting supplies of shells and ammunition. But North Korea has its own demands help to build satellites as part of an advanced space program.
It took decades to transform Hiroshima and Auschwitz into authorized destinations that welcomed visitors to explain the sites of unspeakable horrors. Ukraine is encouraging people to see such places as Bucha and Irpin, where Russia is accused of war crimes. Exploring the line between the morbidity of dark tourism and the value of historical memory.
The world’s third largest economy will see its population shrink by 40 million people by 2060. Among the root causes: millions of men in precarious employment, excluded from the marriage market, and work pressures that weigh heavily on families.
Japanese artist Takashi Murakami has unveiled a large fresco capturing the history of economics, from the Sumerians to Elon Musk, at a gallery in the suburbs of Paris. French journalist Yann Rousseau met him in his studio near Tokyo.
The deadliest tsunami in Japan’s history occurred on this day in 1896. The Sanriku earthquake had an estimated magnitude of 7.6 to 7.9 on the Richter scale. What caused the Sanriku earthquake of 1896? The earthquake was caused by the movement of the Pacific Plate subducting beneath the Okhotsk Plate along the Japan Trench. It was […]
The just completed G7 in Hiroshima has locked both sides in the simmering Cold War in Asia into what appears an inevitable confrontation that recalls the U.S.-Soviet showdown. But there are key caveats that make both the limits and risks harder to anticipate.
The weight of history, and of this geopolitical moment, is propelling the current visit of Japanese Prime Minister in South Korea. Washington is happy that its alliances are aligning, but that’s a sign of how high tensions are running in Asia right now.
Facing 14 million cubic meters of contaminated soil collected during the cleanup of fields and villages near the destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant, the Japanese government promised residents it would remove the soil, but now finds itself in a deadlock, despite the tens of billions of dollars spent..
South Korean President, Yoon Suk-yeol, made a gesture of reconciliation towards Japan, the country’s former colonizer. It gives Washington hope that its two key Asian allies can overcome differences as they face an emboldened China and North Korea.