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Eyes on the U.S.

At Least 28 Dead At Elementary School In One Of Worst Massacres In U.S. History

Twenty of the victims are reportedly children. The gunman, a son of a kindergarten teacher at the school, killed himself.

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Geopolitics

“A Big Step” – Obama Recognizes Syrian Opposition

ABC NEWS, CNN (USA), BBC NEWS (UK), Worldcrunch WASHINGTON – US President Barack Obama has recognized the leading Syrian opposition coalition as the legitimate representative of the country’s people. “We’ve made a decision that the Syrian Opposition Coalition is now inclusive enough, is reflective and representative enough of the Syrian population that we consider them […]

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Society

Amidst The Ashes Of Buddhist-On-Muslim Ethnic Cleansing In Myanmar

SITTWE – If it weren’t for the flattened gaps in the standing rows of houses, Sittwe would seem like any typical Burmese city, with its decadent colonial façades. But the isolated blocks, leveled to the ground, are the price to pay for the apparent quiet: A brutal urban war begun last June that emptied the […]

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Ideas

The Power Couple – US-China Relations At A Crossroads

In November, both the U.S. presidential election and China’s change of leadership took place. They were the two most watched events of the year. China’s transfer of power within the party has become increasingly institutionalized. Meanwhile, America’s history of democratic election is deep-rooted and continues to play a fundamental role in its national and social […]

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Geopolitics

Obama’s Historic Error: The Irony Of A Nobel Laureate Opposing Palestinian UN Bid

-OP-ED- PARIS – Israel and Palestine, two states living side by side in fair and sustainable peace. This is, for any genuinely pro-democracy advocate – be they Jewish or Arab – the deeper meaning and the real political impact of the vote that took place Thursday at the United Nations General Assembly. Yet this upgrade […]

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Geopolitics

Pyongyang Style – Trouble Brewing Again On The Korean Peninsula

BEIJING – The recent speculation about North Korea’s (DPRK) intention of launching a ballistic missile is causing widespread concern. On November 24, the South Korean daily JoongAng Ilbo revealed that the South Korean military had detected North Korea transporting rocket components from its Pyongyang arsenal to its rocket launch site in the Northwest. The components […]

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Geopolitics

Prisoners Release In Myanmar Ahead Of Historic Obama Visit

IRRAWADDY (Myanmar), BBC NEWS (UK), REUTERS, YAHOO NEWS Worldcrunch RANGOON– Myanmar is set to free 452 prisoners in a goodwill gesture ahead of President Obama’s visit next week. This comes as the latest in a series of reforms implemented by President Thein Sein over the past 18 months after nearly 50 years of repressive army […]

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Geopolitics

Obama’s First Priority: Making Sure Iran Doesn’t Cross Nuclear “Red Line”

PARIS – The file will be at the top of the pile on the president’s desk. It is the singular priority for the Pentagon, the State Department and the CIA – a political hot potato, a diplomatic puzzle, and a strategic nightmare. It is stamped “danger,” “highly explosive,” and could mean a new war in […]

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Geopolitics

How Obama’s Victory Looks In Moscow: Time For Another Reset?

MOSCOW – Barack Obama’s re-election has allowed many people in Moscow to sigh with relief: The Cold War really is over. And that is the most important take-away from the Russian capital after the 2012 presidential election in the United States. The Republican candidate, Mitt Romney, had surprised everyone during the campaign by citing Russia […]

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Eyes on the U.S.

Obama Adds Florida, Turns Focus To Fiscal Cliff

THE MIAMI HERALD, WASHINGTON POST, REUTERS (U.S.) Worldcrunch WASHINGTON – Fresh from his election victory and emotional Thank You’s (see below), Barack Obama will turn back to the gritty business of trying to turn the U.S. economy around. The first order of business will be a Friday appearance to address the so-called “fiscal cliff,” a […]

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Eyes on the U.S.

US-Israel: Obama’s Victory Puts Heat On Chilly Relationship With Netanyahu

TEL AVIV – Following the example of President Shimon Peres, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Ehud Barak did not bide their time in congratulating Barack Obama on his electoral victory November 6. They declared that the two countries “will continue to work together” and that their strategic alliance is “stronger than […]

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Eyes on the U.S.

It’s The Demographics, Stupid! Brazilian Eyes On Republican Woes

To say that the U.S. is more divided than ever has become a cliché. The country has been largely divided down the middle ever since Ronald Reagan’s runaway victories in the 1980 and 1984 elections, when the Republican candidate won respectively 44 and 49 out of the 50 U.S. states. What Americans call “a landslide” […]

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Eyes on the U.S.

Obama’s Miraculous Escape From Economic Brink To Election Victory

-Analysis- Barack Obama’s reelection to a second term in the White House is in spectacular contradiction to the trend in Western politics since the beginning of the current economic crisis. One after another, Western leaders have been dumped by voters who have made them pay for the effects of the crisis and the austerity measures […]

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Eyes on the U.S.

Obama Wins Historic Second Term With 300-Plus Electoral Votes

Worldcrunch Four more years. Barack Obama has been re-elected President of the United States, defeating Republican challenger Mitt Romney and defying odds for an incumbent candidate running in the face of persistent economic problems. Winning at least 303 electoral votes, he swept the battleground states of Colorado, Iowa, New Hampshire, Ohio, Wisconsin and Virginia Tuesday […]

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Eyes on the U.S.

US Election, Around-The-World Edition: 15 Front Pages From Six Continents

EUROPE CORRIERE DELLA SERA (Italy) “Obama: Trust Me, Again. Romney: It’s Me Tomorrow” DIE WELT (Germany) “Two Men, Two Visions” LIBERATION (France): “Double or Nothing” ABC (Spain): “A Duel Until The End” ASIA/PACIFIC THE HINDU (India): “U.S. Presidency Poised On Razor’s Edge” MANILA STANDARD TODAY (Philippines): “Still Too Close To Call” THE AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW […]

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Eyes on the U.S.

Is Obama Or Romney Better For China? A View From Beijing

BEIJING – At the final debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, which was focused on foreign policy, the subject of the rise of China was clearly on the agenda. But when the moderator posed the question: “What do you believe is the greatest future threat to the national security of this country?” Obama cited […]

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Eyes on the U.S.

President As Enigma: The Seven Mysteries Of Barack Obama

PARIS – Naive or arrogant? Daring or cautious? Four years after he entered the White House, Obama remains an enigma. Naive or cunning?“I never saw someone so competitive. What is the only thing that Barack Obama hates more than losing? Losing twice,” confides Robert Gibbs, his former press advisor. But Obama wants to win fair […]

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Eyes on the U.S.

The Planet’s Eyes On U.S. Campaign: A Worldcrunch Special

PARIS – Happy Election Day, America! Happy American Election Day, World! Still undecided? Still hungry for poll numbers?? Still there??? Worldcrunch is here to help. In particular, with our news partners from around the world, we have kept a close eye on how non-Americans have been covering the U.S. campaign: from the Italian correspondent trying […]

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Eyes on the U.S.

The World Eyes Northern Ohio: Will Joe The Plumber’s Neighbors Decide The Election?

SPRINGFIELD – Whenever he has half an hour free, Joe goes into the yard of his little house to split logs. “It’s fun for me. It’s the only thing that really gets my mind off the election.” In the living room there is a pool table, a bearskin on the wall, and his tools. “I […]

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Eyes on the U.S.

When The Middle Class Decides: The Economics Of Obama vs. Romney

NEW YORK – In the focus groups he organizes to understand American voters, Democratic Party pollster Stan Greenberg says lately participants have actually broken down emotionally when answering questions about their lives. “Three-quarters of the population are struggling. Families are overwhelmed, salaries have decreased by 20% and health benefits are falling,” Greenberg, co-author of the […]

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Eyes on the U.S.

America’s Third World City: Meet The Pioneers Reinventing Detroit

DETROIT – An old woman stands in front of a one-armed bandit with a half-lit cigarette between her lips. She takes tokens out of a bucket of popcorn and slides them endlessly into the same slot. You can tell she has been doing this for years. Further in, at the blackjack table, two young men […]

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Eyes on the U.S.

Less Than A Week From Vote, New Polls Show Obama-Romney Dead Heat

THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE WASHINGTON POST, CNN (U.S.) Worldcrunch With less than a week until election day, President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney remain in a virtual dead heat, according to latest poll figures. The latest Washington Post-ABC News tracking poll tips Romney with 49% and Obama at 48%. There has not been one […]

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Eyes on the U.S.

Facing The Fiscal Cliff, Obama Is Best Hope For Global Economy

-Op Ed- SANTIAGO – The most urgent problem for the second term of President Barack Obama or the first term of President Mitt Romney will be a problem that neither of them created. We are talking about the cryptically dubbed ‘fiscal cliff,’ which, if it is not solved, will push the United States into another […]

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Ideas

Tale Of Two Republicanisms: Why Even Conservatives In France Don’t Get The GOP

-Essay- PARIS – If we ask the French what they don’t understand about the U.S. elections, we are spoiled for choices. Having seen French commentary on the Obama-Romney duel, the most pointed area of incomprehension is “what it means to be an American Republican.” We just can’t seem to wrap our French brains around this […]

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Geopolitics

Egypt Says Cairo Police Kill Suspect In Benghazi Consulate Attack

AP, CBS (USA) Worldcrunch CAIRO – Egyptian official sources say a militant suspected of involvement in the deadly U.S. consulate attack in Benghazi was killed in clashes in Cairo. An Egyptian interior ministry source told CBS News on Thursday that the suspect in Egypt, known only by his first name, Hazem, was killed after neighbors […]

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Eyes on the U.S.

Battle Of The Zingers – Obama And Romney Trade Jokes At Charity Dinner

WASHINGTON POST, LOS ANGELES TIMES (USA) Worldcrunch NEW YORK – President Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney took a break from the presidential race on Thursday night to trade jokes and roast each other at charity dinner, reports the Washington Post. Every four years, the Alfred E. Smith Dinner, the Catholic Archdiocese of New […]

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Eyes on the U.S.

Obama Bounces Back In Second Presidential Debate

NEW YORK TIMES, CNN, CBS (U.S.) Worldcrunch After his dismal performance in the first debate, President Barack Obama rebounded Wednesday night with a feisty performance in his “town-hall” style face-to-face against Republican challenger Mitt Romney. Democrats appeared widely pleased with an Obama who appeared much more focused and forthright against Romney compared to his overly […]

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Eyes on the U.S.

Clinton: I’m Responsible For Benghazi. Will It Take Heat Off Obama?

CNN (U.S.), AFP (France) Worldcrunch Republican Senator John McCain has praised U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for taking responsibility for the security failure in Benghazi, Libya, last month that led to four American deaths. After Clinton’s statements in a CNN interview Monday night, AFP reports that McCain issued a joint statement with fellow Republican […]

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Geopolitics

The Obama-Romney Mall Poll – A Foreign Hunt For America’s Undecided

DENVER – Political experts keep telling us there are no undecided voters this time around. Such received wisdom is reason alone to go look for them. With less than a month left before the U.S. presidential election, statistically there must be at least a handful of undecided voters inside the walls of Cherry Creek, an […]

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Eyes on the U.S.

Joe Biden And Paul Ryan Duel To Lively Draw In VP Debate

CNN, WALL STREET JOURNAL, THE DAILY CALLER (US) Worldcrunch Joe Biden and Paul Ryan battled through a tough vice presidential debate Thursday, with commentators largely suggesting that the result was a draw. Immediate polls showed that voters were split on who won the debate with CNN putting Ryan at 48% and Biden on 44%. CNBC […]

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Geopolitics

US Embassy Security Official Shot Dead In Yemen

YEMEN OBSERVER (Yemen), REUTERS Worldcrunch SANA’A – A U.S. Embassy employee was assassinated on his way to work in the Yemeni capital Thursday. Yemen Observer reports that Qassem Aqlan, a Yemeni senior security officer working at the U.S. Embassy, was shot dead by masked gunmen on a motorcycle around 10 am Thursday. Gunmen opened fire […]

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Eyes on the U.S.

Instant Reaction Polls Give Romney Big Debate Victory

CNN, CBS, NEW YORK TIMES (US) Worldcrunch Instant reaction polls, conducted late Wednesday night, showed Republican candidate Mitt Romney won the first presidential debate in Denver, in a performance expected to raise GOP hopes just one month before the election. According to a CNN/ORC poll of 430 people who watched the debate, 67% of registered […]

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Geopolitics

Ahmadinejad To Speak At UN, After Iran Unveils 2000-KM Range Drone

REUTERS, (U.S.) DAPD (Germany), NEUE ZURICHER ZEITUNG (Switzerland) NEW YORK – As television images back home showed off Tehran’s latest weaponry, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad prepared for his final official discourse to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday. Tensions are as high as ever over Iran’s nuclear program and Ahmadinejad’s threats against Israel, and […]

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Geopolitics

Obama Vs. Rambo Vs. Wolverine: Meet Brazil’s Most Colorful Candidates

NEW YORK TIMES (US), O GLOBO (Brazil) Worldcrunch In a country famous for its carnival imbued spirit, it is only appropriate that Brazil’s municipal elections, often a dreary affair elsewhere in the world, are somewhat… colorful, to say the least. Inspired by superheroes, cartoon characters and American presidents, take a look at the candidates screaming […]

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Eyes on the U.S.

A Gaffe Or Glimpse Of The Real Mitt? Romney Stands By 47 Percent Remark

NEW YORK TIMES, WASHINGTON POST, MOTHER JONES (US), FINANCIAL TIMES (UK) Mitt Romney’s campaign team hastily scrambled together a press conference late Monday night to respond to a leaked video, in which the Republican candidate labels 47% of Americans as “people who pay no income tax” and are “dependent upon government.” Romney said he stands […]

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Geopolitics

Tunisia, Lebanon, Pakistan: Anti-West Riots Spread Further Across Muslim World

AL JAZEERA (Qatar), REUTERS, BBC (UK), SANA (Syria) Worldcrunch Anger against the West is spreading throughout the Muslim world as further reports of attacks on the UK, German and US embassies develop Friday afternoon. Following Pope Benedict XVI’s arrival Friday for a three-day trip to Lebanon, anti-Western protests amassed in the country’s second-largest city Tripoli. […]

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Eyes on the U.S.

Latin America To Romney And Obama: Get Serious About Immigration

-Analysis- SANTIAGO – If Mitt Romney’s Mexican father had been deported or had not been able to enter the United States in July 1912, the Republican candidate would not have been born in Detroit in March 1947, Bain Capital would not have existed and, most probably, the citizens of the state of Massachusetts would not […]

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Geopolitics

Muslim Protesters Storm US Embassy In Yemen, Marines Dispatched To Libya

BBC, REUTERS (UK), AL JAZEERA (Qatar), CNN (US) Protestors enraged by an anti-Islam film have stormed the U.S. Embassy in Yemen, following similar rounds of violence in Libya and Egypt that had left four American diplomats dead in the Libyan city of Benghazi. The BBC reported Thursday morning that protesters have stormed the embassy’s security […]

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Eyes on the U.S.

No, Non, Nein: Europeans Don’t Like Romney, Go Figure

DER SPIEGEL (Germany), LE FIGARO (France), THE GUARDIAN (UK), POLITICO (US) Worldcrunch According to new international polling data, the majority of Europeans would like to see Barack Obama voted in for a second term. Meanwhile, his Republican opponent Mitt Romney is still a virtual unknown across the pond. Der Spiegel reported Wednesday that according to […]

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Geopolitics

US Ambassador To Libya, Three Other Staffers Killed In Riots Against Anti-Islam Film

AL JAZEERA (Qatar), EGYPT INDEPENDENT (Egypt), ABC (US), SYDNEY MORNING HERALD (Australia), AFP (France) Worldcrunch BENGHAZI – The US Ambassador to Libya and three other staff members were killed following an attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi amid protests against an American amateur film denouncing the Prophet Muhammad. Al Jazeera reported that US Ambassador […]

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