Worldcrunch
Americans have re-elected Donald Trump, choosing a convicted demagogue who champions power over principle. This historic turn raises a sobering question: Is the West’s beacon of democracy slipping toward the authoritarianism it opposed in its founding principles? A timely viewpoint from Germany’s Die Zeit.
Americans have reelected Donald Trump despite his clear promises to consolidate power and disregard basic human rights. Snapshot of an election of a declared tyrant by a “suicidal” nation. Echoes of history’s very worst tyrant.
With the U.S. elections on the brink, and polls extra tight in swing states, the Kremlin is lapping it up. Rather than outwardly pulling for a Trump victory, however, Wacław Radziwinowicz argues that Moscow is above all, hoping for the high level of chaos that would come with a hung election.
Allegations of widespread fraud in 2020 have left lasting impacts in Georgia. The state hopes to avoid renewed tensions this year, but both Democrats and Republicans are bracing for potential disputes in the case of a close result.
Israel and the West are seeking a stabilized Middle East to shorten the trading corridor with India and Asia. It’s a win-win situation for prosperous economies and the West, but what about Tehran’s truculent regime?
Cuba’s current energy crisis is a dramatic illustration, symbolic and otherwise, of the overall downfall of a country that could have followed the successful models of its Asian cousins. Faced with a socioeconomic dead-end, record numbers of Cubans are fleeing the country.
With its access to the Red Sea, Sudan is more strategic than many wish to admit. A Russian cargo plane shot down in Darfur this week sheds light on the positioning going on among the world’s powers.
Updated October 22, 2024 at 11:30 a.m. U.S. President John F. Kennedy announced that American reconnaissance planes discovered Soviet nuclear weapons in Cuba, marking the beginning of the Cuban Missile Crisis on this day in 1962. What did President Kennedy reveal in his televised address? In his address, President Kennedy revealed that American reconnaissance planes […]
A landmark decision last year by the Mexican Supreme Court is part of a push in Latin America to expand abortion access. But as seen by the U.S. overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022 and the presidential election in November of this year the issue is moving in different directions around the world.
Never since it became the “great protector” of the Jewish state has the United States shown so much weakness towards Israel, as the Israeli prime minister stays one step ahead of his adversaries in a cunning maneuver to help Trump return to the White House.
Benjamin Netanyahu escaped the growing calls to stop the war in Gaza and bring the hostages back, by launching another war on Hezbollah. It’s a taste of what’s to come.
Initially presented as “limited,” Israeli operations have escalated sharply in Lebanon, and the Israeli Prime Minister has called on the country’s citizens to rise up against Hezbollah. What is Benjamin Netanyahu’s aim in this war?
It’s called Active Non-Alignment. The end of a bipolar world and of Western supremacy has created a more fluid, and threatening, geopolitical map. For smaller powers, especially in Latin America, this is the time to “get the best deal” for themselves with the superpowers.
Israel’s aggression over the past few months, no matter how successful, is ultimately a sign of its weakness. Yet it is able to achieve its goals from the support it receives from a number of players inside and outside the region, whether they realize it or not. That even, paradoxically, includes Iran.
Tech’s biggest fortunes are funding a project to build a new city of 400,000 people just an hour outside of San Francisco. But the residents of the region’s most rural county are resisting.
Updated October 4, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. The first Pope to visit the United States was Pope Paul VI happened on this day in 1965, and had significant political and religious implications. Who was Pope Paul VI? Pope Paul VI, born Giovanni Battista Montini, was the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1963 to […]
Updated October 3, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. O.J. Simpson’s acquittal in the murder trial of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman on this day in 1995 was a highly publicized and controversial event in American legal history. Who is O.J. Simpson and what were the charges against him? O.J. Simpson, was a former professional football […]
Iran decided on Tuesday to respond to the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Israel’s offensive in Lebanon, at the risk of Israel’s merciless retaliation. At stake is Iran’s nuclear program, which Israel has long wanted to destroy.
Updated October 2, 2024 at 10:45 a.m. Josephine Baker’s debut in Paris on this day in 1925, was a pivotal moment in her career and played a significant role in her rise to international stardom. How did Josephine Baker start in Paris? On October 2, 1925, Josephine Baker made her debut at the Théâtre des […]
Updated October 1, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. The Las Vegas shooting, also known as the Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting, occurred on this day in 2017, when a gunman opened fire on a crowd of concert goers from a hotel room in Las Vegas, Nevada. What happened during the Las Vegas shooting? A gunman named […]
As Israel celebrates the death of Hezbollah’s leader, Washington and Tehran both suddenly seem powerless, looking like spectators of an unraveling tragedy that is beyond their control. Yet, given its demographics and geography, Israel desperately needs allies.
Chilean winemakers are promoting their celebrated wines in several key markets for consumer spending power: the United States and China are already saturated with every kind of wine. But now India must be a focus despite crushing tariffs.
Updated September 24, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. On this day in 1988, Barbara C Harris of Mass became the first woman to be elected as an Episcopal bishop. What was Barbara C. Harris’ background before becoming a bishop? Before becoming a bishop, Barbara C. Harris had a diverse background. She was born in Philadelphia and had a […]
The upsurge in violence between Israel and Hezbollah in recent days carries the risk of regional conflagration that the United States does not want. But once again, for almost a year now, the Americans have been unable to get their Israeli ally to listen.
More and more schools around the world are starting to implement four-day weeks, in a variety of ways. But will this be a short-lived experiment, or the beginning of a new approach to education that can reduce stress for students, help recruit teachers and rethink learning altogether?
Mexico’s ruling party has reformed the constitution, forcing judges to run for office, supposedly to make them accountable to the people. But given the country’s history and singular problem with crime, it may turn them instead into ordinary politicians vulnerable to bribery and mob terrorism.
Updated Sept. 20, 2024 at 10:40 a.m. On this day in 1932, the famous photo was taken that captured construction workers having lunch while sitting on a steel beam 850 feet above the ground during the construction of the Rockefeller Center in New York City. Who took the “Lunch Atop a Skyscraper” photograph? The photograph […]
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s brutality and the escalation of Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities should prompt Ukraine’s allies to demonstrate total unity and solidarity against Moscow.
Updated Sept. 11, 2024 at 11:30 a.m. The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, happened on this day in 2001. They targeted the United States, with the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon near Washington, D.C., being the primary targets. How many planes were involved in the 9/11 attacks? Four […]
The two candidates for the U.S. presidential election presented two visions of the role of American power in the world. For Europeans, the choice of Kamala Harris may be more reassuring, but the fate of course is in the hands of the American people.
? Ahoj!* Welcome to Thursday, where Boris Johnson faces rising calls to resign, an ex Syrian colonel is convicted in a landmark torture trial, and the U.S. finds loopholes in the Gruyère cheese label. We also mark 10 years since the Costa Concordia disaster off the coast of Tuscany. [*Czech] SIGN UP This is […]
Updated September 4, 2024 at 10:40 a.m. Elizabeth Eckord walked to her first day of school at Little Rock High on this day in 1957. Who is Elizabeth Eckford? Elizabeth Eckford is one of the “Little Rock Nine,” a group of African American students who played a pivotal role in the desegregation of Little Rock […]
The armed forces have been dragged into political and electoral spats across the Americas, from the United States to Brazil to Venezuela. Is this another sign of liberal democracy’s decline in the West?
U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has assured Xi Jinping that, if elected, Kamala Harris would handle ties between their countries “responsibly.” U.S.-China relations are the major issue of this century, as tensions rise over Taiwan, technology and the South China Sea. A Trump victory would make that prospect scary.
Updated August 30, 2024 at 11:20 a.m. American business magnate Warren Buffet was born on this day in 1930. Who is Warren Buffet? Warren Buffett is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, a multinational conglomerate holding company. Buffett is often regarded as one of the […]
Updated July 23, 2024 at 11:50 a.m. Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. on this day in 2005. What was Hurricane Katrina? Hurricane Katrina was a Category 3 hurricane at the time of its landfall, with sustained winds of around 125 miles per hour (200 kilometers per hour). It was […]
The author’s mother shares a name with the Democratic nominee for U.S. president. How our names are spoken in different countries and cultures has some surprising twists, even if Donald Trump’s weaponizing Kamala Harris’ name is pure bigotry and bullying.
Updated July 28, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech on this day in 1963. Who was Martin Luther King Jr.? Martin Luther King Jr. was an American Baptist minister, activist, and leader in the civil rights movement. He led peaceful protests and advocated for nonviolent resistance […]
Updated Aug. 27, 2024 at 12:20 pm Twenty years ago, Argentina beat the star-studded U.S. basketball team at the Athens Olympics in a major upset. Who were the key players for Argentina in the game against the United States? Several key players contributed to Argentina’s victory against the United States, including Manu Ginóbili, Andrés Nocioni, […]
Ahead of the U.S. presidential election, Ivan Timofeev of the Russian International Affairs Council, considers which candidate would be better for Russia. While it’s often thought that Moscow should hope for Donald Trump to win, his first term as president shows his “transactional” nature and otherwise minor impact on foreign policy.