With more than 40,000 people killed in Syria’s devastating war, and about three million people driven from their homes, Western and Arab leaders are grappling with one question: How and when does all this end? The answer, say …
An Interview with Nechirvan Barzani: Will There Be an Independent Kurdistan?
The world has made a path to Iraqi’s autonomous Kurdish region because of oil. Will Iraqi Kurdistan now be able to do what was once impossible: give the perpetually stateless Kurds a country of their own?
The World Didn’t End, But the U.S.’s Arrogant Disregard for Mexico Should
The Maya solstice represents a hopeful new cosmological beginning—and that ought to mean an end to our tiresome arrogance and indifference toward the world south of the border.
Must-Reads from Around the World
Gender imbalance in China is prompting rural men to move to urban areas in search of wives, Turkey’s Internet companies are booming and Africa now has more cell phone subscribers than the U.S.
Behind the Story: TIME’s Emily Rauhala Discusses South Korea’s First Female President
TIME Asia associate editor Emily Rauhala discusses the story behind the story of Park Geun-hye’s historic win as South Korea’s first female President
Why Has Moscow Passed a Bill to Ban U.S. Adoption of Russian Orphans?
The bill is meant to retaliate against a human-rights slap on the wrist by Washington, but it will deprive thousands of Russian orphans of better lives
Look the Other Way, Please: What Are Those Secret Talks in Paris All About?
Hush-hush talks staged near Paris by independent organizers bring leaders of enemy sides in the Afghan war together for informal talks. Will this lead to official peace negotiations?
Is Narendra Modi a Step Closer to Being India’s Next Prime Minister?
Gujarat’s bookies are probably lying low for the next few days. The good odds they put on a narrow win for Narendra Modi did not pay off today, as the charismatic and divisive Indian politician was re-elected as chief minister of …
Egypt’s Referendum: As Second Vote Nears, National Unity Nowhere in Sight
New constitutions, particularly in postrevolutionary societies, ought to be unifying documents. They are supposed to articulate what collective future a nation sees for itself. Halfway through the final step in Egypt’s tortured …
Must-Reads from Around the World
The U.N. adds pressure on Israel to stop expanding settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the Hong Kong government makes a move to curb air pollution and Canadian authorities arrest three men over stolen maple syrup.
The Swiss Difference: A Gun Culture That Works
The country had one mass shooting in 2001, but a resulting anti-gun referendum failed to pass. The Swiss will not give up the gun. Can their system work in the U.S.?
South Korea Elects First Female President: Park Geun-hye
On Wednesday, South Koreans chose the daughter of South Korea’s Cold War strongman Park Chung-hee as the country’s first female President
Brutal New Delhi Gang Rape Outrages Indians, Spurs Calls for Action
On Sunday, a 23-year-old woman was gang raped for almost an hour on a moving bus and then thrown semi-naked on the road to die. Sadly, it was not an isolated incident