As the Algerian hostage drama neared day four confusion remained high, information tight, and speculation about multiple motives behind the terror strike emerge
Crime
Kurdish Assassinations in Paris Turn a Spotlight on Turkey-PKK Talks
The murder of three Kurdish nationalists in Paris amid reports of peace talks between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party has sparked clashing theories over who is responsible for the killings
Amid the Depardieu Tax Debacle, France’s Budget Minister Accused of Dodging Taxes
France’s controversy-weary President François Hollande sees a Cabinet member accused of tax fraud after the government’s proposed 75% tax on wealthy incomes is struck down
In France, Nothing Says ‘Happy New Year’ Like a Burning Car
France’s leftist government ends previous blackout on nationwide New Year’s Eve car burning by revealing figures confirming the spread of France’s distinctive tradition of auto arson as protest
In India, a Rape Sparks Violent Protests and Demands for Justice
An alleged gang rape in New Delhi has prompted calls for change by women’s-rights groups and violent clashes between police and anti-rape protests in the nation’s capital.
Carry On Regardless in South Africa, as ANC Re-elects Zuma
In a normal democracy, a crushing victory at the polls by the incumbent generally means an overwhelming popular desire for more of the same. Tuesday’s triumph by South African President Jacob Zuma in a contest to lead the African …
France’s Benghazi: Was the Case of Mohammed Merah Bungled?
New investigations into how French authorities handled Toulouse terrorist Mohammed Merah stoke suspicions of an intelligence failure
Scenes from Inside China’s Prison System
China’s criminal justice and prison system is known for being notoriously opaque—trials move swiftly, the guilty sometimes disappear. Here are images from inside two detention centers in Beijing, after government authorities …
Why a Cop Is France’s Favorite Politician
French Interior Minister Manual Valls law-and-order drive has made him the darling of opinion polls, while approval ratings of President François Hollande and other leaders plummet amid the hardening economic crisis.
France Holds Seven Suspects Thought to Be in a ‘Terrorism Cell’
French prosecutors announce the indefinite detention of seven suspected Islamist extremists arrested on Oct. 6, after raids unearthed guns, bombmaking equipment and evidence of recruiting French radicals to join militias in Syria
How Latin America May Lead the World in Decriminalizing Drug Use
Even as Latin American countries are at the forefront of the war against narcotraffickers, they are also pushing alternative strategies — including the legalization of drugs, particularly marijuana
French Anti-Terror Raids Leave Extremist Suspect Dead
Multiple French sweeps leave a Salafist suspect dead after gunfight with police, and mark a return to France’s multi-discipline counter-terror system over the all-intelligence model of former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Syria’s Looted Past: How Ancient Artifacts Are Being Traded for Guns
The ongoing civil war in Syria, a land brimming with history, has led to a dangerous, tragic surge in the looting and smuggling of Syrian antiquities