The heat wave across Australia has spiked to unfathomable levels as the ominously-labeled “dome of heat” blankets the continent, sparking wildfires that have caused more than $60 million in damage and claimed more than 120 homes
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Smiling in the Face of Indictment, Lieberman Steps Down as Israel’s Foreign Minister
if the Ehud Olmert case is any precedent, Avigdor Lieberman has good reason to be optimistic about his legal problems.
China’s Nobel Laureate Mo Yan Defends Censorship
At a press conference in Stockholm Mo Yan defended the need for censorship and also declined to repeat earlier comments in support of Liu Xiaobo, the imprisoned Chinese Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
Syria’s Opposition Wins Western Backing, But What About Western Weapons?
Syria‘s new opposition leadership structure announced in Qatar on Sunday could mark a turning point in the stalemated 20-month old rebellion against the Assad regime. But it could just as easily prove to be another chimerical …
Ireland’s Abortion Debate Heats Up
A heated abortion debate, both in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, is symptomatic of the island’s rapid transformation in recent decades
As The Next Archbishop of Canterbury, Can Justin Welby Save The Anglican Communion?
He is an old Etonian, a graduate of Cambridge, a former oil executive—and he’s just been tapped as the next Archbishop of Canterbury. Could the man with high-level business skills be exactly what the fractious …
Is Gay Marriage Too Progressive for the French?
The leftist government of French President François Hollande tables legislation to legalize same-sex marriages and adoptions amid rising opposition and public hesitation
Code Red: China’s Leadership Transition Begins Amid Pomp and Security
And so it has begun. On the morning of Nov. 8, just a day (because of the time difference) after U.S. voters re-elected President Barack Obama, China launched its once-a-decade leadership transition. President Hu Jintao is …
The Circumstance of Pomp: Hamas Makes a Stately Move
The pomp in the Gaza Strip last month was significant. Hamas, the militant Palestinian group long known for parading in the streets wearing black ski masks and suicide belts, had turned out an honor guard in dress uniforms. They …
Riding the Thermals: Inside Hizballah’s Drone–Mostly Hot Air
Alarms over Hizballah’s primitive drone were a publicity coup for Lebanon’s Shi’ite militia. But the PR stunt may have given away any potential element of surprise in the event of another war with Israel.
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.
The Cuban Missile Crisis at 50: America and Cuba Still Frozen in 1962
Raúl Castro’s decision this week to let Cubans travel freely outside their communist island is a reminder of the jaded cold-war policies Washington and Havana adopted after the 1962 U.S.-Soviet standoff
China Celebrates Author Mo Yan’s Nobel
The writer is not the first Chinese person to win a Nobel — think dissident Liu Xiaobo and the Peace Prize — but, with their sleight of hand, elated Beijing authorities are celebrating him as the first Chinese citizen to win …