French President François Hollande becomes the first Western leader to recognize the newly-formed coalition leadership of Syrian rebel forces, and ups pressure on other nations to follow his lead.
Must-Reads from Around the World
France recognizes Syrian rebels, Haiti faces food crisis in 2013 after hit by Superstorm Sandy, and more Europeans take to the streets to protest austerity measures
Jordan’s Survival Strategy Hits a Wall: Tightening Funds Make It Hard to Buy Support
Jordan’s King Abdullah II and the foreign powers most invested in his political survival will be hoping that his country isn’t about to demonstrate Trotsky’s maxim that all revolutions are impossible until they become inevitable. …
Aleppo’s Deadly Stalemate: A Visit to Syria’s Divided Metropolis
The rebels know they are not loved by Aleppo’s urbane population but they are increasingly inspired by a higher power
France ‘Biggest Problem’ in Euro Crisis, Say German Officials
France smarts at German comments despairing French economic response to the euro crisis, and media reports contending Berlin is preparing a To-Do reform list for sluggish leaders in Paris.
The Waiting House: Caring for Burma’s HIV Patients
Following a half century of military rule, care for HIV/AIDS patients in Burma lags behind other countries. Half of the estimated 240,000 people living with the disease in Burma are going without treatment and 18,000 are dying …
Syria’s Body Count: Meet the Exile Tracking the Death Toll
Meet the man who runs the much-cited Syrian Observatory for Human Rights from his home in the U.K. As the body count rises, his hopes for his country fades.
Mali’s Militiamen: A Country Split in Two Readies for War
In the districts abutting Mali’s vast north, war looms. In 2012, locals and others forced to flee the conquest of Mali’s north by rebel factions and Islamist groups linked with al-Qaeda are readying to be part of an offensive to …
Europe Faces a Multi-National General Strike Against Austerity
For the first time, continent-wide labor organizations are throwing their weight against austerity. Will it change the E.U.’s policies?
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Denmark’s fat tax is repealed after one year, eBay enters the Chinese online market, and Afghanistan gets both a boost and a suspension when it comes to aid
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 …
Venice’s Hungry Tide: Floods Hit 70% of Italian City
The tourist mecca of Venice experienced a dramatic bout of acqua alta — or high water — flooding this Sunday, brought on by heavy rains that led to much of the coastal, historical city of bridges and canals getting swamped
China’s Leadership Transition: The Communist Party Shuffles the Deck
Scenes from the halls of power in Beijing, where China’s authoritarian government is in the midst of a once-in-a-decade changing of the guard