Thursday’s selections include Hamas Holocaust-deniers and a Somali constitution.
Syrian Paradox: The Regime Gets Stronger, Even as It Loses Its Grip
As the regime’s ability to govern Syria declines, it is being transformed into a powerful militia that has little incentive to compromise
After the Blackout: How India’s Planners Failed Its People
This week’s epic power outage is a bleak reminder that India’s power sector has remained frozen in time while neighbors like China have surged ahead
Documenting the Dissident: A Q&A with Alison Klayman, Director of Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry
TIME speaks with Alison Klayman, the young American director of a recently released documentary about Ai Weiwei, China’s high-profile dissident artist
Yasser Arafat’s Wife Requests an Investigation into His Mysterious Death
Late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat’s wife files a legal case in France requesting a new inquiry into the cause of her husband’s death, after high levels of radiocative polomium were discovered on his clothes.
Ultra-Orthodox Jews Mark Talmudic Rites
Tens of thousands of Ultra Orthodox Jews attend Siyum HaShas, a celebration marking completion of a seven-and-a-half year study-cycle of the entire Babylonian Talmud. Each of the 2711 pages of the Talmud is studied in sequence, …
New Sanctions, Old Postures as U.S.-Israel-Iran Stalemate Drags On
Did Mitt Romney’s hawkish posture in Israel last weekend increase the likelihood of an Israeli attack on Iran? Unlikely. Will Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s visit to Israel to discuss “various contingencies and how we would …
Must-Reads from Around the World, August 1, 2012
Today’s picks include a regional dispute and the whaling industry.
India’s Epic Blackout Sparks Anger at Politicians, Doubts over Development
A second blackout in 24 hours left over 600 million Indians without power, as the country sweltered and work ground to a halt. Now many fear the country’s long-standing infrastructure woes have come home to roost
After Gaffe-Filled Foreign Tour, Europe Asks: ‘Is Mitt Romney a Loser?’
The headlines may be embarrassing, but the fallout of Mitt Romney’s bumbling foreign tour will wreak minimal damage on his presidential campaign
Doping Suspicions About Gold-Medal Swimmer Trigger Angry Response in China
Chinese coaches, commentators and sports fans have rallied to support 16-year-old swimmer Ye Shiwen, whose world record-breaking swim in the 400m individual medley at the London Olympics has raised questions about doping. Ye beat …
Blackout Leaves 620 Million Indians Without Power
The country’s eastern and northern electricity grids have collapsed, leaving an estimated 600 million people in 13 states without power, according to the Associated Press. The blackout is causing travel chaos and raising …
When Syria’s Dust Settles, Will Assad Be Replaced by a ‘Junta in a Box’?
Frustrated by opposition failures and anxious over what would follow Assad, Western and Arab powers appear to be auditioning defector Manaf Tlass for a role in an interim ruling military council