Pope Benedict XVI’s last general audience in St. Peter’s Square, at the Vatican, on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013 drew an estimated crowd of tens of thousands of people.
Portrait of a Lady: A Female Syrian Rebel Speaks to TIME
Em Joseph doesn’t really look like many of the women in this socially conservative stretch of Syria‘s Idlib province, and she certainly doesn’t act like them. Instead of the traditional hijab, or headscarf, worn by women in …
Is Germany’s Muzzled Military Moving into a New Era?
On March 1, the German Parliament will debate sending 80 soldiers to Mali to provide medical care and help French soldiers train Malian government troops to clear mines and build bridges. That may not seem like a big task for the …
Sabah Standoff: Diplomatic Drama After Filipino Militants Storm Malaysia
A diplomatic crisis is engulfing northern Borneo after a band of Filipino rebels seized control of a remote section of the island’s Sabah state
What Does the Future Hold for the Sudans: An Assessment by America’s Envoy
Ambassador Princeton Lyman oversaw the split-up of Sudan, but he is troubled by the continued mistrust and fighting in the region
The War in Mali: Does France Have an Exit Strategy?
French officials say advances against Islamist militias in Mali may permit France to begin gradual troop withdrawal in March, as soldiers from African nations assume the lead role in battling the jihadi threat
West Bank Turmoil: An Unexpected Death Raises the Tension
Street protests broke out in West Bank last week in support of Palestinians held in Israeli jails. They focused on the plight of four inmates who had been on lengthy hunger strikes in the Ofer prison, near Ramallah. Then, over …
Must-Reads from Around the World
Child labor remains a problem in India, information about soil pollution is a state secret in China and thousands of Colombian coffee growers have gone on strike
Horsemeat Scandal Spreads to Ikea Swedish Meatballs
The Swedish furniture giant is the latest company to be dragged into the European horsemeat scandal that began early this year
Life After the Papacy: What Lies Ahead for the Pope Post-Abdication
Even as his resignation looms, many details of precedent and procedure remain unresolved — and that may cause problems in a church where the symbolic is often the same as the substantial
Assad’s Big Ally: How Deeply Entrenched Is Iran in Syria?
Though Syria will not be discussed when the West and Iran sit down for nuclear talks, it is likely to be part of the unresolved calculus of power in the region
Strange, but True: Dennis Rodman is Going to North Korea
Dennis Rodman, a.k.a. ‘The Worm,’ is set to arrive in Pyongyang on Tuesday for some ‘basketball diplomacy.’
Taiwan Strait: How One Security Concern in Asia Is Quietly Easing
Taiwan’s Lien Chan met with China’s Xi Jinping and nobody freaked out. Why that’s good news for cross-strait ties.