North Korea’s Dud – Amid widespread hype and anticipation, North Korea’s missile launch Friday morning came a cropper as the rocket disintegrated shortly after take off. But the bigger failure, Foreign Policy argues, is that of …
Gender
Must-Reads from Around the World: April 4, 2012
Perilous Path – The Independent of London reports on how the already dangerous journey for refugees fleeing the violence in Syria has become even deadlier in recent weeks as President Bashar al-Assad attempts to tighten control of the country’s borders with fresh landmines, according to the paper’s interviews with aid workers and fleeing …
Must-Reads from Around the World: March 9, 2012
Failed Rescue — An attempt to rescue two men held captive by the Nigerian militant group Boko Haram failed Thursday, the Guardian reports. The hostages, Briton Chris McManus and Italian Franco Lamolinara, had been held by the al-Qaeda-linked group since May 2011. Their deaths came hours after U.K. Prime Minster David Cameron authorized …
Must-Reads From Around the World: March 8, 2012
Nuclear North Korea — Based on newly released satellite images, the Washington-based Institute of Science and International Security says North Korea has made progress in building a light-water reactor to expand its nuclear program, The Guardian reports. (North Korea says the reactor is for electricity generation.) This information …
“The blinding shimmer of the last 35 years of economic gains obscures the fact that while Chinese women have benefited from the rising tide lifting all boats, they are in fact losing ground.”
When a Country Cracks Down on Contraception: Grim Lessons from the Philippines
The U.S. is once again at battle over birth control. It started with President Barack Obama’s “compromise” on mandatory coverage for contraceptives and has evolved into national shouting match about faith, family and fundamental …
Must Reads from Around the World: Feb. 7, 2012
Syrian Situation – Global Post reports on Syrian Christians’ reluctance to join the uprising against President Bashar Assad. “Syria’s Christians, a fellow minority, believe they need the ruling Assad regime for protection,” …
Hillary Clinton Vows to Support Global Fight for Gay Rights
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday vowed that the United States would help fight discrimination against gays and lesbians around the world. In what’s being hailed as a ‘landmark‘ speech, she marked Human Rights Day by announcing that the U.S. will use diplomacy and $3 million in foreign aid to help expand the rights of gay, …
Death of Danielle Mitterrand, Hailed Human Rights Activist (And François’ Wife, Too)
It might be inviting to react to the death of former French first lady Danielle Mitterrand as the closing of the historical book on the legacy of her husband, France’s late president François Mitterrand. That reading, however, would unfairly short-change both the impact that Madame Mitterrand herself had on public affairs, and her …
DSK Is Done: Latest Scandal Nixes Prospect of a Return to French Public Life
At this point, writing an update on the continuing travails of former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn seems a bit like flogging a deader than dead horse. But because unfolding developments appear to be delivering the coup de grace to any hopes Strauss-Kahn had of returning to public life–and reportedly …
The World Welcomes ‘Baby 7 Billion,’ but What Does Her Future Hold?
According to U.N. demographers, today, Oct. 31, marks a population milestone: 7 billion. (See TIME’s special report: The World At 7 Billion) Although there is some debate as to where, exactly, the 7 billionth child was born —Plan International, for one, says the title goes to India—U.N. officials bestowed the symbolic honor on …
French Legal Threat Against DSK Lifted, But Taint Remains
Less than a week after French prosecutors dropped their criminal investigation for attempted rape against Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the woman who brought the charges against the former International Monetary Fund chief said Wednesday morning she won’t pursue her accusations further with a civil suit. The decision announced by writer …
French Prosecutors Drop Attempted Rape Charge Against DSK
The legal proceedings against Dominique Strauss-Kahn for sexual assault and attempted rape continued thinning out Thursday, as French prosecutors dropped their inquiry into charges the former International Monetary Fund chief attacked French author Tristane Banon during a 2003 meeting. But that decision by French justice …