French President Nicolas Sarkozy has a knack of vexing his European partners—and he’s demonstrated that talent again with his pledge to unilaterally impose a so-called “Tobin Tax” on financial market transactions in France if …
Q&A with Youssou N’dour: Why the Musician Wants to Be President
Africa’s most famous living singer, Youssou N’Dour, announced Jan. 2 he would run for the presidency of his native Senegal at elections on February 26. He spoke to TIME’s African bureau chief Alex Perry from his hometown, …
Why New Sanctions Raise Danger of Iran Building Nuclear Weapons
The White House believes the latest round of saber rattling from Iran is a sign that sanctions are beginning to bite. Perhaps. But as the U.S. and its European partners move to throttle Iran’s economy by cutting off its ability
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The U.S. Military Eyes the Asia-Pacific. China’s Response? So Far, A Shrug
When U.S. President Barack Obama announced earlier this month that the U.S. military would be re-orienting itself toward the Asia-Pacific—a move that many perceive as an attempt to counter China’s rising power—China’s …
A Hit-and-Run Death Clouds French-Israeli Relations
Given France’s historic and generally close ties with Arab regimes, it’s perhaps not surprising that Paris’ relationship with Israel has always been somewhat complicated. And while French President Nicolas Sarkozy has made …
Can Pakistan’s Liberals Be Saved?
This week marked a year after the assassination of Pakistani politician and Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer. On Jan. 4, 2011, a guard tasked to protect Taseer gunned him down, angered by the much-respected politico’s defense of …
Warren Buffett, Surprise Star of China’s Lunar New Year Extravaganza
Each year, China’s state television behemoth CCTV unleashes a five-hour variety show for Chinese New Year. The TV gala usually includes twirling children and armies of acrobats, aggressively cheerful ethnic minorities and …
Sandals and Solidarity: Why Indonesians Are Using Flip-flops as Symbols of Protest
The wheels of justice stumbled over a pair of flip-flops this week in Indonesia, where a 15-year-old was tried and found guilty on Wednesday for stealing a pair of worn-out rubber sandals. Unfortunately for the boy, the …
Rise of the Magi: On Three Kings Day, Believers and Atheists Should Call a Truce
On Jan. 6, kids all over the Spanish-speaking world will get Christmas toys. Not from Santa Claus but from Los Reyes Magos — the Magi, a.k.a. the Wise Men or Three Kings, who according to Biblical tradition followed a star to …
Landslide Devastates Philippine Island of Mindanao
Three weeks after a devastating typhoon slammed the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, a landslide killed 25 and stranded dozens more. Mindanao, populous and politically complex, is struggling to cope with the aftermath of …
Can A European Ban on Iranian Oil Push Tehran to Fold Its Nuclear Program?
With its agreement in principle to impose an embargo on Iranian oil, the European Union has taken a big step closer to the U.S. stand to force Tehran to renounce its suspected military nuclear develop program. But while it seems …
Bluefin Sells for Record $735,000: In New Year, Same Threats for Tuna in Japan
Tokyo’s famed Tsukiji market rang in the first auction of 2012 with a record sale when a local sushi company bought a 593-lb. (269 kg) bluefin tuna for over $735,000. Weighing in at roughly $1,247 a pound, that’s the most …
Smoke Alert: Chinese Academy of Engineering Honors a Tobacco Researcher
Last month, the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) promoted a scientist to its ranks after his fourth attempt to enter the hallowed body. Not big news, perhaps, except the researcher in question, Xie Jianping, 52, happens to …