Russia Says U.N. Draft Resolution On Syria Has ‘No Chance’ Of Adoption
The resolution in front of the United Nations Security Council that would call for the ouster of Syrian President Bashar Assad will be vetoed by Russia. Reuters reports that as the violence continued in Syria, Moscow’s envoy to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov said the resolution had no chance of adoption unless it explicitly rejected [...]
Grumbling, Excitement Build For London Olympics
The last time the British did this, they had a king: George VI, the father of Queen Elizabeth, was on the throne. George was so often tongue-tied, yet he opened the 1948 London Olympics flawlessly. “I proclaim open the Olympic Games of London celebrating the 14th Olympiad of the modern era,” he said at the [...]
In Booming Istanbul, A Clash Between Old And New
On a frigid January morning, bundled-up travelers step off a ferry and scurry toward the imposing stone walls of the Haydarpasa train station, a 19th century landmark in Istanbul, a city full of history. The people boarding this morning are nostalgic. They’re longtime station employees, taking one of the last train runs to Eskesihir, where [...]
In Israel, A Nonstop Debate On Possible Iran Strike
In Israel, there is daily speculation over whether Israel will attack Iran’s nuclear facilities in the near future. The debate is not only over whether Israel should strike Iran, but what the costs and benefits might be from such a strike. Israel believes that Iran is working to build a nuclear bomb, and dismisses Iran’s [...]
For Hungarian Borrowers, A Mortgage Nightmare
Since the U.S. housing bubble burst, many Americans have found themselves struggling to pay off mortgages that are worth more than their homes. Now, imagine if those mortgages were in a foreign currency that has soared in value compared with the domestic currency — the one in which paychecks are issued. As Hungary’s currency plummets [...]
In Italy, Art As A Window Into Modern Banking
As Italy and much of Europe struggle with their finances, the city of Florence has staged an art exhibit looking at the critical – and controversial role – that financial institutions have played for centuries. The recent Money and Beauty exhibit, held in the majestic 15th century Palazzo Strozzi, illustrated how Florentine merchants got around [...]
Tables Are Turned On Crusading Spanish Judge
Thousands marched in Spain on Sunday in support of Baltasar Garzon, the Spanish judge who became an icon for human-rights activists when he indicted former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet in 1998. Now, Spain’s most famous judge is on trial, after turning his investigations toward the country’s own fascist past. Garzon, 56, is a champion of [...]
Secretary Clinton Heading To U.N. For Session Condemning Syrian Regime
As reports come in about an escalation in fighting around Damascus and the deploying of army troops in the city’s suburbs, the State Department just announced that Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will go to the United Nations on Tuesday to join other nations in condemning the Assad regime’s use of violence. State just [...]
Syrian Government Deploys Troops To Quell Rebel Army
Fighting between government forces and army defectors has intensified in the outskirts of Damascus. The Syrian government sent a major deployment of troops to several suburbs and the defectors, who call themselves the Free Syrian Army, retreated. The BBC reports: “At least 26 people were reportedly killed this weekend in what activists say is the [...]
‘Obedient Wives Club’ Irks Some Muslims In Malaysia
Last June, some employees at the Global Ikhwan Café, in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, established the Obedient Wives Club. Global Ikhwan (Ikhwan is Arabic for “brotherhood”) owns businesses in several countries. Since then, it has been castigated for what Muslim and non-Muslim critics call a “medieval and oppressive interpretation of Islam.” The controversy [...]
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