 | Beyond the soothing titles, some legislative debacles Dec 24th 2012, 23:55 What politicians would think a way to stop the oncoming sequester in defense spending — across-the-board reductions of $500 billion over the next 10 years — could be done by a last-minute cutting of funds for Obamacare, the Dodd-Frank law and approval of a controversial medical tort reform bill? Read full article >>   | | Syria opposition activists expect rocky transition after Assad's fall Dec 24th 2012, 23:45 Planning for the day after the anticipated fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has become a race against time that many proponents of a pluralistic, democratic Syria fear they are losing. In Washington, Istanbul and elsewhere, opposition activists and their supporters are establishing databases and drafting the outlines of an interim structure to govern Syria until something more permanent can take its place. Read full article >>   | | Last-minute holiday idea: Do-it-yourself Japanese-style gift wrapping Dec 24th 2012, 20:37 If you suddenly find yourself realizing that you've forgotten a Christmas gift, don't worry, your favorite world news blog has you covered. We previously published our ultimate gift guide for foreign affairs lovers and world travelers, but many of the items could be tough to secure on short notice. Fortunately, you can use two easily attainable items wrapping paper and a bottle of something special to put together a memorable, worldly present. Read full article >>   | | Eight fascinating facts about Christmas in China Dec 24th 2012, 19:21 I once took a friend, about to return home to China after several years in the United States, on what I thought would be a uniquely American tour of Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. We stopped in, on her request, at one of the specialized stores that sells only Christmas-related knickknacks. As she poked through the Santa ornaments and engraved placards, I asked her what Christmas was like in China. She sighed, inspecting a porcelain Frosty the Snowman. "It's too commercial." Read full article >>   | | Talks with Syria's Assad end with no breakthrough Dec 24th 2012, 17:48 ANTAKYA, Turkey — An international envoy held talks Monday with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad but apparently failed to achieve a breakthrough on ending the country's escalating civil war. Lakhdar Brahimi, tasked by the United Nations and the Arab League with negotiating an end to the nearly two-year-old war, reportedly carried a proposal to create a new government, though not immediately. Read full article >>   | | Christmas, just another front in the Israel-Palestine conflict Dec 24th 2012, 16:40 The Israeli-Palestinian media war, that bloodless contest for the world's sympathies, is re-opening a perennial front: call it the war for Christmas. Official Israeli and Palestinian media offices are releasing Christmas messages endeavoring to champion the biggest holiday in Christianity, which also just happens to be the majority religion in Western countries that are deeply involved in the peace process. But Christians are a minority in both Israel and the Palestinian territories, a status that is sometimes apparent in their treatment. Read full article >>   | | India moves to curb anti-rape protests Dec 24th 2012, 16:30 NEW DELHI — The Indian government sought Monday to douse protests against rape by simultaneously clamping down and announcing a slew of measures to assuage demonstrators, including a new help line for women's complaints and gender-appropriate training for the capital's police officers. Read full article >>   | |
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