The new president of the Philippines says many slain journalists deserved it

Many slain journalists in the Philippines had been corrupt and had "done something" to warrant being killed, the country's president-elect said. "Just because you're a journalist you are not exempted from assassination if you're a son of a bitch," Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday, Agence France-Presse reported. The brash, tough-talking former mayor, who will be sworn in as president […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/31/the-new-president-of-the-philippines-says-many-slain-journalists-deserved-it/

African diplomats protest after Egyptian allegedly calls them ‘dogs and slaves’

An uproar has erupted over allegations that an Egyptian official last week called fellow African delegates at the United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi “dogs and slaves.” The accusations became public when a memo by the chair of the African Diplomatic Corps, Yvonne Khamati, addressed to the dean of the corps was leaked to the Kenyan media. […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/31/african-diplomats-protest-after-egyptian-allegedly-calls-them-dogs-and-slaves/

The Dalai Lama says ‘too many’ refugees are going to Germany

Speaking to German reporters in the de facto capital of Tibet's exiled government, the Dalai Lama apparently said that "too many" refugees are seeking asylum in Europe. "Europe, for example Germany, cannot become an Arab country," he said with a laugh, according to AFP, which quoted from an interview the spiritual leader gave to Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/31/the-dalai-lama-says-too-many-refugees-are-going-to-germany/

Muslim families should not use birth control, says Turkey’s Erdogan

Critics of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are frequently riled by his embrace of a moderate form of Islamist politics, an ideology whose rhetoric and values, they believe, pose a challenge to the staunchly secular founding principles of the Turkish republic. Over the weekend, Erdogan made remarks that seemed to confirm his opponents' fears. The Turkish president, no […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/31/muslim-families-should-not-use-birth-control-says-turkeys-erdogan/

North Korean state media offers support for ‘wise politician’ Donald Trump

Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee in the upcoming U.S. presidential election, has faced an unusual amount of criticism from foreign leaders — in large part because of his combative tone and unorthodox policy suggestions. This week, however, he found an unlikely international voice of support — in North Korean state media. State outlet DPRK Today published an editorial […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/31/north-korean-state-media-offers-support-for-wise-politician-donald-trump/

Almost all of Israel’s 32 women in parliament have been sexually harassed or assaulted

Out of 32 female members of Israel's parliament, called the Knesset, 28 say they have been sexually harassed or assaulted, and at least two say those experiences occurred in the Knesset itself, according to a new survey by an Israeli television channel. The survey comes two weeks after 17 French members of parliament signed a […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/31/almost-all-of-israels-32-women-in-parliament-have-been-sexually-harassed-or-assaulted/

Abandoned as punishment, a 7-year-old Japanese boy disappears in bear-infested woods

It was supposed to be a form of punishment, a particularly harsh and memorable kind. But by the time Yamato Tanooka's parents came looking for him after intentionally abandoning the 7-year-old in the woods in northern Japan for several minutes, the boy was missing. “The parents left the boy in the mountains as punishment,” a […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/30/abandoned-as-punishment-a-7-year-old-japanese-boy-disappears-in-bear-infested-woods/

Many Brazilians are outraged over a brutal gang rape. Others, not so much

RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil is still in shock after the highly publicized gang rape of a 16-year-old girl. But while thousands of people have taken to the streets to protest the rape and many more have protested on social networks, there also has been a counter-reaction. The victim, who has not been identified, has told […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/30/many-brazilians-are-outraged-over-a-brutal-gang-rape-others-not-so-much/

A dead baby becomes the latest heartbreaking symbol of the Mediterranean refugee crisis

LONDON — At first, the baby looked as "if it were still alive." But when a German rescuer who gave his name as Martin looked closer, he noticed the "bright, friendly but motionless eyes." The baby was one of at least 25 drowning victims Martin and his colleagues discovered in the sea between Libya and Italy on Friday, he […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/30/a-dead-baby-becomes-the-latest-heartbreaking-symbol-of-the-mediterranean-refugee-crisis/

Scottish leader: If Britain leaves the E.U., we’ll leave Britain

Alex Salmond was the leader of the Scottish National Party and first minister of Scotland when Scots voted on independence in 2014. He now represents Scotland in the British Parliament, and he remains a fierce advocate of a separate Scottish nation outside the United Kingdom. On May 25, 2016, Salmond spoke with Washington Post London […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/30/scottish-leader-if-britain-leaves-the-e-u-well-leave-britain/

El Salvador’s new attorney general is the point man in the war against gangs

SAN SALVADOR — The elevator operator, the man who escorts visitors to the sixth-floor office of El Salvador’s top justice official, happens to be blind. Whether that is coincidence, or an intentional flourish on the part of the Central American country’s new attorney general, Douglas Meléndez Ruiz, the symbolism fits with the mood of cautious […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/30/el-salvadors-new-attorney-general-is-the-point-man-in-the-war-against-gangs/

The main continent in ‘Game of Thrones’ is modeled on the British Isles

Viewers of HBO's hit series "Game of Thrones" (and readers of the novels on which it is based) are doubtless aware of at least some of the ways the medieval fantasy drama is modeled on real history. The feudal conflicts between the various noble houses of Westeros, the western continent where the bulk of the TV show's […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/29/the-main-continent-in-game-of-thrones-is-modeled-on-the-british-isles/

In 1453, this Ottoman sultan ended Christian rule in Constantinople. But was he a good Muslim?

On May 29, 1453, the Ottoman army under Sultan Mehmet II broke through the walls of Constantinople, conquering the capital and last major holdout of the Byzantine Empire. In much of the world, 1453 has since been filed alongside 1066 in the pantheon of red-letter dates in history whose significance no one is quite sure […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/28/in-1453-this-ottoman-sultan-ended-christian-rule-in-constantinople-but-was-he-a-good-muslim/

How long would it take to read the terms of your smartphone apps? These Norwegians tried it out.

Consumer rights advocates frequently urge smartphone users to check the terms of conditions of the apps they download. But let's be honest: Who actually reads them? A few Norwegians wanted to make a point and decided to publicly read out loud the terms of 33 apps in a live-streamed event hosted on their website. On average, Norwegians […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/28/how-long-would-it-take-to-read-the-terms-of-your-smartphone-apps-these-norwegians-tried-it-out/

These three Germans belonged to a far-left terror group. Now, they rob supermarkets to make a living.

They used to be among Germany's most wanted: When far-left terrorists Ernst-Volker Wilhelm Staub, Burkhard Garweg and Daniela Klette disappeared in the 1980s, West German authorities considered them to be extremely dangerous. The Red Army Faction (RAF) to which all three belonged was an extremist group that had killed politicians and businessmen throughout the preceding two decades. Also known as […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/27/these-three-germans-belonged-to-a-far-left-terror-group-now-they-rob-supermarkets-to-make-a-living/

Iranian students threw a graduation dance party. It cost them 99 lashes each.

It happens behind closed doors in Iran all the time: Young people getting together to play music, flirt, and generally relax, hidden away from hard-liners who definitely would not approve. Mostly, the parties wrap up without incident: the guys cleaning up any incriminating clues, the girls putting their head scarves back on. Then they all […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/27/iranian-students-threw-a-graduation-dance-party-it-cost-them-99-lashes-each/

The surreal creepiness of a Chinese factory churning out Donald Trump masks

Donald Trump complains a lot about how China is winning and hood-winking the United States with its supposedly unfair trade deals. Whatever the merits of the argument, China is gawking at the tycoon's political success. As WorldViews noted earlier, a March editorial in the state-run Global Times said the rise of the "narcissistic and inflammatory candidate," who […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/27/the-surreal-creepiness-of-a-chinese-factory-churning-out-donald-trump-masks/

Chinese schoolkids climb a 2,625-foot cliffside ladder to get home. Now, they’ll have stairs.

For more than a dozen children in a small, remote village in southwest China, the mountainous route home from school is long — and extremely steep. Every two weeks, when the students, ages 6 to 15, return from boarding school, they climb a chain of 17 bamboo ladders, secured to a sheer cliff face and leading some 2,625 […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/27/chinese-schoolkids-climb-a-2625-foot-cliffside-ladder-to-get-home-now-theyll-have-stairs/

Hiroshima bombing was Japan’s fault, says Chinese state media

President Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Japanese city of Hiroshima, site of the first use of a nuclear bomb in warfare more than seven decades ago. He did not apologize for his nation's act — which led to the deaths of an estimated 140,000 people — but made a somber speech […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/27/hiroshima-bombing-was-japans-fault-says-chinese-state-media/

Dozens of men took part in the gang-rape of a Brazilian teen. The the video made it online.

The 16-year-old girl arrived at her 19-year-old boyfriend's house in Rio de Janeiro at around 1 a.m. last weekend. She remembers being alone with him there. The girl says her next memory is waking up in a different house surrounded by more than 30 men, many of them armed. All or at least some of […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/27/dozens-of-men-took-part-in-the-gang-rape-of-a-brazilian-teen-the-the-video-made-it-online/

Mugabe empties his prisons because he can’t pay for them

Drastic times call for drastic measures. Zimbabwe's economy is plunging toward total ruin and the government is looking for ways to stanch the bleeding it has inflicted on itself. In May, the government announced that it would be selling wildlife from its game reserves, and even printing its own version of the U.S. dollar amid a desperate cash shortage. […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/27/mugabe-empties-his-prisons-because-he-cant-pay-for-them/

What it was like to survive the atomic bombing of Hiroshima

This post was originally written last year to mark the 70th anniversary of the U.S. nuclear attack on Hiroshima. It has been updated in conjunction with President Obama's visit to the shrine on Friday. Seven decades ago, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. It almost instantly leveled most of the city […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/08/05/what-it-was-like-to-survive-the-atomic-bombing-of-hiroshima/

Hackers have doxed all the reporters covering east Ukraine’s war. Twice.

MOSCOW — First, it was nationalist Ukrainian hackers, who were angry that journalists had accredited with separatists in southeast Ukraine. Then, it was pro-separatist hackers, who had stolen a list of journalists accredited with the Ukrainian government to cover the conflict. Twice this month, the names, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, affiliations, and travel dates of thousands of journalists, as well as […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/27/hackers-have-doxed-all-the-reporters-covering-east-ukraines-war-twice/

China and India have a huge problem with racism toward black people

Just minutes before his birthday, Masonda Ketanda Olivier was beaten to death. The Congolese national was confronted by a mob of men late at night last Friday in New Delhi and killed. Police said the incident was a dispute over the hiring of an autorickshaw; Olivier's friend, an Ivorian national, said it was a clear hate […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/27/china-and-india-have-a-huge-problem-with-racism-toward-black-people/

Almost 1,000 people have been killed in attacks on health-care facilities since 2014, WHO says

In a report released Thursday, the World Health Organization found that about 1,000 people were killed in attacks on health-care facilities across 19 crisis-stricken countries in 2014 and 2015. What's more, 62 percent of those attacks were deliberate. In 19 percent of cases, intentionality couldn't be ascertained. The WHO's data was drawn from online databases and simple web searches, so the […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/26/almost-1000-people-have-been-killed-in-attacks-on-health-care-facilities-since-2014-who-says/

The stunning way a Catholic priest marked the deaths of refugees in the Mediterranean

"Someone who lets people drown in the Mediterranean also drowns God — every day, thousands of times." The archbishop of the city of Cologne, Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, found these striking words on Thursday to condemn Europe's increasingly tough attitude toward refugees. He spoke during a special church service, which took place in one of the German city's main […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/26/the-stunning-way-a-catholic-priest-marked-the-deaths-of-refugees-in-the-mediterranean/

Syria’s ruined cities will need decades, not years, to recover from war

The end of Syria's brutal civil war is not in sight. The combatants are locked in a grinding, attritional battle that is as complex as it is cruel. More than 250,000 Syrians have been killed over the past five years, and roughly half the country's citizens have been forced to flee their homes. Some of Syria's […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/26/syrias-ruined-cities-will-need-decades-not-years-to-recover-from-war/

Pakistani husbands can ‘lightly beat’ their wives, Islamic council says

When Pakistan’s most populated province approved a law  this year that gives women protection – and a potential escape – from abusive husbands, the country’s powerful Council of Islamic Ideology strongly opposed the move. The council, also known as the CII and made up of Islamic clerics and scholars who advise Pakistani legislators, said it […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/26/pakistani-husbands-can-lightly-beat-their-wives-islamic-council-says/

More and more Americans question the Hiroshima bombing. But they would they do it again? Maybe.

Theoretical scenarios show plenty of support for nuclear weapons in some circumstances.

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/26/more-and-more-americans-question-the-hiroshima-bombing-but-they-would-they-do-it-again-maybe/

Eerie photos show the aftermath of a rapidly evacuated refugee camp

Over the course of the past two days the population of the makeshift refugee camp at Idomeni, on Greece's northern border with Macedonia, went from about 8,000 to zero. Aid workers and photographers have been publishing photos of the forced eviction -- Greek authorities have been trying to close the camp for months and transfer […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/26/eerie-photos-show-the-aftermath-of-a-rapidly-evacuated-refugee-camp/

The new battleground for India’s trolls: Amazon reviews

Social media in India, especially Twitter, is already notorious for being a polarized arena of hateful bickering when politics is involved, with nationalist supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi making up the biggest and most vocal army of trolls. Now the political flamewars have found a new battleground: Amazon book reviews. Fans of Modi have taken to attacking authors […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/26/the-new-battleground-for-indias-trolls-amazon-reviews/

Controversial British political ad uses image of a ‘white thug’

A new poster in Britain depicts an aggressive-looking white male gesticulating at an elder South Asian lady in a sari. They sit level on opposite ends of a see-saw. The tagline is "A Vote Is a Vote." https://t.co/ZPPPpRc4Nb ‘A vote is vote’ @saatchilondon @StrongerIn @LeaveEUOfficial #EUreferendum #brexit #bremain pic.twitter.com/79MjoXQvdm — Operation Black Vote (@OpBlackVote) May […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/26/controversial-british-political-ad-uses-image-of-a-white-thug/

It’s not just Hiroshima: The many other things America hasn’t apologized for

This week, President Obama will become the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima, the Japanese city that the United States nearly destroyed with a nuclear bomb in 1945. While the bombing is estimated to have killed as many as 150,000 people, Obama is not expected to apologize during his visit. It's reasonable to ask, after more than 70 years, why not apologize for […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/26/the-things-america-hasnt-apologized-for/

What it looks like when a migrant boat capsizes

A crowded boat carrying migrants headed for a new life in Europe capsized off the coast of Libya Wednesday. At least seven people are believed to have died. The Italian Navy was on hand and said it was able to rescue about 500 people from the sea. The Navy also released pictures that show the moment […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/25/what-it-looks-like-when-a-migrant-boat-capsizes/

Massive sinkhole along Florence river swallows dozens of cars

For your sake, I really hope you didn't park your car along the banks of the Arno River in Florence. Because it may be stuck in a giant sinkhole. An underground water main burst Wednesday morning along the Arno, causing the ground to open up near the iconic Ponte Vecchio bridge, the Associated Press reported. Dozens of cars were […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/25/massive-sinkhole-along-florence-river-swallows-dozens-of-cars/

Meet the British doctor who left his hospital job to join the Islamic State

LONDON — Issam Abuanza was a doctor, working for Britain's National Health Service for seven years. A British citizen of Palestinian heritage, he worked in several hospitals in the United Kingdom, specializing in endocrinology, the study of hormones. But two years ago, according to an investigation by the BBC, he left his prestigious job — and […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/25/meet-the-british-doctor-who-left-his-hospital-job-to-join-the-islamic-state/

The geopolitical guide on whether to wear a tie

On the sidelines of an international summit in Istanbul earlier this week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras shared a lighthearted exchange. Tsipras, a leftist, strode into a meeting room to shake the Turkish leader's hand. Erdogan stared somewhat nonplused at Tsipras's unbuttoned collar. "Where is your tie?" he reportedly […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/25/the-geopolitical-guide-on-whether-to-wear-a-tie/

A swarm of 100,000 bats has made residents of this town ‘prisoners in their own homes’

Batemans Bay, a community in Australia, has a bit of a bat problem. Well, okay, actually — that might be understating it? "I can't open the windows, I can't use the clotheslines, it's just, I can't study because the noise just goes constantly," Danielle Smith, a resident of the town, told Sky News. "I can't concentrate. It's not fun." […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/25/a-swarm-of-100000-bats-has-made-residents-of-this-town-prisoners-in-their-own-homes/

The North Korean-born sons of an American defector speak. In Korean.

Their names are Ted and James, and they look like the kinds of men you might bump into on the streets of Richmond, Va., where their father was born. But they’re speaking perfect North Korean, and wearing badges of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, the first two leaders of North Korea, over their […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/25/the-north-korean-born-sons-of-an-american-defector-speak-in-korean/

Far-right German group got upset about candy packaging and now looks quite silly

A branch of the German anti-immigration, anti-Islamic group Pegida expressed outrage last week that the blond, blue-eyed boy on iconic Kinder chocolates had been replaced with black and brown children. “They don’t stop at anything,” the group said in a Facebook post. “Can you really buy them like that, or is that a joke?” Before […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/25/far-right-german-group-got-upset-about-candy-packaging-and-now-looks-quite-silly/

In Switzerland, Muslim schoolchildren who refuse to shake their teacher’s hand may be fined $5,000

In Switzerland, the humble handshake between a teacher and children at the beginning and end of the day — a tradition throughout much of the country — has become an unlikely battleground in a public debate about religious freedom and sexual equality. Now, one Swiss canton has added a financial element to the controversy, warning families of […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/25/in-switzerland-muslim-schoolchildren-who-refuse-to-shake-their-teachers-hand-may-be-fined-5000/

Pakistani transgender activist dies after being shot six times and then being denied treatment

When a 23-year-old transgender activist was shot six times by a gang on Sunday night in northern Pakistan, other members of her community rushed her to a hospital. Violent attacks on transgender people aren't rare in Pakistan, or across South Asia and beyond for that matter, and the group young Alesha coordinated for, Trans Action, had long campaigned for […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/25/denied-treatment-at-a-hospital-a-pakistani-transgender-activist-dies-after-being-shot-6-times/

Danish police officers can seize valuables from some refugees. So why aren’t they doing it?

When the Danish government passed its controversial immigration bill in January, it did so despite heavy criticism at home and abroad. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) had described it as fueling "fear, xenophobia." The U.N. agency also said the law was setting a dangerous precedent for other countries and could ultimately "put refugees in need at life-threatening risks." One […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/25/danish-police-officers-can-seize-valuables-from-some-refugees-so-why-arent-they-doing-it/

Chinese Taiwan scholar says President Tsai is ‘extreme’ because she is a single woman

Tsai Ing-wen is a lot of things: A graduate of Cornell University and the London School of Economics, a former professor, a seasoned trade negotiator, a veteran politician — and, as of last week, the democratically elected president of Taiwan. But in an op-ed published today in a party-linked newspaper, an academic at the People's Liberation […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/25/chinese-taiwan-scholar-says-president-tsai-is-extreme-because-she-is-a-single-woman/

The forgotten story of tens of thousands of Koreans who died in Hiroshima

As President Obama prepares to visit the Japanese city of Hiroshima on Friday, the debate about whether the United States should apologize for dropping an atomic bomb on the city in 1945 has been reignited (even if the White House has said that Obama has no plans to apologize). This subject matter is perhaps not quite as […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/25/the-forgotten-story-of-tens-of-thousands-of-koreans-who-died-in-hiroshima/

NRA threatens Iran with video about men who wrestle alligators

As part of a new campaign promoting its agenda, the National Rifle Association published a bunch of videos featuring people who like guns making statements against the liberal elites, Hollywood celebrities and feckless political class that would supposedly pry their weapons away from them. The video above, though, is directed at a different target: Iran. It's […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/24/nra-threatens-iran-with-video-about-men-who-wrestle-alligators/

Nigeria’s ‘tomato emergency’ prompts online outrage — at Spain

In Nigeria a basket of tomatoes is N25,000 see photos from #Spain's tomato festival that’ll make Nigerians cry “where is our God?” 🎥@newsroomdaily #UUAfrica #Lifestyle #Lifehappens #whatawaste A video posted by uu @uunista.com (@uuafrica) on May 24, 2016 at 5:17am PDT Over the past few days, a number of Nigerian social media accounts have been posting […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/24/nigerias-tomato-emergency-prompts-online-outrage-at-spain/

Tony Blair feels bad about the war in Iraq. But he still wants to try it again.

Former British prime minister Tony Blair may have left office almost a decade ago, but he still casts quite a shadow over current events. As WorldViews has noted, Blair has played an outsize role in the politics of the Middle East in recent years, first as an envoy to the faltering peace process between Israel and […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/24/tony-blair-feels-bad-about-the-war-in-iraq-but-he-still-wants-to-try-it-again/

A mural showing Donald Trump kissing Boris Johnson appears in Britain

A painting that depicts U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump kissing former London mayor Boris Johnson on the lips has appeared on an abandoned building in Bristol, England. The painting carries a message asking potential voters to register for the June election on whether Britain should leave or remain in the European Union, a hot button issue in […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/24/a-mural-showing-donald-trump-kissing-boris-johnson-appears-in-britain/

Desmond Tutu’s daughter married a woman. Now she is banned from the South African pulpit.

In a country still deeply riven by division over differences -- in race, class, political affiliation, and more -- it is Mpho Tutu's "sameness" to her new wife that has created a stir. Tutu (now Tutu-Van Furth) is the daughter of South Africa's first black archbishop and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, and is […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/24/desmond-tutus-daughter-married-a-woman-now-she-is-banned-from-the-south-african-pulpit/

To sidestep Pakistan, India embraces an Iranian port

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Tehran on Sunday and Monday to ink a major trade deal between India, Afghanistan, and Iran, which is in the process of unshackling its economy from years of sanctions imposed by the West. He used his public addresses there to evoke the "past glory" of India and Iran's […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/24/to-sidestep-pakistan-india-embraces-an-iranian-port/

In shadow of Obama’s visit, Vietnam cracked down on protests over dead fish

President Obama's visit to Vietnam highlights ever growing ties between former Cold War adversaries. Obama announced Monday in Hanoi that Washington would be fully lifting a longstanding U.S. embargo on lethal arms sales to Vietnam,  a move seen as a bid to hedge against Chinese expansionism in the region. As my colleague David Nakamura reports from Vietnam, Obama hailed […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/23/in-shadow-of-obamas-visit-vietnam-cracked-down-on-protests-over-dead-fish/

London to start 24-hour subway service this summer

LONDON — Could London soon challenge New York's status as the city that never sleeps? The British capital will launch a 24-hour subway service starting in August, London’s new mayor, Sadiq Khan, announced Monday. London has the oldest subway system in the world, a vast spaghetti network of lines that ferry more than 4 million people across the […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/23/london-to-start-24-hour-subway-service-this-summer/

Vietnam and America’s surprising turn from foes to friends

From the early 1960s until 1975, Vietnam and America were both embroiled in one of the late 20th century's most disastrous conflicts. The Vietnam War — sometimes dubbed the "American War" in Vietnam — took a terrible toll on both countries. Over 58,000 U.S. soldiers and hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese civilians died in the war. And while the eventual […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2016/05/23/vietnam-and-americas-surprising-turn-from-foes-to-friends/