All the theories about what’s happening to the diplomats in Cuba

It's a mystery out of a John le Carre novel: For the past several months, U.S. diplomats in Cuba have suffered unexplainable symptoms, from hearing loss and vertigo to nausea and concussions. Some say they're struggling to concentrate and recall even common words. Equally strange: While some victims said they felt vibrations or heard loud noises audible […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/30/all-the-theories-about-whats-happening-to-the-diplomats-in-cuba/

Catalonia independence vote: What you need to know

When Catalans go to the polls on Sunday, they'll find just one question on the ballot: “Do you want Catalonia to become an independent state in the form of a republic?” How did we get here, what's at stake and what could happen next? Why do Catalonians want independence? For “independistas,” the fight for freedom has […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/30/catalonia-independence-vote-what-you-need-to-know/

Mexico’s president faces an earthquake of his own when he asks citizens for disaster assistance

MEXICO CITY — The late-night tweet from the Mexican president’s office went out as an ordinary appeal for assistance in a time of crisis. “Mexico still needs you,” read the Wednesday night tweet. “Help with tents, tarps and blankets for families displaced by the #earthquakes. #FuerzaMéxico.” But the appeal fell flat. It also hit a […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/30/mexicos-president-faces-an-earthquake-of-his-own-when-he-asks-citizens-for-disaster-assistance/

In Indonesia, the ‘fake news’ that fueled a Cold War massacre is still potent five decades later

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Early on the morning of Oct. 1, 1965, members of Indonesia's armed forces kidnapped and killed six high-ranking generals in Jakarta. To this day, it's not entirely clear who was involved in planning the operation or what the “30th September Movement” hoped to achieve. But the military's swift reaction and the mass […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/30/in-indonesia-the-fake-news-that-fueled-a-cold-war-massacre-is-still-potent-five-decades-later/

Catalan farmers drive hundreds of tractors through Barcelona in support of independence vote

BARCELONA — It for sure wasn’t the usual parade, but at midday Friday, hundreds of Catalan farmers rumbled down the elegant boulevards of this lovely city on their tractors, and parked their idling machines around the headquarters of the federal government. Farmers in Catalonia are no strangers to protest. When they’re unhappy with agricultural policy, they’re […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/29/catalan-farmers-drive-hundreds-of-tractors-through-barcelona-in-support-of-independence-vote/

9 new countries were founded in the past 25 years. What could they teach Catalonia?

Throughout history, maps have been redrawn as countries have been founded, empires have fallen, and borders have shifted. And this week, if two would-be nations have their way, we will be redrawing maps once again. Catalonians plan to vote on their independence from Spain on Sunday. Remarkably, it will be the second independence vote in […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/29/9-new-countries-were-founded-in-the-past-25-years-what-could-they-teach-catalonia/

In Singapore, you could briefly buy fake Lego sets featuring ‘Jihadi John’ and other Islamic State terrorists

On the hunt for a festive children's birthday gift? In Singapore, you briefly had the chance to snap up a knockoff Lego set featuring Jihadi John, a British-born Islamic State militant filmed beheading several captives. (Actual ad copy from one online site: “Extremist who enjoys blowing things up for fun. One day, he'll blow himself up.") It […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/29/in-singapore-you-could-briefly-buy-fake-lego-sets-featuring-jihadi-john-and-other-islamic-state-terrorists/

U.S. ambassador breaks with policy: ‘I think the settlements are part of Israel’

JERUSALEM – In his first on-camera interview since taking up his position this year, U.S. Ambassador David Friedman declared that only 2 percent of the West Bank is occupied and that settlements are part of Israel, sparking angry reaction from Palestinians. Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat described the interview with the Israeli news site Walla […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/29/u-s-ambassador-breaks-with-policy-i-think-the-settlements-are-part-of-israel/

North Korea claims almost 5 million have signed up to join its already enormous army

North Korea's state newspaper reported Thursday that 4.7 million students and workers have expressed a desire to enlist or reenlist in the nation's army, potentially adding a major boost in manpower to what is already one of the largest armed forces in the world. It is difficult for outside analysts to gauge the accuracy of the report […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/28/north-korea-claims-almost-5-million-have-signed-up-to-join-its-already-enormous-army/

Watch a Thai soldier save the life of a tiny puppy by performing CPR

It was a moment made for a Hallmark movie. This week, a group of Thai soldiers found a drowning puppy in a flooded garage. By the time they arrived, the pup — just two days old — was floating on his back. He'd already turned blue. Then, soldier Weeraphon Sukudom launched a last-ditch effort to […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/28/watch-a-thai-soldier-save-the-life-of-a-tiny-puppy-by-performing-cpr/

How Europe’s far right could defeat itself, and 4 other global stories

In this occasional series, The Washington Post brings you up to speed on some of the biggest stories of the week. First up: As Germany's far-right celebrates, a different picture emerges in France. The biggest story: Germany's far right breaks a taboo, but will it last? Although German Chancellor Merkel secured the most votes in […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/28/how-europes-far-right-could-defeat-itself-and-4-other-global-stories/

Ugandan lawmakers brawled over the president’s effort to extend his rule. Now broadcasting parliamentary hearings is illegal.

NAIROBI — This week, as lawmakers debated one of the country’s most important bills, Uganda’s parliament turned into an ultimate fighting ring. Parliamentarians hurled chairs at each other and swung microphone stands like swords. Men were torn from the room by their blazers and women by their dresses. Some people wailed and cried. That fight […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/28/ugandan-lawmakers-brawled-over-the-presidents-effort-to-extend-his-rule-now-broadcasting-parliamentary-hearings-is-illegal/

A 28-year-old had sex with an 11-year-old. Under French law, it’s not necessarily rape.

He told her that he would “teach her how to kiss.” That's how a 28-year-old man lured an 11-year-old child back to his apartment when the pair met in April. The man had approached the girl twice before. This time, she followed him back to his home in a Paris suburb. Once inside, the pair had sex in a […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/27/a-28-year-old-had-sex-with-an-11-year-old-under-french-law-its-not-necessarily-rape/

South Korea’s Winter Olympics map inconveniently omitted Japan

@KentGilbert01 　平昌オリンピック公式HPだそうです。日本が無いです。　国際的にみてどう解釈すればいいですか？　https://t.co/8krHzLdW1R pic.twitter.com/UikqXs3iXx — matsudaEnjoyTheBike! (@mowa_matsuda) September 26, 2017 The 2018 Winter Olympic Games are due to be held in PyeongChang, South Korea, early next year. And, understandably, they are already somewhat controversial, because of the increasing tensions with North Korea, which lies not far above where the Games will be held. But this week, the Games have […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/27/south-koreas-winter-olympics-map-inconveniently-omitted-japan/

‘My whole world was my village’: Rohingya refugees share what they left behind

BALUKHALI, Bangladesh — Nearly half a million Rohingya refugees now live in Balukhali and nearby tent cities in Bangladesh after ethnic conflict in Burma sparked the most rapid human exodus since the Rwandan genocide in 1994. We asked some of them what they missed most about the homes they had left behind. Nurul Ameen, 11 A […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/28/my-whole-world-was-my-village-rohingya-refugees-share-what-they-left-behind/

Here’s how women in Saudi Arabia reacted to news that they’ll finally be allowed to drive

In 1990, Madeha al Ajroush and 46 other women did something revolutionary. The group dismissed their drivers and got behind the wheels of cars in downtown Riyadh. "We just drove the car," she told NPR years later. "It was exhilarating. It was great." For their rebellion, the women were fired from their jobs and denounced […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/26/heres-how-women-in-saudi-arabia-reacted-to-news-that-theyll-finally-be-allowed-to-drive/

Russian ‘cannibal couple’ may have drugged, killed and eaten as many as 30 people, police say

Investigators believe a Russian couple knocked their victims out with sedatives, then skinned them alive. Afterward, police say, they ate parts of their victims, froze the remains or packed them in jars filled with saline solution. At times, the couple tried to turn soldiers at the military academy where they worked into unwitting cannibals, slipping “canned […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/26/russian-cannibal-couple-may-have-drugged-killed-and-eaten-as-many-as-30-people-police-say/

Will Ireland finally legalize abortion? Polls paint a complicated picture.

During his first speech as Ireland's national leader on Tuesday, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced a big plan: Ireland intends to hold a referendum on its constitutional ban on abortion in May or June next year. The vote could signal major change for Ireland, one of the last European countries where abortion is still illegal, even in cases of rape, […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/26/will-ireland-finally-legalize-abortion-polls-paint-a-complicated-picture/

Senior Saudi official fired after textbook photo showed late King Faisal sitting by Yoda

احد اعمالي الجيداي الاخير، ٢٠١٣ The last Jedi master, Shaweesh 2013 #starwars #yoda #starwarstheforceawakens A post shared by شَـــاوِيشْ (@shaweesh_) on Dec 18, 2015 at 5:43am PST A senior education official in Saudi Arabia has been fired after a school textbook erroneously included a digitally altered image of the late King Faisal that showed him sitting […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/26/senior-saudi-official-fired-after-textbook-photo-showed-late-king-faisal-sitting-by-yoda/

Indian judge acquits prominent man of rape, saying a ‘feeble no’ may mean ‘yes’ to sex

A high court judge has set aside the rape conviction of a prominent Indian actor and director, saying that a “feeble no” may mean a “yes” to sex — a case that has revived debate in India over the meaning of consent in rape cases. On Monday, Delhi High Court Justice Ashutosh Kumar set aside the […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/26/indian-judge-acquits-prominent-man-of-rape-saying-a-feeble-no-may-mean-yes-to-sex/

Iran’s leaders opposed Kurdish independence vote in Iraq. Iran’s Kurds celebrated on the streets.

  ISTANBUL — Nearly every Middle East government was opposed to Monday's vote for independence in the Kurdish region of Iraq. But not so just across the border in the cities and towns of western Iran. There, thousands of Iranian Kurds, jubilant for their Iraqi kin, staged demonstrations in support of the vote. (Iran is […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/26/irans-leaders-opposed-kurdish-independence-vote-in-iraq-irans-kurds-celebrated-on-the-streets/

800,000 riders in London say they want Uber to keep driving — as CEO apologizes for bad behavior

LONDON — Sorry, Uber says, we took a wrong turn. London transit authorities announced last week that they were revoking Uber’s license to operate in one of its biggest and best markets, yanking the popular ride-hailing taxi service off the roads because it wasn't a “fit and proper” private car-hire operator. At first, Uber was […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/25/800000-riders-in-london-say-they-want-uber-to-keep-driving-as-ceo-apologizes-for-bad-behavior/

Doctors in three countries tried to save the ‘world’s heaviest woman.’ Now they mourn her.

An Egyptian national believed at one point to be the “world's heaviest woman” died Monday at a hospital in the United Arab Emirates, putting a tragic end to a months-long campaign — spanning three countries — to save her life. Eman Ahmed Abd El Aty passed away at 4:35 a.m. local time Monday, according to Burjeel […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/25/doctors-in-three-countries-tried-to-save-the-worlds-heaviest-woman-now-they-mourn-her/

Kurds say they have no friends but the mountains. Now they have Israel, and that could cause them grief.

IRBIL, Iraq — Blue and white Israeli flags have become a common sight in the Kurdish regional capital, Irbil. Some Kurds fly them on their cars. Others waved them enthusiastically at massive rallies ahead of Monday’s referendum on independence. Israel has been a vocal advocate of Kurdish independence in the lead-up to the vote, and […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/25/kurds-say-they-have-no-friends-but-the-mountains-now-they-have-israel-and-that-could-cause-them-grief/

Are Kurds more like Jews or Palestinians? It depends on who you ask.

On Monday, Iraqi Kurds will go to the polls to decide whether to seek independence from Iraq. So far, only one world leader has publicly backed the cause: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. There are concrete geopolitical reasons for Israel to support Kurdish independence. But a number of writers have suggested a deeper connection. They've highlighted ties between […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/25/are-kurds-more-like-jews-or-palestinians-it-depends-on-who-you-ask/

Why did the U.S. travel ban add counterterrorism partner Chad? No one seems quite sure.

NAIROBI — For years, the United States and its European allies have praised the central African nation of Chad as a helpful partner in the fight against terrorism. But on Sunday — shocking both Chadians and regional analysts — the Trump administration announced that Chad would be included in the newest American travel ban. In […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/25/why-did-the-u-s-travel-ban-add-counterterrorism-partner-chad-no-one-seems-quite-sure/

Like Germany’s Social Democrats, left-wing parties are losing ground across Europe

BERLIN — The 2017 German election fits at least three bigger trends. There was Merkel who convinced Germans to grant her a fourth term in office, reaffirming her position as the preferred choice in the center. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) joined a number of other far-right parties across Europe in gaining seats in parliament for the first […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/25/like-germanys-social-democrats-left-wing-parties-are-losing-ground-across-europe/

The rise of Germany’s far right leaves Merkel stuck with the ‘Jamaican’ option

Want smart analysis of the most important news in your inbox every weekday along with other global reads, interesting ideas and opinions to know? Sign up for the Today's WorldView newsletter. In one sense, it was business as usual: Germany voted, the center held, stability won out and Chancellor Angela Merkel will stay in power, poised […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/25/the-rise-of-germanys-far-right-leaves-merkel-stuck-with-the-jamaican-option/

Manafort’s Russia connection: What you need to know about Oleg Deripaska

MOSCOW — An aluminum magnate who survived the gangster capitalism of the 1990s and the financial crisis of 2008, Oleg Deripaska is a shrewd self-made billionaire who has managed to stay on the right side of power, whether by marrying into "the family" of Russia's first president, Boris Yeltsin, or by making himself indispensable to its current one, Vladimir Putin. As my Washington-based colleagues reported […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/24/manaforts-russia-connection-what-you-need-to-know-about-oleg-deripaska/

Germans elect a new government but miss a debate over their future

BERLIN — A sleepy German election Sunday will be a bookend of sorts to this year's string of high-stakes contests across Europe, seen as decisive measures of the reach of far-right populism after the election of Donald Trump and the decision of British voters to leave the European Union. Even though Germany's far-right faction — […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/24/germans-elect-a-new-government-sunday-but-missed-a-debate-over-their-future/

German far-right leader says Merkel’s refugee policy enabled his party’s rise

Alexander Gauland, 76, is co-leader of the far-right, anti-immigration party Alternative for Germany, which is known by its German acronym, AfD. The party, which Gauland helped found in 2013, began as a protest against European bailouts in Greece. But it is now principally known for its anti-immigration and anti-refugee positions. Polls show that the party […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/23/german-far-right-leader-says-merkels-refugee-policy-enabled-his-partys-rise/

Far-right German party uses ‘modern marketplace’ of the Web to breach cultural taboo

BERLIN — The campaign of a far-right German party poised to topple a postwar barrier and enter Parliament for the first time is premised on persuading voters that they are not alone in supporting the faction, Alternative for Germany, or AfD. Their most useful ally in this effort is the Internet, that vast space connecting people […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/23/far-right-german-party-uses-modern-marketplace-of-the-web-to-breach-cultural-taboo/

Travelers beware: Meth-laced 7Up reportedly causes death in Mexico

Methamphetamine-laced 7Up has reportedly caused one death and sent seven other people to the hospital in northern Mexico, prompting warnings to travelers from U.S. health professionals. Mexican authorities have removed the soft drink from shelves in the Mexicali area, just south of the California border, and are investigating how the drug made its way into the soda, according to a news […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/23/travelers-beware-meth-laced-7up-reportedly-causes-death-in-mexico/

One of Italy’s major parties just held primaries. But the results are a secret.

  Milan – As Italy approaches general elections, the party leading in the polls just held its primaries. The problem is that the results are – officially, at least – a secret and that the vote was held online, on a digital platform owned by a company whose chief executive has an unofficial key role in […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/22/one-of-italys-major-parties-just-held-primaries-but-the-results-are-a-secret/

How German politics became a beacon of stability compared with the U.S.

BERLIN — When the United States headed to the polls in November, German newspapers followed the divisive campaign breathlessly for weeks. Almost a year later, however, the country's own election is attracting much less interest. On Thursday — four days before the crucial vote — some of the top German national papers did not even mention it in their lead […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/22/how-german-politics-became-a-beacon-of-stability-compared-with-the-u-s/

This Arab country is allowing Muslim women to marry non-Muslim men. That’s the good news.

Just over a week ago, Tunisia became one of the only countries in the Arab world to allow Muslim women to marry non-Muslim men, flouting centuries of tradition and earning the accolades of human rights groups and activists around the world. The measure has been cited as another example of Tunisia’s exceptionalism — as the country that […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/22/this-arab-country-is-allowing-muslim-women-to-marry-non-muslim-men-thats-the-good-news/

North Korean leader on Trump: ‘I will surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged U.S. dotard with fire’

TOKYO — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has warned President Trump that he will make the U.S. leader “pay dearly” for his threat to totally destroy North Korea, in an unusual direct and angry statement published Friday. Calling Trump a “mentally deranged U.S. dotard” and his speech to the U.N. General Assembly “unprecedented rude nonsense,” […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/21/north-korean-leader-to-trump-i-will-surely-and-definitely-tame-the-mentally-deranged-u-s-dotard-with-fire/

North Korea’s foreign minister is speaking at the U.N. Who is he?

TOKYO – When North Korea’s foreign minister takes the podium at the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, it will mark a relatively rare public appearance of a representative from Kim Jong Un’s regime. Already, since he arrived in New York this week, Ri Yong Ho has made headlines, comparing President Trump to a barking […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/21/north-koreas-foreign-minister-is-speaking-at-the-u-n-who-is-he/

France’s National Front lost big in the last two elections. Now the far-right party is in chaos.

PARIS — A little over four months ago, France’s National Front was on the doorstep of the French presidency. But now the party is drifting farther and father away from power -- and maybe even into obscurity. As of Thursday, the party that has long served as the bedrock of the European far right — a […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/21/frances-national-front-lost-big-in-the-last-two-elections-now-the-far-right-party-is-in-chaos/

The refugee crisis once threatened to sink Angela Merkel’s career. How did the German chancellor weather the storm?

BERLIN — Barring something seismic and unpredictable, Angela Merkel, Germany’s long-serving chancellor, will be reelected Sunday. That hasn't always been clear. Scarcely a year ago, pundits were preparing her political obituary. In September 2016, the chancellor's Christian Democratic Union fell to third place in an election in her home district. Overtaking her center-right bloc was Alternative […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/21/the-refugee-crisis-once-threatened-to-sink-angela-merkels-career-how-did-the-german-chancellor-weather-the-storm/

How Namibia responded to Trump inventing a country called ‘Nambia’

As President Trump spoke to African leaders at the United Nations on Wednesday, he made not one but two references to a country called Nambia. “Nambia’s health system is increasingly self-sufficient,” Trump said approvingly at one point. Unfortunately, there's a problem — good health care or not, Nambia doesn't exist. And so the U.S. president's laudatory comments […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/21/how-namibia-responded-to-trump-inventing-a-country-called-nambia/

Why Japan is losing its battle against statues of colonial-era ‘comfort women’

Controversial statues aren't just coming down in the United States. They are also going up. And the fierce debate they provoke isn't just among Americans. A statue in San Francisco to be unveiled Friday has prompted behind-the-scenes recriminations from Japan, including attempts by the local Japanese Consulate to block its installation and alleged harassment from […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/21/why-japan-is-losing-its-battle-against-statues-of-colonial-era-comfort-women/

Trump called out ‘Rocket Man.’ This Japanese musician said: ‘Who, me?’

TOKYO — President Trump couldn't resist using his latest mocking quip in a blunt speech to the United Nations this week. He called out the “Rocket Man.” But — for reasons unknown — did not specifically mention who he was talking about. No matter. Most of the world knows the American president meant Kim Jong Un, the […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/21/trump-called-out-rocket-man-this-japanese-musician-said-who-me/

This war hero was forgotten in Canada and portrayed as a Brit in ‘Dunkirk.’ Now he’s finally getting his due.

OTTAWA — Thanks to a historical oversight by Hollywood, a long-ignored Canadian war hero is finally getting the honor that eluded him for 77 years. Canada’s national parks service on Thursday is unveiling a memorial plaque in Montreal for Cmdr. J. Campbell Clouston, who is credited with savings tens of thousands of lives during the […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/21/this-war-hero-was-forgotten-in-canada-and-portrayed-as-a-brit-in-dunkirk-now-hes-finally-getting-his-due/

Couples embracing in public should be jailed, Indian politician says

NEW DELHI — A member of India’s Parliament from the governing Bharatiya Janata Party has said that couples displaying affection in public should be thrown in jail, because such “vulgar” behavior can lead to rape. “Be it a motorcycle, car or park, couples can be seen behaving in a vulgar fashion. They hug each other […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/21/couples-embracing-in-public-should-be-jailed-indian-politician-says/

What you should know about the German election, and 5 other global stories

In this occasional series, the London bureau of The Washington Post brings you up to speed on some of the biggest stories of the week. First up: Merkel may win Sunday's election, but the bigger story might be a different one.  The biggest story: The far right is set for a watershed moment in Germany For the first […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/21/what-you-should-know-about-the-german-election-and-5-other-global-stories/

Here’s why you should pay attention to this weekend’s German election

European elections countdown: In this part of our occasional series, we take a look at what is at stake in the upcoming German election. If you're searching for the opposite of last year's loud, long and controversial American election, look no further than Germany. On Sunday, voters there will head to the polls in a crucial yet strangely […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/20/german-election-2017/

Putin’s imaginary successor wins 18 percent in new poll, even though he doesn’t exist

One in five Russians would vote for Vladimir Putin's anointed successor, Andrei Semyonov, in next year's presidential elections if the incumbent Kremlin leader decided not to run himself, a new poll has found. There's a pretty important flaw in their candidate, however. Semyonov does not exist. The question about imaginary candidate Semyonov in a recent survey about […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/20/putins-imaginary-successor-wins-18-percent-in-new-poll-even-though-he-doesnt-exist/

Mexico’s cataclysmic history of earthquakes

Late Thursday, Mexico was shaken by an enormous 8.1-magnitude earthquake that struck off its southern coast. At the time of writing, the death toll is at least 58 people. Mexican authorities have called it the largest earthquake in the country in 100 years. Data from the United States Geological Survey documents more than 40 earthquakes in Mexico or […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/08/mexicos-worrying-history-of-earthquakes/

The 5 countries where people click most on ISIS propaganda (and the U.S. is No. 2)

LONDON — Who looks at Islamist extremist content online? A new study released Tuesday by the Policy Exchange think tank based in London, whose reports often inform government policy in Britain, ranked the top consumers of propaganda produced by the Islamic State, by country of origin, as measured by clicks. The top consumers of Islamic […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/19/the-5-countries-where-people-click-most-on-isis-propaganda-and-the-u-s-is-no-2/

What do Germans really think of Angela Merkel? Look to cabaret for answers.

If Angela Merkel were fleeing an attempted coup by her minister of defense, and she could pack only a single suitcase, what would she take? Two cans of hair spray, seven single-colored, three-button blazers, a Bavarian-German dictionary, and a Voodoo doll of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. That, at least, is how she’s depicted in […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/19/what-do-germans-really-think-of-angela-merkel-look-to-cabaret-for-answers/

Why Hillary Clinton thinks the U.S. election was similar to Kenya’s flawed vote

NAIROBI — In an interview Monday, Hillary Clinton was asked whether she might question the legitimacy of the 2016 U.S. presidential election if more information is revealed showing Russian interference. Her answer: Yes. And then she turned to an unlikely comparison: last month’s elections in Kenya. In the NPR interview, Clinton made a bold connection […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2017/09/19/why-hillary-clinton-thinks-the-u-s-election-was-similar-to-kenyas-flawed-vote/