Other countries don’t have Roe v. Wade. Here’s how they handle abortion laws.

The legal and social battle over a woman's right to choose an abortion is being waged around the globe, as the future of the U.S. Supreme Court and abortion rights in America may soon hang in the balance.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/30/other-countries-dont-have-roe-v-wade-heres-how-they-handle-abortion-laws/

‘Time to go’: U.S. ambassador to Estonia abruptly resigns over Trump’s attacks on allies

In a private message explaining his abrupt resignation, James D. Melville Jr. hoped that “America, which is and has always been, great, will someday return to being right."

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/30/u-s-ambassador-to-estonia-resigns-over-trumps-nato-european-union-remarks/

South Korea soccer fans set goal for World Cup star: No military service

South Korea waives military service for Olympic medalists and Asian Games winners. But nothing for World Cup stars.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/30/south-korea-soccer-fans-set-goal-for-world-cup-star-no-military-service/

Foreign correspondents often face danger — but few ever worry about dying in a mass shooting

Reporters in places like Ukraine and Iran have typically seen the U.S. as a sanctuary for journalists. Here's how these correspondents are reacting to the shooting in Annapolis.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/29/foreign-correspondents-often-face-danger-but-few-ever-worry-about-dying-in-a-mass-shooting/

Want to be a police officer in Germany? Don’t be short or have narrow hips.

Shorter than 5.28 feet? You wouldn't be able to join a number of German police forces.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/29/want-to-be-a-police-officer-in-germany-dont-be-short-or-have-narrow-hips/

Oil tanker explodes during rush hour on Nigerian highway, burning 54 cars

At least nine people died when an oil tanker exploded on a crowded entry point into the commercial capital of Lagos.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/29/oil-tanker-explodes-during-rush-hour-on-nigerian-highway-burning-54-cars/

These are the four candidates in Mexico’s presidential election

Who's running for president of Mexico on Sunday? Here are the four candidates.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/29/these-are-the-four-candidates-in-mexicos-presidential-election/

Mexico’s presidential front-runner is promising a revolution. Can he deliver?

Andrés Manuel López Obrador is running as a left-wing populist. But even his allies aren't sure what he'll do.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/29/mexicos-presidential-frontrunner-is-promising-a-revolution-can-he-deliver/

The Annapolis shooting is another reminder: It’s getting more dangerous to be a journalist

Attacks on the press are only getting worse.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/28/its-becoming-more-and-more-dangerous-to-be-a-journalist-in-the-world/

France’s butchers fear the wrath of ‘militant vegans’

After several acts of vandalism, butchers in France are asking for help.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/28/frances-butchers-fear-the-wrath-of-militant-vegans/

The president of Venezuela calls Pence ‘a poisonous viper’

Nicolás Maduro was responding to the U.S. vice president, who had called him a dictator earlier on Wednesday.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/28/the-president-of-venezuela-just-called-mike-pence-a-poisonous-viper/

A mystery jogger shoved a woman into the path of a bus. The case is now closed — and unsolved.

For weeks, many asked the question: Who is the Putney Bridge pusher? Over a year later, the question remains unanswered

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/28/a-mystery-jogger-shoved-a-woman-into-the-path-of-a-bus-the-case-is-now-closed-and-unsolved/

The U.S. Supreme Court is highly politicized. It doesn’t have to be that way.

For alternatives, see how European nations select judges for their high courts.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/28/the-u-s-supreme-court-is-highly-politicized-it-doesnt-have-to-be-that-way/

Thousands of migrants have been abandoned in the Sahara. This is what their journey looks like.

Last year, the U.N. estimated that for every migrant who dies in the Mediterranean, two die in the Sahara.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/28/thousands-of-migrants-have-been-abandoned-in-the-sahara-this-is-what-their-journey-looks-like/

South Korea’s president wants people to work less — and have more children

But can a law really change a country's work culture?

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/28/south-koreas-president-wants-people-to-work-less-and-have-more-children/

Does the West actually face a migration crisis?

When it comes to immigration, feelings almost always trump facts.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/28/does-the-west-actually-face-a-migration-crisis/

This teenager faced hanging for killing her rapist husband. But a Sudanese court just lightened her sentence.

After international outrage, a Sudanese court reduced the 19-year-old's sentence.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/27/this-teenager-faced-hanging-for-killing-her-rapist-husband-but-a-sudanese-court-just-lightened-her-sentence/

It took 10 years, but the Dutch far right finally managed to pass a burqa ban

"The next step is to close all the mosques in the Netherlands,” one member of the Party for Freedom said after the vote.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/27/it-took-10-years-but-the-dutch-far-right-finally-managed-to-pass-a-burqa-ban/

Moldovan prime minister says his government is victim in election chaos that blocked rival from office

"It's much more profitable for him to victimize himself,” Pavel Filip said of Andrei Nastase.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/27/moldovan-prime-minister-says-his-government-is-victim-in-election-chaos-that-blocked-rival-from-office/

Satellite imagery suggests ‘rapid’ upgrades at North Korea nuclear site, monitoring group says

The level of operations at the facility remains unclear, but the report raises new questions about the next steps from North Korea after the Singapore summit.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/27/satellite-imagery-suggests-rapid-upgrades-at-north-korea-nuclear-site-monitoring-group-says/

Poland’s controversial ‘Holocaust Law’ set to be reversed after global outcry

Poland's lower house of parliament passed a new draft bill on Wednesday, following a surprise intervention by the country's prime minister.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/27/polands-holocaust-law-caused-an-outcry-now-in-a-surprise-its-being-largely-reversed/

India ranked world’s most dangerous place for women, reigniting debate about women’s safety

India has been ranked the worst place for women — but is it a matter of perception?

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/27/india-ranked-worlds-most-dangerous-place-for-women-reigniting-debate-about-womens-safety/

Remember that Ebola outbreak in Congo? Looks like they contained it.

Out of an abundance of caution, health officials will wait three more weeks before a final declaration.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/27/remember-that-ebola-outbreak-in-congo-looks-like-they-contained-it/

Foreign critics of Trump’s travel ban face a new foe: The Supreme Court

Tuesday's decision may have world leaders wondering whether anything can stop Trump.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/27/foreign-critics-of-trumps-travel-ban-face-a-new-foe-the-supreme-court/

Iran’s goalkeeper went from being homeless to blocking Ronaldo’s penalty kick

Alireza Beiranvand, the 25-year-old keeper who blocked a penalty kick from Cristiano Ronaldo, slept outside clubs and worked as a street cleaner to realize his soccer dreams.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/26/irans-goalkeeper-went-from-being-homeless-to-blocking-ronaldos-penalty-kick/

In Hong Kong, libraries are pulling children’s books with LGBTQ themes off their shelves

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department said it wants children to be able to read the books only under parental supervision.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/26/in-hong-kong-libraries-are-pulling-childrens-books-with-lgbtq-themes-off-their-shelves/

Boris Johnson offers three reasons he admires Trump, whom he once called ‘out of his mind’

British lawmakers pushed Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson to explain leaked comments he made about admiring President Trump.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/26/boris-johnson-offers-three-reasons-he-admires-trump-whom-he-once-called-out-of-his-mind/

Thousands of infants in Spain were abducted and given away. Now, a doctor will stand trial.

"It is a very important day for all those who are affected and for all mothers.”

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/26/thousands-of-infants-in-spain-were-abducted-and-given-away-now-a-doctor-will-stand-trial/

Trump said winning trade wars was easy. Now Harley-Davidson is moving work abroad.

It's still unclear where Harley-Davidson would move the additional work, but — most likely to the dismay of the president — India's odds aren't bad.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/26/trump-threatened-india-to-back-harley-davidson-now-the-company-could-move-work-there-to-avoid-his-tariffs/

Mumbai’s plastic ban carries costly fines and jail sentences for offenders

Mumbai is the largest Indian city to enforce the ban, joining a handful of countries such as Kenya and Rwanda in introducing jail time for using plastic bags.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/26/plastic-is-like-a-demon-mumbai-hopes-to-clean-up-by-criminalizing-plastic-bags/

What the world’s nationalists can learn from Turkey and Erdogan

After Sunday's election, Erdogan has become an era-defining ruler and a cautionary tale for democrats elsewhere.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/26/what-the-worlds-nationalists-can-learn-from-turkey-and-erdogan/

For the World Cup, the Russian people are all in, win or lose

Even when the host nation is not playing, chants of “Ros-si-ya!” reverberate in the stadiums.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/25/for-the-world-cup-the-russian-people-are-all-in-win-or-lose/

The U.S. blocked the entry of a former NATO chief — because he visited Iran

Solana said the decision was “petty” but that he would apply for a visa to continue visiting the United States.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/25/former-nato-secretary-general-denied-visa-waiver-to-visit-u-s-due-to-past-trips-to-iran/

Foreign correspondents often face danger — but few ever worry about dying in a mass shooting

A gunman charged through the doors of the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis, Md., on Thursday with a shotgun and smoke grenades, killing five people and prompting heightened security at newsrooms nationwide. Across the world, journalists — including Americans reporting from abroad — watched in disbelief as the news unfolded. “I’ve reported from China, I’ve reported […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/29/foreign-correspondents-often-face-danger-but-few-ever-worry-about-dying-in-a-mass-shooting/

Want to be a police officer in Germany? Don’t be short or have narrow hips.

To become a police officer in Germany, you need a desire to uphold the law, an appropriate training score — and, at least in some places, a certain minimum height. A height of 5.28 feet, to be precise, according to a court ruling Thursday in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. While the ruling only […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/29/want-to-be-a-police-officer-in-germany-dont-be-short-or-have-narrow-hips/

Oil tanker explodes during rush hour on Nigerian highway, burning 54 cars

The footage looks like a scene from a horror movie: A massive cloud of smoke envelops a Nigerian roadway as bright red and orange flames engulf a group of passenger cars. Emergency workers trudge through an oil-slicked road, carrying body bags. On Thursday evening, an oil tanker exploded in Lagos, Nigeria, setting more than 50 cars on fire […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/29/oil-tanker-explodes-during-rush-hour-on-nigerian-highway-burning-54-cars/

These are the four candidates in Mexico’s presidential election

Four candidates are competing in Sunday's presidential election in Mexico. A leftist, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has been far ahead in polls in the weeks leading up to the race. Here are the four politicians: ANDRÉS MANUEL LÓPEZ OBRADOR, 64, began his more than four-decade-long political career as a community organizer in indigenous villages in […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/29/these-are-the-four-candidates-in-mexicos-presidential-election/

Mexico’s presidential frontrunner is promising a revolution. Can he deliver?

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. After two failed attempts, Andrés Manuel López Obrador is on the verge of becoming Mexico's next president. According to opinion polls, the 64-year-old leftist has a […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/29/mexicos-presidential-frontrunner-is-promising-a-revolution-can-he-deliver/

France’s butchers fear the wrath of ‘militant vegans’

France's butchers have an ax to grind with the country's vegan activists. The country's 18,000 butchers have been plagued by various acts of vandalism in recent months: In April, seven butcher shops in the northern region of Hauts-de-France were sprayed with fake blood. In May, a butcher and a fishmonger in separate locations had their windows […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/28/frances-butchers-fear-the-wrath-of-militant-vegans/

The president of Venezuela just called Mike Pence ‘a poisonous viper’

Vice President Pence is in Latin America this week on a tour aimed at encouraging regional pressure on Venezuela to resolve its economic and humanitarian crises, and he had some harsh words for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. On a stop in Brazil on Wednesday, Pence addressed displaced Venezuelans at a shelter in Manaus. “The Maduro regime has violently […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/28/the-president-of-venezuela-just-called-mike-pence-a-poisonous-viper/

A mystery jogger shoved a woman into the path of a bus. The case is now closed — and unsolved.

LONDON — The video stunned everyone who watched it. At first glance, it’s an ordinary scene. The sun shines as a male jogger runs along Putney Bridge in southwest London. Moments later, his right arm shoots out and pushes a passing woman into the path of a double-decker bus. Thanks to the quick thinking of the bus […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/28/a-mystery-jogger-shoved-a-woman-into-the-path-of-a-bus-the-case-is-now-closed-and-unsolved/

The U.S. Supreme Court is highly politicized. It doesn’t have to be that way.

Whenever a seat opens up on the U.S. Supreme Court, the political battle over the next justice is fierce. And to some people, that’s a huge problem. Critics have called the court’s confirmation process “broken” and have complained of increasing “politicization” of an institution that is supposed to stand apart from political theater — in theory. In […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/28/the-u-s-supreme-court-is-highly-politicized-it-doesnt-have-to-be-that-way/

Thousands of migrants have been abandoned in the Sahara. This is what their journey looks like.

They are young and old, men, women and children, coming from places such as Nigeria, Niger, Mali, Sierra Leone, Liberia and elsewhere in West Africa. And they are trying to reach Europe. Instead, these migrants, who cross through Algeria, are increasingly finding themselves stuck in the Sahara Desert, fending for their lives in extreme heat, far […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/28/thousands-of-migrants-have-been-abandoned-in-the-sahara-this-is-what-their-journey-looks-like/

South Korea’s president wants people to work less — and have more children

SEOUL — When South Koreans go back to work after the weekend, they will become part of grand social experiment. Its proposition is simple enough. The government wants to reduce the official corporate work week, hand employees some more free time and encourage side effects such as better health, less stress and, wink-wink, perhaps a chance […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/28/south-koreas-president-wants-people-to-work-less-and-have-more-children/

This teenager faced hanging for killing her rapist husband. But a Sudanese court just lightened her sentence.

Noura Hussein made it clear that she didn't want to marry, especially not before she finished school. But when she was around 16, her parents forcibly initiated her marriage to a man twice her age. Then, last year, when the Sudanese teenager fatally stabbed her husband after he tried to rape her, she was thrown in […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/27/this-teenager-faced-hanging-for-killing-her-rapist-husband-but-a-sudanese-court-just-lightened-her-sentence/

It took 10 years, but the Dutch far right finally managed to pass a burqa ban

For more than a decade, Geert Wilders, the anti-Islamic Dutch politician who ran for prime minister last year, has been pushing for a burqa ban in the Netherlands. It's part of his larger mission to “deislamize” the country. Wilders lost his 2017 political bid by a significant margin. But on Tuesday, he and his Party for Freedom scored […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/27/it-took-10-years-but-the-dutch-far-right-finally-managed-to-pass-a-burqa-ban/

Moldovan prime minister says his government is victim in election chaos that blocked rival from office

In Washington this week, the pro-Western prime minister of Moldova said a recent court decision to void the results of a mayoral election in the capital was a “blow to his government.” However, Pavel Filip rejected the idea that his government had played a role in the decision, which led to major protests in Chisinau. “I […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/27/moldovan-prime-minister-says-his-government-is-victim-in-election-chaos-that-blocked-rival-from-office/

Satellite imagery suggests ‘rapid’ upgrades at North Korea nuclear site, monitoring group says

SEOUL — Satellite imagery of a North Korean nuclear research site suggests improvements have progressed at a “rapid pace” in recent months, a report from a monitoring group said Wednesday, but the level of current operations at the facility remains unclear. The analysis by the group 38 North, which closely follows North Korea affairs, offered […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/27/satellite-imagery-suggests-rapid-upgrades-at-north-korea-nuclear-site-monitoring-group-says/

India ranked world’s most dangerous place for women, reigniting debate about women’s safety

NEW DELHI — A report this week ranking India as the most dangerous country in the world for women has reignited the ongoing debate over women’s safety in the vast country. On Tuesday, the Thomson Reuters Foundation — the philanthropic arm of Reuters media company — released a study that ranked India as the most […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/27/india-ranked-worlds-most-dangerous-place-for-women-reigniting-debate-about-womens-safety/

Remember that Ebola outbreak in Congo? Looks like they contained it.

                  NAIROBI — The most serious outbreak of the Ebola virus since an epidemic devastated West Africa two years ago, killed 11,000 people and catapulted the disease back into the global consciousness, is almost assuredly over. Out of an abundance of caution, though, health officials will closely monitor […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/27/remember-that-ebola-outbreak-in-congo-looks-like-they-contained-it/

Poland’s ‘Holocaust law’ caused an outcry. Now, in a surprise, it’s being largely reversed.

When the Polish government pushed ahead with a controversial Holocaust speech law at the beginning of the year, the outcry was so swift and intense that even Polish lawmakers themselves appeared surprised. Besides Israel's strong rejection of the Polish legislation, U.S. condemnations hit Warsaw policymakers especially hard. And yet, for months, there were few signs of […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/27/polands-holocaust-law-caused-an-outcry-now-in-a-surprise-its-being-largely-reversed/

Boris Johnson offers three reasons he admires Trump, whom he once called ‘out of his mind’

In 2015, when Donald Trump was still on the campaign trail and Boris Johnson, now Britain's foreign secretary, was still mayor of London, Johnson said Trump was “clearly out of his mind.” Trump had recently announced that some parts of London were radicalized to the point that police were “afraid for their own lives.” And Johnson responded by […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/26/boris-johnson-offers-three-reasons-he-admires-trump-whom-he-once-called-out-of-his-mind/

Thousands of infants in Spain were abducted and given away. Now, a doctor will stand trial.

Inés Madrigal was born premature in 1969 at Madrid’s San Ramon clinic, after which, she alleges, she was abducted by an obstetrician and given away without the consent of her birth mother. Madrigal suspects that she is one of Spain’s ninos robados — stolen babies who were taken from “unsuitable” mothers in the 20th century and given […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/26/thousands-of-infants-in-spain-were-abducted-and-given-away-now-a-doctor-will-stand-trial/

Trump threatened India to back Harley-Davidson. Now, the company could move work there to avoid his tariffs.

“Trade wars are good, and easy to win,” a confident President Trump tweeted in March, before escalating disputes with a number of countries, including U.S. allies and major Asian economies. But in fact, trade wars might not be good for the United States after all — and they certainly aren't easy. The complexity and unpredictability of […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/26/trump-threatened-india-to-back-harley-davidson-now-the-company-could-move-work-there-to-avoid-his-tariffs/

‘Plastic is like a demon’ – Mumbai hopes to clean up by criminalizing plastic bags

NEW DELHI — On Mumbai’s Versova beach, it was once hard to see the sand amid the endless sea of plastic bags and trash. The long stretch of coast had essentially turned into a dumping site until volunteers banded together to clean it up. A few months later, Olive Ridley turtles began nesting there for […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/26/plastic-is-like-a-demon-mumbai-hopes-to-clean-up-by-criminalizing-plastic-bags/

‘Billy Elliot’ shows canceled in Hungary amid cries musical is ‘promoting homosexuality’

By the end of the musical “Billy Elliot,” the title character's father and the hardscrabble mining town they live in have been redeemed. At first, they were caught up in negative stereotypes of male ballet dancers, but by the end, the people of Everington focused on nurturing the boy's blossoming talent. It is a not-so-subtle message about […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/23/billy-elliot-shows-canceled-in-hungary-amid-cries-musical-is-promoting-homosexuality/

A jogger accidentally crossed into the U.S. from Canada and was detained for two weeks

The coast of White Rock, British Columbia, in western Canada looks to be an ideal place for a run, with its sweeping views of the Semiahmoo Bay to the west and scores of waterfront homes and seafood restaurants to the east. That's what 19-year-old Cedella Roman thought when she went jogging along the area's smooth […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/23/a-jogger-accidentally-crossed-into-the-u-s-from-canada-and-was-detained-for-two-weeks/

‘Shame, shame’: Protests erupt across Spain after release of ‘wolf pack’

Protests have erupted across Spain after the release of the “Wolf Pack,” a group of five men who sexually assaulted an 18-year-old girl in 2016 and filmed clips of the incident that they shared in a WhatsApp group.   On Friday, thousands lined up shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the Ministry of Justice in the country’s […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/23/shame-shame-protests-erupt-across-spain-after-release-of-wolf-pack/

John Bolton was once a fierce critic of Putin. Will he meet him in Moscow next week?

The Kremlin told reporters on Friday that it cannot currently say whether John Bolton, White House national security adviser and a long-time critic of Moscow, would meet with President Vladimir Putin when he visits the Russian capital next week. “I cannot answer your question now,” presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked about the possibility of […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/22/john-bolton-was-once-a-fierce-critic-of-putin-will-he-meet-him-in-moscow-next-week/

E.U. trade tariffs take effect, in latest rift between U.S. and its closest allies

PARIS — After months of escalating trade tensions between Europe and the United States, the European Union’s retaliatory tariffs took effect Friday, ushering in a new era of hostility between the Trump administration and some of America’s closest allies. The tariffs — on goods worth 2.8 billion euros ($3.2 billion), including Harley Davidson motorcycles and […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/22/e-u-trade-tariffs-take-effect-in-latest-rift-between-u-s-and-its-closest-allies/

European court rejects mass murderer Anders Breivik’s claim that isolation in three-room cell is inhumane

Anders Behring Breivik is Norway's most notorious mass murderer. In July 2011, he set off a car bomb outside the Norwegian prime minister's office and then opened fire on teenagers at a summer camp. By the time he surrendered to police, he had killed 77 people, making for the deadliest attacks in Norway since World War II. The […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/21/european-court-rejects-mass-murderer-anders-breiviks-claim-that-isolation-in-three-room-cell-is-inhumane/

Theresa May called Trump’s caging of children ‘disturbing.’ That won’t stop the president from meeting the queen.

  LONDON — President Trump will meet Queen Elizabeth II during his visit to Britain next month, and many Brits are not amused. Speaking to Kay Burley of Sky News, the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom confirmed the meeting. “Yes, he has to see the head of state. Putting his foot on the ground of […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/21/theresa-may-called-trumps-caging-of-children-disturbing-that-wont-stop-the-president-from-meeting-the-queen/

Saudi media says kingdom could turn Qatar — its neighbor and rival — into an island

For more than a year, a Saudi-led bloc has staged a boycott of Qatar, accusing the Persian Gulf state of sponsoring terrorism and committing other misdeeds. As the months have dragged on, however, Qatar has proved surprisingly resistant to those punitive economic measures. Saudi Arabia may now be seeking to change the nature of its relationship with […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/21/saudi-media-says-kingdom-could-turn-qatar-its-neighbor-and-rival-into-an-island/

Yes, Kim Jong Un met President Trump. But China is still North Korea’s most important ally.

This week, Kim Jong Un made yet another surprise trip to China, his third in as many months. At the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Kim and Chinese President Xi Jinping allegedly discussed denuclearization and other issues. The visit came just days after Kim met with President Trump in Singapore, and it highlights the importance of the […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/21/yes-kim-jong-un-met-president-trump-but-china-is-still-north-koreas-most-important-ally/

The takeaway from Kim’s China visit: Trump wants North Korea nukes, Xi is focused on its economy.

BEIJING — Buried in the platitudinous Chinese coverage of Kim Jong Un’s third trip to China, between references to “safeguarding world and regional peace” and “a lasting peace,” were some revealing little nuggets about the gap between Presidents Trump and Xi Jinping over North Korea. Since the Singapore summit, the watchword around the world has been […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/21/the-takeaway-from-kims-china-visit-trump-wants-north-korea-nukes-xi-is-focused-on-its-economy/

Sorry, you no longer get a free Burger King Whopper if you have a World Cup star’s baby

There are lots of ways to celebrate the World Cup. You could wear a festive jersey. You could take a day off to watch some games. You could paint your face, or even fly to Russia to attend in person. Or, according to a new ad from Burger King, you could allow yourself to get […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/20/sorry-you-no-longer-get-a-free-burger-king-whopper-if-you-have-a-world-cup-stars-baby/

Mattis compared Xi’s China to the Ming Dynasty. Xi might be happy to hear it.

As trade tensions rose between the United States and China last week, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis took aim at China and its leader, Xi Jinping, suggesting Xi was attempting to revive a 400-year-old dynasty. Speaking about various threats facing the United States during a speech at the Naval War College's graduation ceremony on Friday, Mattis said that China “harbored long-term […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/20/mattis-compared-xis-china-to-the-ming-dynasty-xi-might-be-happy-to-hear-it/

Tormented by eczema, woman kills her parents and then herself, police say

In her suicide note, she talked about her longtime struggle with eczema, a common but chronic skin condition. Authorities said she explained that the disorder, which causes red, itchy patches on the skin, made her believe that she would be “better dead than alive,” according to the South China Morning Post. She had apparently blogged about it, too, saying that […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/20/tormented-by-eczema-woman-kills-her-parents-and-then-herself-police-say/

Boris Becker claims to be a Central African diplomat. Officials there say his passport is a fake.

It seemed like an easy out: Earlier this month, after tennis superstar Boris Becker was sued over money he owes to Arbuthnot Latham, a private bank, he claimed diplomatic immunity. His lawyers said that since Becker was named the Central African Republic's “attache for sports, humanitarian, and cultural affairs in the European Union,” he can't “be subject to legal […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/20/boris-becker-claims-to-be-a-central-african-diplomat-officials-there-say-his-passport-is-a-fake/

Why do some families risk crossing the U.S. border? Because if they don’t, they’ll be killed.

In the last few days, the Trump administration has come under fire for its "zero tolerance" policy at the U.S.-Mexico border. Under the policy, officials must prosecute as many border-crossers as possible. That means parents caught coming to the United States without authorization are immediately taken into custody, and their children are sent to detention centers. […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/20/why-do-some-families-risk-crossing-the-u-s-border-because-if-they-dont-theyll-be-killed/

British mogul Alan Sugar sent a racist tweet about Senegal’s World Cup team

In some ways, Lord Alan Sugar is the British equivalent of President Trump. Sugar, 71, is a business magnate and media personality worth more than $1 billion. He's a co-host of the BBC version of "The Apprentice" and a sometime political consultant. At least, he was until the tweet. On Wednesday, Sugar celebrated Senegal's 2-1 victory over Poland (Africa's […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/20/british-mogul-alan-sugar-sent-a-racist-tweet-about-senegals-world-cup-team/

Kiev’s ‘Corruption Park’ showcases a crystal falcon and other spoils of disgraced officials

Amid the flora and fauna of the Hryshko National Botanical Garden in Kiev, Ukraine, sits a lizard-shaped park with attractions such as a $46,000 crystal falcon and a 330-foot-long tent resembling a golden loaf of bread. Welcome to Kiev’s “Corruption Park” — an exhibition being staged this month by the European Union’s Anti-Corruption Initiative.  As visitors make their way through the park, […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/19/kievs-corruption-park-showcases-a-crystal-falcon-and-other-spoils-of-disgraced-officials/

Call me Mr President: France’s Macron scolds sassy teenager

On Monday, it was a French teen’s turn to ruffle President Emmanuel Macron’s feathers. Macron had stopped to greet fans and snap a few pictures after a visit to Mont Valerien fort near Paris. The memorial honors the many French Resistance members killed during World War II. One young man caught his attention. The teen — on […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/19/call-me-mr-president-frances-macron-scolds-sassy-teenager/

The U.S. government has opened a huge new facility in Taiwan, and China isn’t happy

While the world's eyes were glued to events in Singapore last week, the United States was holding another important — and controversial — diplomatic ceremony in Taiwan. On June 11, the United States formally opened a new $255 million building housing the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the de facto U.S. Embassy in the country. […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/18/the-u-s-government-has-opened-a-huge-new-facility-in-taiwan-and-china-isnt-happy/

Trump says crime in Germany is way up. German statistics show the opposite.

In the midst of a domestic battle over his own administration's strict immigration policy, President Trump took aim at Germany's Angela Merkel on Monday — arguing in a tweet that the German chancellor's more open policies toward migration and refugees had led to a crisis in her government coalition. But in making his argument against Merkel's "big mistake," […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/18/trump-says-crime-in-germany-is-way-up-german-statistics-show-the-opposite/

Former Israeli minister, who served time for smuggling ecstasy, accused of spying for Iran

  JERUSALEM — A former Israeli government minister, who served jail time a decade ago for smuggling ecstasy, was indicted last week by state prosecutors for “assisting the enemy in war and spying against the State of Israel,” the Israel Security Agency and the Israel Police said in a statement Monday. Gonen Segev, who served […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/18/former-israeli-minister-who-served-time-for-smuggling-ecstasy-accused-of-spying-for-iran/

Prince Harry said to ‘give Donald Trump a chance,’ according to Meghan Markle’s father

LONDON — Meghan Markle’s father said that Prince Harry told him to give Donald Trump a chance and suggested that he was open about Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union. In a lengthy interview with the British broadcaster ITV, Thomas Markle said Harry was an “interesting guy” and “easy to talk to.” He said they […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/18/prince-harry-said-to-give-donald-trump-a-chance-according-to-meghan-markles-father/

Filming Israeli soldiers in action could soon become a crime

JERUSALEM — Recording or taking unauthorized pictures of Israeli soldiers clashing with Palestinians could soon bring criminal charges and penalties, if legislation proposed by members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hawkish coalition is enacted into law. On Sunday, the Israeli government endorsed the proposal, which seeks to criminalize the filming and/or distribution of images and video […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/17/filming-israeli-soldiers-in-action-could-soon-become-a-crime/

A woman went to check her corn — and was swallowed by a python

For the second time in barely more than a year, an Indonesian villager has been swallowed whole by a python. Wa Tiba, 54, left her home on Muna island to visit her cornfield on Thursday night, according to the Jakarta Post. The field was about a half mile from her house, surrounded by cliffs, caves and a certain […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/16/a-woman-went-to-check-her-corn-and-was-swallowed-by-a-python/

Britain was set to make photographing up skirts a criminal offense. Then a male lawmaker blocked the plan.

Last summer, Gina Martin was at a music festival in Britain when a man standing nearby snapped a photo up her skirt. But when she reported the incident to the police, they told her it was unlikely they'd be able to follow up on it. In an interview with the Guardian, she said the police […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/15/britain-was-set-to-make-photographing-up-skirts-a-criminal-offense-then-a-male-lawmaker-blocked-the-plan/

From ‘short and fat’ to ‘tough guy’: Trump’s ever-changing views of Kim Jong Un

President Trump has said a lot about North Korea's Kim Jong Un, the leader of a dynasty that has used brutal tactics to rule for seven decades. Often, he's been insulting to the North Korean leader: Last year, for example, he sarcastically implied that Kim was “short and fat.” But just as frequently, the U.S. president has been positive about […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/15/from-short-and-fat-to-tough-guy-trumps-changing-views-of-kim-jong-un/

The Czech president called a news conference to burn a giant pair of red underwear

In 2015, three men dressed as chimney sweeps climbed to the top of the Czech presidential palace and replaced the flag with a giant pair of red underwear. The absolutely huge boxer shorts, which are a full meter long, were made and installed by members of Ztohoven, an artist collective that said it pulled the prank […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/15/the-czech-president-called-a-news-conference-to-burn-a-giant-pair-of-red-underwear/

No mixed-race babies, please: Russian lawmaker tells women to avoid sex with some World Cup visitors

On the eve of the World Cup, a Russian lawmaker urged the nation's women to avoid sexual liaisons with foreigners of different races. Tamara Pletnyova, a lawmaker in the Communist Party and head of a state congressional committee on children and family affairs, discouraged women from sleeping with foreigners visiting Moscow for the quadrennial international soccer tournament. […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/14/world-cup-sex-warning-russian-lawmaker-says-avoid-different-races/

Macron says his new dishes cost $58,000. Others say it’s more like $580,000.

It has been a while since the Elysee Palace ordered new dinnerware. Some of the plates at the French presidential residence date as far back as the 1950s and are missing certain pieces. So President Emmanuel Macron and wife Brigitte shelled out $58,000 for a new 1,200-piece set, which includes 300 bread plates and 900 […]

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2018/06/14/macron-says-his-new-dishes-cost-58000-others-say-its-more-like-580000/