Nobody ought to have been surprised that South Africa chose to heed China’s concerns and deny a visa to the Dalai Lama — not because of the South African government’s poor record of responding to human-rights crises in its own neighborhood, but because of China’s growing diplomatic influence and assertiveness thanks to its status as the great hope of an ailing world economy.
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Mexico: Alleged drug trafficker arrested
An alleged drug trafficker suspected of an attack on a U.S. consulate and killing Mexican soldiers has been arrested, Mexican President Felipe Calderon announced Friday, according to the state news agency.
$2M worth of cocaine found in banana boxes
A German supermarket employee got a surprise this week when she opened two boxes of bananas to find them filled with more than 60 pounds of cocaine worth $2 million, police said.
In Angola, pope urges more for poor
Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Angola on Friday as part of his week-long visit to Africa, a journey marked by the pontiff’s controversial comments on reproductive issues and some of the continent’s political regimes. In Angola, however, the Pontiff drew attention to the nation’s lingering economic disparity despite having substantial diamond deposits and oil reserves that surpass Nigeria
A New Book Reveals Why China Is Unhappy
After surpassing Germany to become the world’s third-largest economy behind the U.S. and Japan, hosting a successful Olympic Games and conducting its first space walk, you’d think China would be happy
U.S. deports former Nazi guard to Austria
An Austrian man who participated in a Nazi massacre of Jews during World War II and later gained U.S. citizenship has been deported to Austria, U.S. officials said
United face Porto in Champions League
European champions Manchester United will play Porto in the quarterfinals of this season’s Champions League, while Liverpool and Chelsea were drawn to face each other in the knockout stages for the fourth time in five seasons. English sides dominated the eight-team draw in Nyon, Switzerland, with Arsenal making up a quartet of Premier League clubs chasing European football’s top prize.
The Pope’s Anti-Condom Remarks: Candor Over P.R.
Pope Benedict XVI’s opposition to condoms, even as a weapon to help combat the spread of AIDS, should surprise no one who knows anything about Catholic Church teachings. The 1968 encyclical Humanae Vitae, penned by Pope Paul VI, explicitly forbids contraception as denying the Creator’s will that humans be fruitful and multiply
Chinese-made drywall ruining homes, owners say
Officials are looking into claims that Chinese-made drywall installed in some Florida homes is emitting smelly, corrosive gases and ruining household systems such as air conditioners, the Consumer Product Safety Commission says. The Florida Health Department, which is investigating whether the drywall poses any health risks, said it has received more than 140 homeowner complaints
Massacre Raises Issue of Gun Control in Europe
Europeans might once have viewed massacres at educational institutions as a uniquely American scourge, but they no longer have that luxury: Friday found Germany still mourning the 16 victims of Wednesday’s carnage in Winnenden, while Scotland marked the 13th anniversary of Europe’s first mass school shooting, the bloodbath at Dunblane in which 16 grade-school students and their teacher were mowed down by a lone gunman. Clearly, Europe has a problem to which there’s no simple solution. “When you compare us to countries with enormous gun ownership like the U.S., it’s obvious we’re less vulnerable to gun violence,” says Christophe Soullez, chief of France’s National Observatory on Delinquency