Spain's Strapped Towns Look To Churches For Cash
Alcalá de Henares is re-evaluating the status of hundreds of church holdings that have been exempt from paying property tax for hundreds of years.
World News
Algeria Attack A 'Wake-Up Call' For Energy Companies
Investors didn't panic after last week's attack, and oil and gas prices held steady. But if the attack on the gas complex signals the beginning of a new phase of terrorism in North Africa, energy companies and governments will need to make new assessments of the risks and benefits of investments.
Report Blasts India's Treatment Of Women
A panel reviewing sexual offenses in India has submitted its report to the government almost a month after the rape and murder of a female student in New Delhi. The report says India systemically discriminates against women, and does little to respond to violence against them.
'Friends' Will Be There For You At Beijing's Central Perk
A Chinese man in Beijing has set up a cafe identical to the New York hangout on the hit TV show. For owner Du Xin, Friends is "like a religion" — and he's not the only one. He's opened a second Central Perk in Shanghai, capitalizing on the Chinese fondness for the six friends and their laid-back, freewheeling lives.
Scientists Put An End To Moratorium On Bird Flu Research
After researchers created versions of the bird flu virus that could spread more easily, critics began to worry that the work could spawn a pandemic if a virus escaped from the lab. After halting their work for more than a year, scientists now say the benefits outweigh the risks, and they are set to restart their experiments.
U.S. Military Seeks Its Role In Troubled North Africa
The U.S. Africa Command, designed to strengthen defense relationships in Africa, is still trying to define its mission. African states have been wary, while the State Department and aid groups also express concerns. But growing conflicts in the region may soon put AFRICOM to the test.
French Twitter Lawsuit Pits Free Speech Against Hate Speech
A French judge will decide this week if Twitter must hand over the identities of users sending anti-Semitic tweets. The case, brought against Twitter by a Jewish student group, is a clash of legal cultures: U.S. free speech guarantees vs. European laws banning hate speech.
Al-Qaida's Next Stronghold? What's At Stake In North Africa
Recent unrest in Mali and Algeria point to the growing influence of al-Qaida in North Africa. Wall Street Journal Pentagon reporter Julian Barnes and Ret. Col. Thomas Dempsey, chair for security studies at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, explain the latest developments and the threat al-Qaida presents in the region.
In Myanmar, A Hunt For Fabled Cache Of Buried WWII Spitfires
A team of researchers hopes to verify a fantastic tale that British troops leaving Burma in 1945 buried dozens of Spitfire fighter planes around the country. For 16 years, an English farmer has hunted the aircraft. Now, he believes he is close to unearthing them — and, he hopes, restoring them to flying condition.
'A Number Of Crises' Facing Obama In W. Africa, Beyond
Steve Inskeep talks with Michele Flournoy, who served as undersecretary of defense for policy in the Obama administration. Flournoy weighs in on foreign policy challenges facing the president in his second term.