Follow IHT Rendezvous:
Friso Gentsch/DPA, via Associated Press Chancellor Merkel examined a tablet computer at a Hannover trade fair in March.Germany’s Angela Merkel has been unmercifully mocked for suggesting that the Internet is uncharted territory. Is she really out of touch, or was she just reflecting her suspicions about the perils of the technology? Read more…
Saul Loeb/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry presents Laura Anyola Tufon of Cameroon with a Trafficking in Persons Heroes' award at an event releasing this year's human trafficking report.A new report by the U.S. State Department says as many as 27 million people live in modern slavery, and more needs to be done to counter this cruel exploitation and violation of human dignity. Read more…
Jes Aznar for The International Herald Tribune Homeless Filipinos sleeping on benches in Manila. Unemployment rose to 7.5 percent in April.Silicon Valley and the U.S. government converge; unemployment in the Philippines; success for HPV vaccine; James Gandolfini dies; and modest goals for Tahiti’s soccer team. Read more…
Sandor H. Szabo/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Flooding in Hungary this month was one manifestation of unusual weather patterns.Europe has been enduring another year of unseasonable weather, and climate scientists warn that the pattern of extended winters and wet summers could last for years. Is it a natural phenomenon or does man-made climate change play a part? Read more…
European Pressphoto Agency Taliban officials cut the ribbon at the official opening ceremony of a political office in Doha, Qatar on Tuesday.The Taliban makes peace overtures to the West; demonstrators continue protests in Brazil; uncertainty at the U.S. Fed; using technology to power a green revolution; and rainy weather puts a damper on the Champions Trophy tournament. Read more…
Romeo Ranoco/Reuters Workers arrange some of five tons of confiscated ivory at the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife center in Quezon city. The tusks will be destroyed Friday to oppose the illegal wildlife trade, Philippines officials said. On Friday, the Philippines plans to crush its ivory stock, in a gesture against the illegal trade that wildlife activists say has claimed more than 32,000 elephant lives since early 2012. Read more…
Hassan Ammar/Associated Press An Egyptian anti-government campaigner collected signatures on June 2 on a petition demanding early presidential elections.European Union aid to Egypt has amounted to the equivalent of $1.35 billion in recent years. But, according to the alliance’s own auditors, much of the money is unaccounted for. Read more…
As a national conversation about sexual abuse, especially of minors, grows very slowly in China, a law muddying the definition of rape of girls younger than 14 is a target of protest among children’s rights activists and feminists. Read more…
Human trafficking is a blight that nevertheless flourishes in the world; in Asia, where more than half the victims are from, Nepal’s laws against it are a model for the region, but they are poorly implemented. Read more…
Mauricio Lima for The New York Times Demonstrators in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Monday. Many Brazilians are irate over issues like the nation's high cost of living.Europe and the U.S. start trade negotiations; touting Islam to draw votes in Indonesia; protests in Brazil’s largest cities; the “Antwerp Six” return to their fashion school; and tough times for horse racing in Britain. Read more…
Lefteris Pitarakis/Associated Press Anti-G8 protesters at London's Canary Wharf financial district on Friday.The Turkish protest movement began as a reaction to the impending loss of Istanbul’s Gezi Park to make way for a shopping mall. Campaigns elsewhere indicate that fears about the privatization of public space are not confined to Turkey. Read more…
Ahmet Sik/European Pressphoto Agency Turkish police officers are seen taking medical personnel into custody near Taksim Square on Sunday.New leaks indicate U.S. and British eavesdropping; Turkey cracks down on protests; debating the right to be forgotten; Japanese women in science; and high expectations for a young Brazilian soccer player. Read more…
David Gray/Reuters A Baidu conference in Beijing. Baidu is one of the companies that has created a variable interest entity.A recent Supreme People’s Court ruling has highlighted the precariousness of contracts behind major foreign investments in some big Chinese companies. Read more…
Tyler Hicks/The New York Times A rebel fighter from the Grandsons of the Prophet Brigade at Deir Al Gharbi, a front line close to Syrian Army positions, May 30.Syrian rebels weigh prospects; war crimes tribunal rift; Argentines turn from beef; trade deal in Europe; and a new Airbus jet. Read more…
Alexandros Vlachos/European Pressphoto Agency Employees of the now-defunct ERT continue to work at the headquaters during a general strike in Athens on Thursday.Civilians are bearing the brunt of Syrian violence as death toll mounts; Czech prime minister defiant in face of investigation; O.E.C.D. says immigation debate has been distorted; thousands of Greek workers strike; and Art Basel helps set agenda for galleries worldwide. Read more…
