For those who are interested, the German S?ddeutsche Zeitung has an amusing photo gallery of newspapers from around the world reacting to the new pope. It’s quite telling even if you don’t understand the German comments on the side. (”N?chstes Bild” means “next picture” - click there to take the tour.)

I have to confess that I’m utterly mystified by this story.
Short recap for those who haven’t followed the events. Giuliana Sgrena, an Italian journalist for Il Manifesto and contributor to the German Zeit, was abducted outside of Baghdad on February 4. The outrage was great - Italians went on the streets to [...]

After much public outcry over his pardoning of Miron Cozma, Iliescu today revoked his decision. Cozma was arrested again in Timisoara today. Apparently, he tried to flee the country after hearing that his pardon had been revoked. There’s a clip that’s been playing over and over again on the news — it shows [...]

It was one of his last days in office, and president Illiescu decided to pay one last favor to an old friend.
Miron Cosma is hardly known outside of Romania. “King Coal”, as he’s dubbed sometimes, is a dangerous demagogue, a ruthless criminal, and adored by his followers.
Miron Cosma is a leader of [...]

Everybody is giddy. In Bucharest, that is. Basescu is the new president of Romania. As a result, the marriage of PSD and PUR suddenly went sour and PUR announced that for “the good of the country” they would consider a coalition with other partners too.
A-ha.
The next days should be interesting.
The voter turnout [...]

November 9, 1848
Robert Blum is executed in Vienna. One of the more prominent members of the Frankfurt National Assembly, he was in Vienna to observe how the Austrians dealt with the revolutionary forces. Not objective at all, he spoke to the revolutionaries and even took part in street fights. His diplomatic immunity [...]

The first European newspaper to endorse George W. Bush ist the German mass paper “Bild”.
“With Bush, we know what to expect. With John Kerry, nobody knows what he stands for, what he stands against, and where he wants to lead America and the world.” So writes Hugo M?ller-Vogg, ex-editor of the more respectable [...]