The English version of the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia has lost over 50,000 authors this year. The daily The Times welcomes the exodus: “The persistent decline in the number of Wikipedia editors may signal the end of the dominance of a remarkable online resource. It cannot happen too soon. … Wikipedia is routinely cited in online [...]
Seventy years ago this week the Soviet Union started the Winter War by invading Finland, which then changed allies two times during the course of World War II. The East Finnish daily Karjalainen reflects on how external factors can decide the fate of smaller nations: “Independence is always a power balance. Becoming independent means becoming [...]
The Swedish EU presidency and the EU Commission are now seeking a quick solution to the dispute over an agreement between the EU and the US on passing on bank data (Swift data) in the battle against terrorism. For the daily Die Presse this is a further example of Washington not taking the EU seriously: [...]
Russia and Estonia agreed on Wednesday to strengthen joint efforts to fight drug trafficking. Tallinn (RIA Novosti) — Extra provisions to a 2006 agreement were signed in the Estonian capital of Tallinn by the head of the Russian Federal Drug Control Service, Viktor Ivanov, and Estonian Interior Minister Marko Pomerantz. Pomerantz said the signing underlined [...]
One year has passed since more than 10 coordinated terror attacks hit the Indian city of Mumbai in 59 hours, claiming at least 166 lives and wounding more than 300 people. Mumbai (RIA Novosti) — On the first anniversary of the event, the nation paid its respects to the victims of the three-day rampage. Memorials [...]
In one of the biggest betting scandals in the history of international football, investigators say that around 200 European games are suspected of having been manipulated. The free newspaper Metropol considers itself to have been duped: “All of this has nothing … to do with football. It isn’t about breathtaking dribbling, wonderful cross passes or [...]
The Swedish carmaker Saab is facing the end of the road after Swedish sports car manufacturer Koenigsegg announced it was giving up its takeover plans. The daily Svenska Dagbladet holds out little hope for the General Motors subsidiary: “Koenigsegg gave … crisis-hit Saab hope for the future. But it’s not so surprising that the story [...]
Two weeks before the World Climate Summit begins in Copenhagen the daily Kurier sees little chance of it being truly successful: “There are short and medium-term economic interests in play that put profit above everything else. Then there are politicians who are fond of making grandiloquent speeches but when it comes to the crunch turn [...]
US President Barack Obama plans to present his new Afghanistan strategy next week. The scenario is expected to include a troop withdrawal plan, but will no doubt mean sending more soldiers in the short term. Berner Zeitung – Switzerland US President Barack Obama will shortly announce his decision on his Afghanistan strategy. The daily Berner [...]
The Czech Republic takes first place for youth alcohol consumption in Europe. The liberal weekly Respekt is alarmed, and complains that society doesn’t do enough to combat the problem: “Traditionally Czechs have always taken a lenient attitude towards alcohol. They see it as a social drug with acceptable consequences. … Psychologists agree that the most [...]
