2/14 International Herald Tribune - World News, Analysis, and Global Opinions

Civilian casualties mar U.S. envoy's Kabul talks February 13, 2009 at 7:07 pm Five children were killed in fighting between Australian special operations troops and Taliban guerrillas in south-central Afghanistan, the day before the U.S. special envoy to the region held talks with Afghan leaders Friday. Stimulus bill passes in the House with no Republican support February 13, 2009 at 7:07 pm The vote was 246 to 183, reflecting the Democrats' considerable majority and the Republicans' deep dissatisfaction with the $787 billion package. In Romania, bribery is a health problem February 13, 2009 at 7:07 pm While alarm grows in Brussels that the EU's newest entrants are undermining the bloc's rule of law, Romanians complain that everyday graft and bribery blight their lives, notably in the health care system, where doctors routinely seek and receive bribes. 'Black boxes' retrieved from N.Y. crash in which 50 died February 13, 2009 at 7:07 pm Federal investigators on Friday retrieved both black boxes from a Continental Airlines plane that crashed the previous night near Buffalo, New York, Clinton will ask Asian leaders for better effort to solve global problems February 13, 2009 at 7:07 pm Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will take a message demanding a "more rigorous and persistent engagement" by Asian leaders in solving global problems when she travels to the region for her first overseas trip next week, Clinton said Friday. Suicide bomber kills 32 in attack on Shiite pilgrims in Iraq February 13, 2009 at 7:07 pm A female suicide bomber with explosives hidden under her garments blew herself up in a crowd of Shiite pilgrims south of Baghdad on Friday, killing 32 people, including many women and children. Russian performers take on the world February 13, 2009 at 7:07 pm Only a small handful of Russian artists have ever managed to cross the musical frontier between their country and the West. And the Russian market is dominated by domestic acts. U.S. House approves $787 billion stimulus bill February 13, 2009 at 7:07 pm The House approved a $787 billion economic stimulus package Friday, with Democrats successfully promoting it as a boost for middle-class Americans and Republicans countering in vain that it would only stimulate wasteful government spending. Commerce nominee withdraws, dealing Obama a setback February 13, 2009 at 7:07 pm The withdrawal of President Barack Obama's nominee for commerce secretary is the latest setback to a White House that has struggled to fill several top positions and fulfill the president's pledge to build a bipartisan administration. G-7 loses its financial savior status February 13, 2009 at 1:33 pm The Group of 7, whose finance chiefs convene this weekend in Rome, is ceding its traditional power to rebuild the world economy to a broader body of governments that now wield greater sway over global growth. Europe's economic slump deeper than expected February 13, 2009 at 12:48 pm Figures published ahead of a G7 meeting in Rome show the euro zone sank even deeper into recession than the United States in the closing months of 2008. U.S. House set for final vote on stimulus February 13, 2009 at 12:48 pm The real suspense was how many, if any, Republicans would vote for the $787 billion package. Female suicide bomber kills 30 in Baghdad February 13, 2009 at 12:48 pm A suicide bomber blew herself up in a crowd of Shiite pilgrims, many of them women and children. Intelligence director says global crisis is top threat to U.S. February 13, 2009 at 12:48 pm The new director of national intelligence told Congress that global economic turmoil and the instability it could ignite had outpaced terrorism. Opposition official arrested in Zimbabwe February 13, 2009 at 12:48 pm On the very day Zimbabwe's new unity government was sworn in, agents of President Robert Mugabe's security forces on Friday arrested Roy Bennett, the third-highest ranking member of the opposition party that is supposed to share power with Mugabe. Corporate makeover: Shiseido tries a global approach February 13, 2009 at 12:48 pm Although the cosmetics industry is looking to be resistant to the global downturn, the Japanese company Shiseido is looking for extra strength in old and new ways. In frightening times, a pleasurable escape February 13, 2009 at 12:48 pm The economic crisis fades while watching Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi and Dita Von Teese. A family-owned firm moves Murano beyond glass February 13, 2009 at 12:48 pm Gianluca Vecchi, chairman of Andromeda, sees the survival of the ancient art of glass-blowing in high-end collaboration with designers and meticulous customer service. Paul Krugman: Failure to rise February 13, 2009 at 12:48 pm It's early days yet, but we're falling behind the curve. America just isn't rising to the challenge of the greatest economic crisis in 70 years. David Brooks: The worst-case scenario February 13, 2009 at 12:48 pm During 2010, the economic decline abated, but the recovery did not arrive. Can this batch do peace? February 13, 2009 at 12:48 pm Neither Netanyahu nor even Lieberman wants an all right-wing government in Israel. German economy shrank 2.1 percent last quarter, data show February 13, 2009 at 5:45 am The German economy shrank by 2.1 percent in the fourth quarter, the most since the country's reunification nearly two decades ago, as exports fell, government data showed.