NEWS An Islamist-backed constitution was approved by voters in Egypt, propelling deeply split political factions into a new phase in the battle over the country’s future. David Kirkpatrick and Mayy El Sheikh report from Cairo.
Angry protests escalated into violence in India’s capital Sunday, after thousands of people gathered to demand justice for the victim of a recent gang rape in New Delhi. Heather Timmons and Gardiner Harris report.
The latest chapter in the Greek fiscal drama is a new reminder of how private investors have managed to outmaneuver Europe’s officials at various stages of the debt crisis. And, some experts caution, each time it happens, future debt workouts in the euro zone will become even more costly. Landon Thomas Jr. reports from London.
Alongside Christmas markets peddling sweets, candles, holiday decorations and crafts another kind of market has sprung up in response to Spain’s hard times: “mercadillos,” or little markets, where the entrepreneurial-minded have found a niche by gathering and selling the unsold stock of retailers whose sales have plummeted, or unwanted clothing and other items from people in need of cash. Raphael Minder reports from Madrid.
Owners of dozens of buildings across Hong Kong drape the exteriors with enormous displays for Christmas, New Year and the Lunar New Year — an expense that appears to be downturn-proof. Bettina Wassener reports.
EDUCATION Elite Western boarding schools, including Marlborough College, the Harrow School and Branksome Hall, are establishing campuses in Asia. The schools are tapping into the demands of Asian parents who want their children to get a high-quality foreign-style education while staying close to home. There is also the desire to escape local school systems, which focus more on exams and rote learning. Kristiano Ang and Yenni Kwok report.
Malaysia is trying to upgrade a hodgepodge of gritty industrial towns and rural villages with Iskandar Malaysia, a planned eco-city and trading zone with districts for tourism, health care and education. EduCity, a 240-hectare, or 600-acre, plot of land is being developed in Nusajaya, with the hope that the city’s lush green fields, neatly paved roads and two theme parks will eventually become a second home to more than 16,000 students. Kristiano Ang reports from Nusajaya, Malaysia.
ARTS The austerity measures that have hurt the arts across Europe have been particularly unsettling in France, where cultural spending had been sacrosanct. Now the directors of grand cultural institutions here are resorting to public appeals to pay for the things they want, cobbling together the money not by courting millionaires but just the average Jules. Doreen Carvajal reports from Paris.
Many of the year’s design coups belonged to small entrepreneurs. Alice Rawsthorn writes from London.
SPORTS The Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar announced that he is retiring from one-day cricket events, implying that he intends to continue in five-day tests, taking a career that began when he was 16 up to and beyond his 40th birthday next March. Huw Richards reports.
With the goalkeeper and club captain Iker Casillas sitting on the bench for the first time since May 2002, Real Madrid suffered its first loss to Málaga since 1983. Rob Hughes on soccer.
IHT Rendezvous: IHT Quick Read: Dec. 24
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IHT Rendezvous: IHT Quick Read: Dec. 24
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IHT Rendezvous: IHT Quick Read: Dec. 24
