Great Weekend Reads
A young Indian Hindu devotee dressed as the Hindu God Lord Krishna stands amidst his family members before a fancy dress competition held at a local temple in Kolkata on August 9, 2012 on the eve of ‘Krishna Janmashtami’. The Janmashtami falls on August 10 this year, marking the birth of the Hindu God Lord Krishna.
A crackdown in the Vatican, tea and tanks with Syrian rebels, waterproof Filipinos, and the 'Fresh Prince'. No matter how you cut it, it's been a big week for the world. Here's a sampling of the most important stories from GlobalPost and a look at some of the news you might have missed.
In-Depth Series: Destination Mogadishu
Somalia's capital opens up after two decades of civil war.
China Works: Here is what is changing and why
China is changing. Its miraculous growth is slowing. Wages are rising. The endless labor supply has reached its limit. It’s normal for economies to ebb and flow, but a more fundamental shift is emerging. This series explores that trend and the people for whom it's a daily reality.
Syria: Battle for Aleppo (LIVE BLOG)
The fight between Syrian rebels and the regime for key areas of Aleppo is intensifying, with regime forces overtaking key districts in Syria's main commercial hub.
American nuns face off with Vatican over crackdown
They've been accused of promoting 'radical feminism' and moving away from church doctrine, and the sisters of the Leadership Conference will sit this week to formulate a response to the Vatican.
Tea and Tanks: Life with a rebel unit in northern Syria
Inside a tight-knit group of Free Syrian Army soldiers waging war against Bashar al-Assad's regime.
For Latin America, making the Olympic podium is a rare feat
Besides a number of stellar performances in London, Latin America is an overall Olympic underachiever. Here’s why.
Highway 2012: The Republican Veepstakes
Who will Mitt Romney's VP pick be? What does it mean? Does anybody really care?
Meet the waterproof Filipinos
Knee-deep in floodwater, Filipinos find a way to share hope and humor via Instagram.
Planet Pic: Merry Krishna-mas!
Photos: Indians celebrate Krishna's birthday.
Accelerate: Power swap
Video: A new company hopes to change the way we charge electric cars.
Japan: Tepco reveals footage from nuclear disaster
The heavily edited excerpts are revealing, but probably won't settle disaster response controversies.
And last, but certainly not least:
Weird Wide Web: Gitmo inmates fans of 'Fresh Prince'
The majority of the world is familiar with Will Smith's "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" theme song, including the prisoners of Guantanamo Bay.