TIME.com: Top World Stories

Amid Economic Crisis, Spain Ponders Taxing Catholic Church Property

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:35:00 EST

A concordat with the Vatican has exempted the church from taxation but towns and cities are looking for loopholes to get at funding during austere times

Why the U.S. Won't Give Up on Kofi Annan's Syria Plan

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:35:00 EST

Obama Administration is sticking with Annan's Syria plan because the alternatives seem even worse

Golf in North Korea: The Hermit Kingdom's Newest Pastime

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:35:00 EST

Pyongyang is playing host to a new type of visitor: foreign golfers going to compete in the country's new amateur golf tournament

The Absent Prince: A Shadow over the Queen's Jubilee

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:35:00 EST

The Duke of Edinburgh is taken by ambulance for treatment after a suspected bladder infection, casting a pall on the jubilation around Elizabeth's anniversary

Is the Doctor Who Helped Get bin Laden in Danger?

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:35:00 EST

Shakeel Afridi's lawyers and his U.S. supporters have expressed concerns about his safety while in custody. But the doctor is getting little sympathy in Pakistan

Why the Euro Zone Could Unravel Shockingly Fast

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:35:00 EST

The real problem facing the euro zone is that there is no longer any such policy, no overall strategy, no big picture

A Turkish War of Religion: Kurdish Activists Sense a Conspiracy

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:35:00 EST

Though both sides are Sunni Muslim, the Kurdish movement in Turkey is suspicious of the activities of a controversial and influential Islamic organization

Canadian Body Parts Suspect Arrested in Berlin

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:35:00 EST

A Canadian porn actor suspected of murdering and dismembering a Chinese student and mailing his body parts to Canada's top political parties was reading about himself on the Internet when he was arrested Monday at a cafe in Berlin

Chile's Matthew Shepard Case: How a Brutal Murder Changed the Country's Mind about Gay Rights

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:35:00 EST

The death of Daniel Zamudio led to the passage of a long stalled anti-discrimination law in the conservative country. Now, there is talk of gay civil unions

Can an Earthquake Bring About the Fall of Rome?

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:35:00 EST

The Italian capital isn't built on a fault line but that doesn't mean it isn't immune to earthquakes. Just look at the Colosseum.

Mubarak's Life Sentence: A Game of Smoke and Mirrors in Egypt?

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:35:00 EST

The ex-dictator is sentenced to life in prison but most of his fellows accused are acquitted and no one seems to be directly responsible for the deaths of protesters

Plane Crashes in Lagos, Nigeria, Killing at Least 153

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:35:00 EST

A commuter flight plunged into a densely populated area of Lagos, Nigeria, on Sunday, likely killing all 153 passengers as well as scores more on the ground

The Nicaraguan Firewall: How the Narco Gangs Have Breached It

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:35:00 EST

The Ortega government was proud of the country's seeming imperviousness to the drug violence in neighboring countries. Now, a high-level detention proves it has been infiltrated

In Italy, a Soccer Scandal Casts a Shadow Over Euro 2012

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:35:00 EST

As the Italian national team prepares to compete at the European Championship, a match-fixing scandal is engulfing the country and tarnishing the country's beloved sport

In Brazil, An Ex-President Makes an Unhappy Return to the Spotlight

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:35:00 EST

A magazine story has a Supreme Court judge alleging that Lula tried to influence him on the timing of a sensitive case. The legendary politician denies it but the damage to his reputation may be done.

The Loneliness of the Afghan President: Karzai on His Own

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:35:00 EST

In an extensive interview with TIME, Hamid Karzai discusses what his country will be like as the U.S. military pulls out

U.N. Rights Chief Warns of Full Civil War in Syria

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:35:00 EST

The U.N.'s top human rights official is calling for the international community to support the Syria peace plan and a probe into the killing of more than 100 civilians in Houla last week

Crisis in the Euro Zone: Alexis Tsipras Is the Greek Who Makes Europe Tremble

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:35:00 EST

Alexis Tsipras has transformed himself from an obscure leftist politician to an anti-austerity populist. Is the future of the euro in his hands?

Spain's Banking Crisis Is No Longer a Laughing Matter

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:35:00 EST

Spaniards have been trying to deal with their economic problems with a good measure of black humor. The mood, however, has gone from black to bad with the Bankia revelations

'Death Match': Why a Nazi-Era Soccer Movie Is Making Ukraine Angry

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:35:00 EST

In the lead-up to the European soccer championship, co-host Ukraine is furious over a Russian soccer film depicting Ukrainians as Nazi collaborators. Can Moscow and Kiev learn to play nice?

U.S. Frustration on Iran and Syria Puts New Cards in Russia's Hands

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:35:00 EST

Russia's help will be crucial for President Obama in addressing the crisis in Syria and the Iran nuclear standoff, but President Vladimir Putin is playing hard to get

How a U.S. Radar Station in the Negev Affects a Potential Israel-Iran Clash

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:35:00 EST

The complex can provide precious minutes of warning to Israel -- but also alert Washington if the Jewish State launches a unilateral attack on Iran

Attacked by "Flame": Will Iran Retaliate for the Latest Cyberassault?

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:35:00 EST

First it was Stuxnet. Now it is Flame. Tehran has been beefing up its "Cyber Army" and may seek to retaliate in some form

The Vatican Scandals: What Did the Pope's Butler Know?

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:35:00 EST

A flood of leaks has embarrassed the papacy of Benedict XVI and offered a peek at a likely power struggle going on in the highest circles of the Holy See.

Is Russia Changing Its Mind About Assad Regime in Syria?

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:35:00 EST

Russia supported a U.N. statement condemning the Assad regime for the Houla massacre in Syria. But does that mean it is shifting its support for Damascus?

Historic Montreal Protests, Once About Student Tuition, Now Decry an 'Unconstitutional' Government Response

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:35:00 EST

The student marches in Montreal may have started over a proposed tuition hike, but it was the special legislation that followed, placing restrictions on protests, that made the movement a global cause

J. Craig Venter: Gene Mapper

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:35:00 EST

The bad boy of science has jump-started a biological revolution

Norway's Dilemma: How to Punish Breivik and Stay Liberal

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:35:00 EST

The judicial options in the confessed mass murderer's trial are tying the Norwegian government in legalistic knots