TIME.com: Top World Stories

The Detention of Chinese Fishermen Fuels Anger With North Korea

Thu, 24 May 2012 22:50:00 EST

Islamists Set the Pace, But Egypt's Presidential Race Looks Set to Go to a Runoff

Thu, 24 May 2012 22:50:00 EST

Farmers and laborers have waited for hours in a long line outside the polling station in the impoverished village of Kirdasah, on Cairo'swestern outskirts, but their spirits are high

In Nuclear Talks, Iran and the West Agree to Disagree -- and Keep Talking

Thu, 24 May 2012 22:50:00 EST

Iranian officials balked at the offer from the Western powers, signaling that it provided no basis for a further meeting

Scandal in Colombia: Was a FARC Hostage a Victim or a Traitor?

Thu, 24 May 2012 22:50:00 EST

The country rejoiced at seeing Sigifredo López reunited with his family in 2009. Now, however, he has been arrested for allegedly betraying fellow lawmakers.

Iran Nuclear Talks: Why Long-Term Uncertainty Remains

Thu, 24 May 2012 22:50:00 EST

Anyone banking on a big-win breakthrough in Wednesday's nuclear talks with Iran will likely find themselves in the same boat as investors who bet on an instant surge in the Facebook stock price last week

Al-Qaeda Continues Its War Against Yemen

Thu, 24 May 2012 22:50:00 EST

The death of more than 100 soldiers in a suicide attack punctuates the fact that the terrorist franchise in the Arabian Peninsula is the most successful of Osama Bin Laden's offspring

Italy Quake: Can the Cash-Strapped Government Help Victims Recover?

Thu, 24 May 2012 22:50:00 EST

The 5.9-magnitude quake that struck Italy on Sunday devastated local businesses already reeling from the recession and could make residents even more angry at the government if it doesn't step in to help

Egypt: Could a Pro-Military Candidate Become President Fair and Square?

Thu, 24 May 2012 22:50:00 EST

The campaign of Ahmed Shafik may look quixotic at first glance but the former aviation minister is likely to get Egypt's quiet but substantial national security vote.

Can Palm Oil Help Fight Cancer and Prevent Strokes?

Thu, 24 May 2012 22:50:00 EST

Preliminary research suggests that tocotrienol, the form of vitamin E packed into the oil-palm fruit, could help fight cancer and prevent strokes

Euro Crisis: Why a Greek Exit Could Be Much Worse than Expected

Thu, 24 May 2012 22:50:00 EST

More than one kind of damaging domino effect is possible if Greece is forced to abandon the euro

A Visit with Turkey's Controversial Religious Movement

Thu, 24 May 2012 22:50:00 EST

In the conservative southeast, the Gulen Movement welcomes a journalist into a local meeting for a glimpse at its ideology and zeal

A Spasm of Violence: How Lebanon Is Threatened by Syria's Rebellion

Thu, 24 May 2012 22:50:00 EST

Regional troubles have always worked their way into Lebanon's domestic politics. The dynamics of Syria's uprising are no exception

Obama's Afghanistan Problem: Neither Karzai Nor the Taliban Like the 'Reconciliation' Script

Thu, 24 May 2012 22:50:00 EST

Karzai's independent power base is minimal, as is his ability to influence the outcome of his country's civil war absent direct U.S. involvement. And that gives neither Karzai nor the Taliban much incentive to cut a deal with the other

The Passing of the Lockerbie Bomber: Have More Secrets Died in Libya?

Thu, 24 May 2012 22:50:00 EST

A former Libyan intelligence agent, Megrahi died amid unresolved controversies: Whether he was freed to facilitate an oil deal; and whether he was guilty in the first place.

A Monstrous Act in Brindisi: Why Was an Italian Girls' School Bombed?

Thu, 24 May 2012 22:50:00 EST

At first, everyone suspected the mob but even the mafia said it would never have planned such an act. Who could be behind it?

Why Algeria's Grievances Don't Spark a Rebellion

Thu, 24 May 2012 22:50:00 EST

Having seen hundreds of thousands killed in Algeria's last round of political turmoil, its citizens are leery of revolution - despite their hardships