[World] Why Has Moscow Passed a Bill to Ban US Adoption of Russian Orphans?

Why Has Moscow Passed a Bill to Ban US Adoption of Russian Orphans?
http://world.time.com/2012/12/20/why-has-moscow-passed-a-law-to-ban-u-s-adoption-of-russian-orphans/?iid=gs-main-lead
Orphan children attend a class at an orphanage in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, Dec. 19, 2012. Email · Print; Share.

Korea Set for Growth Boost After Park's Pledges to Spend
http://abcnews.go.com/International/female-president-elected-south-korea/story?id=18015449
South Korea may get a growth boost next year as incoming president Park Geun Hye abandons fiscal restraint and increases spending on welfare.

India, ASEAN finalise FTA in services, investments
http://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/india-asean-finalise-fta-in-services-investments/article4222052.ece
India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Thursday finalised the much-awaited free trade agreement (FTA) in services and investments.

Chavez Continues to Fight Respiratory Infection, Maduro Says
http://www.kansascity.com/2012/12/20/3975431/chavez-ally-defends-idea-of-postponing.html
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is continuing to fight a respiratory infection after cancer surgery in Cuba while his health stabilizes, Vice President Nicolas Maduro said.

Al Qaeda grows powerful in Syria as endgame nears
http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/syria-genuinely-worried-extremists-could-get-chemical-weapons-306608
By Khaled Yacoub Oweis. AMMAN | Thu Dec 20, 2012 7:39am EST. AMMAN (Reuters) - Having seen its star wane in Iraq, al Qaeda has staged a comeback in neighbouring Syria, posing a dilemma for the opposition fighting to remove President Bashar ...

Can horror over rape prompt cultural change in India?
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/can-horror-over-rape-prompt-cultural-change-in-india/article6618278/
She was the 637th case of rape the police registered this year in the Indian capital. But the story of this young woman - found naked and near death after being gang raped on a bus Sunday night - seems to have pierced the pained resignation of Indian ...

Challenging France to Do Business Differently
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/20/business/global/challenging-france-to-do-business-differently.html?pagewanted=all
Challenging France to Do Business Differently. Pool photo by Bertrand Langlois. President François Hollande must find a way to make palatable a shift in French labor practices.