World

POLL

THE VACATION INDEX

A new survey by Expedia and Harris Interactive analyzed 24 countries to see how many allotted days, on average, workers take off. Below, a sample:

France

Receives

30

30

Takes

Japan

Receives

18

7

Takes

U.S.

Receives

14

10

Takes

South Korea

Receives

10

7

Takes

Why the Central African Republic Could Collapse

France announced on Nov. 25 that it would triple its troop presence in the country, to 1,200. Months of heavy Muslim-Christian fighting has left the CAR’s 4.6 million people reeling from multiple crises: food insecurity, the spread of disease, mass looting and indiscriminate killing.

Failed state

Since it gained independence from France in 1960, five coups and spillover from neighboring conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan have set the mineral-rich, dirt-poor nation–irresistible to power-hungry warlords–in a permanent humanitarian crisis.

Power struggle

Violence has reigned since March, when the Séléka coalition of Muslim rebels overran the capital, Bangui, and ousted President François Bozizé. Rebel leader and self-proclaimed President Michel Djotodia, who dissolved the alliance in September, can’t control his former fighters, and clashes in the north have impeded efforts by Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye, head of the transitional government, to restore law and order.

New interfaith conflict

Armed self-defense groups from the Christian majority have targeted Séléka rebels and the Muslim community. The uptick in attacks, not originally fueled by religion or ethnicity, has ramped up fears that the conflict is becoming sectarian. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said the country is “on the verge of genocide.”

Lack of awareness

A top U.S. official recently labeled the CAR a “forgotten crisis.” It is mostly inaccessible to aid groups and media, and the world has been distracted by other crises in Syria and the Philippines.

Delayed response

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the Security Council–which votes in early December on allowing neighboring countries, the African Union and France to intervene–to significantly bolster a peacekeeping force that has been hampered by insufficient funding, supplies and training.

THE VATICAN

‘We … have to say “thou shalt not” to an economy of exclusion and inequality.’

POPE FRANCIS, writing in his first major papal pronouncement; in a stinging attack on global capitalism, he urged world leaders to help combat poverty and also called for the Catholic Church and papacy to reform and become more merciful

Roundup

Where to Spend Your Bitcoins

Commercial space venture Virgin Galactic–which announced on Nov. 22 that it would start accepting bitcoins to reserve a refundable $250,000 seat on a future trip–is just the latest of many businesses that have recently embraced the decentralized virtual payment system. (At press time, 1 bitcoin was worth roughly $879.)

A sandwich shop

A Subway franchise in Allentown, Pa., began taking bitcoins, and another in Moscow reportedly offers a 10% discount to those paying with the digital currency

A travel site

California-based CheapAir.com became the world’s first online travel agency to accept bitcoins and plans to extend the option beyond flights to hotel reservations

A security company

Baidu, China’s search giant and operator of the country’s most popular website, began taking bitcoins for its Jiasule security service, which provides firewalls to help sites fend off hackers

A European university

The University of Nicosia in Cyprus started accepting bitcoins for tuition and other fees, especially for students from nations where traditional banking is expensive or difficult

U.K.

94

Number of nations where the 50th-anniversary episode of sci-fi drama Doctor Who was simulcast on Nov. 23, setting a Guinness World Record

The Explainer

Why China and Japan Are Sparring Over Islands

A simmering maritime row between Asia’s largest economies intensified on Nov. 23 after China imposed airspace restrictions over a handful of islands and rocks in the East China Sea–China calls them Diaoyu; in Japan they’re Senkaku–that both want to control.

PERCEIVED OWNERSHIP

In China’s view, Japan, which was ceded Taiwan in 1895 but lost control of it in 1945, should also have given up the islands. Japan says China didn’t question its territorial grab until the value was estimated in the 1960s.

RICH NATURAL RESOURCES

Per international law, each nation can conserve and develop resources within 200 nautical miles of its shores. The rocks, which lie along key shipping lanes, offer rich fishing grounds and are thought to contain vast oil and natural gas deposits.

NATIONAL PRIDE

Japan’s $26 million purchase of three islands in 2012 from a Japanese family sparked protests in China. Beijing’s determination not to lose face has led to provocative military acts and has heightened fears of an accidental war.

Trending In

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DIPLOMACY

The U.N. said Syria’s government and opposition members will meet Jan. 22 for peace talks in Geneva

CHARITY

The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation granted $3 million to the World Wildlife Fund to protect Nepal’s wild-tiger population from poaching

ACTIVISM

Ukrainians rallied en masse in Kiev after the government shelved a trade-and-association deal with the E.U. to improve ties with Russia

SPORTS

The entire board of the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission resigned amid a drug-testing scandal

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