Just ten years ago there were barely a dozen skyscrapers in site in Moscow. Today soaring towers dominate the skyline and the city boasts Europe's tallest building. Our Observers in Moscow wonder how the rapid changes will affect the capital. Read more...

In exchange for the bodies of two Israeli soldiers, the government released five Lebanese prisoners on Wednesday, some of whom had been imprisoned for murdering civilians. Clearly averse to the resolution, the authorities posted videos on YouTube in both Arabic and English, to remind viewers that the men released are not the heroes that Hezbollah makes them out to be, but cold-blooded killers. Read more...

When they were in competition with each other, Mitt Romney and John McCain fought bare-knuckled for the presidential nomination. But now that McCain has secured the place and is on the lookout for a running-mate, speculation that Romney will be chosen is mounting. So what would the conservative Mormon bring to the table as the country's vice president? Read more...

Hong Kong director John Woo has created the most expensive film in the history of Chinese cinematography. So why couldn't "Red Cliff" afford its own poster? Chinese web users say that the central image used in the picture is actually a shot stolen from the 1997 film "300". Read more...

For the Chinese authorities, anything goes when it comes to controlling Web 2.0 - and that includes bribing the public into posting propaganda for 50 cents, says Hong Kong blogger Oiwan Lam. Read more...

A Marseille football fan has set up an online piggy bank for the penniless club in the hope of saving up enough money to buy back Ivorian star player Didier Drogba. "Come back Didier" was only launched only a few days ago but has already attracted over 25,000 donors. Read more...

Despite huge criticism for satirically depicting Barack Obama and his wife in a radically unpatriotic light, The New Yorker magazine refuses to apologise, saying that "satire is part of what we do". Obama's campaign team doesn't find it so funny though. Read more...

 

Without breaks, freestanding wheels, and possessing only one gear, the "fixie" can already be seen tearing down the streets of the world's metropolises. This new kind of bike has lured fans with a fervour from San Francisco to Tokyo.See the videos and read more...

The photos of Iranian missiles released on Wednesday, July 9 made headlines around the world. But one of them, picked up by Agence France Presse (AFP), was found to be altered - most likely released by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's official press office, Sepah News. Read more...

Bruni fans got to listen to the French first lady's third album for the first time on Wednesday when it was made available on her website. The velvet voice and romantic prattle is back, but can you really listen to her without thinking about... Sarko? Read more...

Civil rights activist and friend of the late Martin Luther King, Jr., Jesse Jackson made a blunder on Sunday when he said something he shouldn't have... on Fox News. He didn't realise the cameras were rolling when he leant over to his neighbour to tell him, regarding Obama, "I wanna cut his nuts off". Read more and see the video.

A campaign about the Beijing Olympics produced for Amnesty International France was considered so aggressive by its creators that they decided to call off its release. Too late to stop it from getting to Chinese webusers though... Read more.

The Chinese Olympics committee has confirmed that if you buy a ticket for the opening or closing ceremony of the games, your pass will be fitted with a barcode-like microchip that contains your personal details. A little too Orwellian for comfort? Read more...

John McCain came up with a novel way to combat America's longstanding Iranian foe yesterday. Read more and see the video.

"Nashestvie" is the biggest rock festival in Russia. And many say it's the worst organised. Read more...