A recent Ipsos survey has indicated that Turkey is the most critical NATO member of the operations in Libya. According to the survey the most support for military intervention is in Belgium (78%) followed by strong support in France (72%) and Canada (70%), whereas the weakest support among NATO countries registers in Hungary (54%), Italy […]
The 7th Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting took place yesterday and today in Nuuk, Greenland. At the meeting, the Arctic Council ministers signed the Search and Rescue Agreement (PDF), which is the first-ever legally binding agreement to be signed under the Arctic Council. The agreement mandates that the seven signatory countries cooperate in a 13-million square […]
The one issue that seems to be getting thrown under the bus, and what might just be most important in the Syrian context, is the issue of class.
The smoke has hardly cleared from the revolution in Egypt, and the Egyptian people already have a new adversary: Turkey. Recent reconciliation talks between Fatah and Hamas may have taken place in Egypt, but few have cheered more loudly for the results than Turkey. And while Egypt has the power, but not quite the will […]
This is Russia’s timeless, quintessential paradox: the country has no problem building a state of the art stadium in Chechnya and bringing over international football legends Maradona, Figo and Steve McManaman all the way to Grozny for the inaugural exhibition match, but can’t manage the simple task of delivering an Amazon shipment to ordinary people trying […]
History seemingly repeated itself as a mini-Ramayana played out this week – except of course, Rama was a steely Indian-born prosecutor, the location was a Manhattan courtroom, and the charges against the Sri-Lankan born defendant – a.k.a Ravana – were more serious than an abducted wife: he was accused of orchestrating “the largest hedge fund insider trading scheme in history.”
Rather than give my take on something in the headlines today, I will take a moment to explain an apparent contradiction that baffles many visitors to Japan. One paradox in modern Japan that often baffles foreigners is how a country that is decidedly xenophobic so quickly embraces fashion and pop culture from outside. A first-time […]
The Following piece is written by a Yemeni-based journalist who writes for Foreign Policy Association (FPA) and, due to serious security concerns, remains anonymous. After weeks of failed negotiations among members of the Yemeni political coalition: the JMP and the government, Yemenis have decided to take matters in their own hands. So far and despite […]
On Tuesday, Quebec’s Prime Minister Jean Charest officially launched the Plan Nord, or Northern Plan. It is a grand, 25-year, CAN $88 billion plan for economic and social development in a region rich in natural resources. Northern Quebec comprises the 72% of the province which lies north of the 49th parallel. It’s home to 120,000 […]
This week has seen the chances of success for the Syrian opposition go from slim to none. The revolutionary moment has passed and the Assad regime is no longer in immediate danger of being deposed by the Syrian protest movement. Protests will continue in pockets of ongoing resistance, however, the regime has succeeded in isolating […]
Sometimes someone writes something so crazy, so god-awful, so devoid of logic and sloppy and factually remiss that it stands as a testament of grandeur of an almost platonic form of awfulness. This post from The Mail & Guardian’s “Thought Leader” is such a piece.
The other Africa that you hardly see or hear in the news…a modern Africa with burgeoning middle class. They are entrepreneurs, aspiring minds, and achievement-oriented professionals. Follow the link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13332507
I urge all our readers who live on the East Coast of the United States to tune into PBS stations at 10pm for “Bhutto”, a two hour investigative documentary on Benazir Bhutto, the assassinated former Prime Minister and PPP leader. An examination of the life and politics of Benazir Bhutto -once popular leader, assassinated in […]
U.S. experts and politicians are starting to hone into the ‘dangers’ of R&D and technology transfers to China, as the most serious long-term threat to the U.S. economy and national security. U.S. comparative advantage (innovation and new technologies) is being undermined by outsourcing of manufacturing to China, the relocation of R&D facilities to Chinese tech-parks, […]
As I stated in my last article, Egypt is trying to showcase its apparently rejuvenated power and strength by facilitating Palestinian reconciliation. I personally believe it is a PR move. However, if Egypt wants to prove its might is legitimate, it should find a way to return Gilad Schalit to Israel. No individual, political party, […]