The European Union’s mix of 500 million people and 27 European countries often gives rise to some temporary and more longer-lasting unions of the heart. On this Valentine’s weekend, here’s a list of the Top 5 stories of love and sex in the European Union: Number 5: EUtube & European sex The EU is often […]
Even though she received a plurality of votes in last week’s election, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni asserted to associates her desire to lead the opposition as opposed to joining Likud-led right wing coalition. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert urged Livni to oppose Benjamin Netanyahu claiming that a failed Likud-government would propel Kadima back into the PMO. […]
According to the International Crisis Group, Tajikistan may be headed for economic collapse. http://www.rferl.org/content/Tajikistan_On_The_Road_To_Failure_Think_Tank_Concludes/1492820.html The country has been subsisting on remittance payments from migrant workers in Russia, but work is drying up quickly. Many are headed home. Some of the workers who have decided to stay are not making enough to send back, either from […]
While the press consistently publishes reports of Hamas agreeing to a truce deal with Israel that includes the release of abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert denied any such deal, declaring “Israel is not currently engaging in any negotiations with Hamas, and certainly won’t achieve any kind of […]
In a rather boring soccer game last Wednesday, Mexico’s national team managed to lose to the United States. For historians and soccer fans on both sides of the border, the result was not a surprise not only because Mexico tends to lose in general, but also because it has not won a single game against […]
Right on the heels of NATO’s announcement that “there will be a military presence” in the Arctic, Russia declared that it, too, will increase its presence in the High North. Specifically, the country is planning to build a new Arctic research ship and send more scientists to the North Pole. Renowned Russian polar explorer Artur […]
The FPA recently hosted a lecture on “Russia Today From a European Perspective” given by Giuliano Amato, one of the authors of the Lisbon Treaty. Russia and Europe have necessarily become closer in recent years – one reason is the simple fact that the EU now borders quite extensively with its neighbour. However, like a […]
Who knew that Hamas could help put smiles on happy couples’ faces this Valentine’s Day? Approximately 25,000 carnations left Gaza yesterday en route to Denmark, marking a major economic stimulus to flower growers who’s income sharply declined following Hamas’ takeover of the strip and the beginning of Israel’s restrictions on cross-border traffic. While Gaza exports […]
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will arrive in Israel March 3, one day after attending a Gaza rehabilitation conference in Cairo. During her visit, though, she may influence coalition building and the priorities of the next government. Hamas intends to include the exchange of captive IDF soldier Gilad Shalit for 1000 Palestinian prisoners in a […]
I don’t want to beat a dead horse here, but there continues to be breaking news regarding the closure of the US Manas base in Kyrgyzstan. Alexander Cooley at the Herald Tribune has an inside view of the US displacement from the air base and argues that the US did the prudent thing by walking […]
As President Barack Obama extends an open hand to Iran and Hamas in an effort to change the current Middle Eastern dynamic, Binyamin Netanyahu, Likud Chairman and potentially the next Israeli Prime Minister, may pose a hurdle towards some American strategies regarding the peace process and preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction through […]
In this weekend Lebanon remembers two major events: the tragic death of Hariri, and those who were with him, and the Cedars Revolution. It is a time for reflection as well as action. The Revolution entered a comatose state, but it is not yet dead. As preparations for the fourth commemoration of the assassination of […]
South Africa’s almost universally respected Finance Minister Trevor Manuel has continued to argue that his country is not in the grips of a recession. This is obviously good news, though for those who work or rely on those industries, such as manufacturing, that have seen contraction, will find the news to be of small semantic […]
Depending on what source one chooses to believe, the judges on the International Criminal Court (ICC) either have or have not issued an arrest warrant for Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir. Whatever the reality of the situation, two things appear clear: 1) Whether the warrant has been issued or not, the noose is circling around al-Bashir, […]
Wen and Putin on the phone China’s Premier Wen Jiabao held an in-depth phone conversation with Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on bilateral trade and other issues of common concern. They both emphasized each other’s significance as strategic partner and the importance of continuing cooperation. The phone conversation was held on the same day that […]