Op-Ed: The military’s recent decision to appoint Kamal al-Ganzouri as prime minister is the latest bad sign from Egypt’s ruling class. Ganzouri, who already served under Mubarak, is the wrong choice at a time when citizens are clamoring
Category: Geopolitics
News that Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party won 53% of the seats in parliamentary elections sparked protests in both Moscow and St. Petersburg. Unsure they can sustain a mass movement now, organizers have their sights set on Putin’s upcoming r
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s United Russia won slightly less than 50% of the vote in the State Duma elections, which coincided with an unprecedented series of threats against media and hacker episodes against websites of many liberal outlets,
Many Kosovar Serbs would rather throw their lot in with Russia than with the European Union, which is currently considering Kosovo’s request for membership. Thousands have requested Russian citizenship, saying it would protect them from ethnic Al
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez says he’s cancer-free and ready to rule another 20 years. But others say there’s reason to question both his health and political future. If cancer doesn’t end his presidency, next year’s October election may.
Europe is threatening stiffer sanctions on Iran following a recent attack by students on the British Embassy in Tehran. Diplomacy remains the strategy of choice for the Europeans, but at least one German lawmaker isn’t ruling out military intervention.
Analysis: China’s decidion to donate 23 school buses to Macedonia seemed like a small, generous gesture. But it has sparked a firestorm of criticism from ordinary Chinese, still angry about a badly overcrowded school bus that crashed in rural Chi
A R A B I C A ارابيكا By Kristen Gillespie EGYPT, ELECTIONSIn Cairo, the High Elections Commission is postponing for a third time the announcement of parliamentary election results. A larger-than-expected voter turnout is responsible for the delay, the commission said. EGYPT, RESERVESAlso in Egypt, foreign-currency reserves are expected to drop to $15 billion […]
As U.S. Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton makes a historic visit, Myanmar may be starting to edge to more openness, and perhaps even real democracy. But along the border with China, the so-called “golden triangle”is a haven of drug and
After the Kremlin-backed candidate appears to lose at polls, the Supreme Court overturns the results. But Alla Dzhioyeva, who took 56% of the vote, won’t go down without a fight.
German authorities interrupted a gathering of right-wing extremists in Cologne, and took the notorious former KKK leader into custody, and told him to leave the country. Though he is persona non grata in Europe, he continues to try to spread his message t
After being subsequently acquitted and released, a 42-year-old falsely accused of multiple murders, and sentenced to death, recounts a decade of torture and forced confession in a Chinese prison. It’s an experience few have lived to describe.
Analysis: Reforms earlier this year by the King meant to preempt popular uprisings have led to a surge to power of Morocco’s leading Islamist party in this weekend’s election. But as with its neighbors in the region, all wonder what the
Analysis: Just a year ago, Prime Minister Erdo?an was viewed in many Western capitals with deep suspicion, accused of pushing Turkey towards an Islamic republic. Though basic positions haven’t changed, five specific Erdo?an actions have helped cr
Bidzina Ivanishvili made billions in Russia. But his heart has always been in Georgia, where he’s openly criticizing the “Rose Revolution” he himself helped fund. With an eye on next year’s parliamentary elections, the oligarch is now ready to launch his
Essay: A Beijing-based Japanese writer looks at history, diplomacy and body language to try to explain the chilly reception new Japanese Prime Minister Noda has received from China’s Hu Jintao. What could it mean for a region at the center of shi
Western European employers had hoped for a flood of new qualified workers from the new E.U. member states of Eastern Europe. And though requests jumped as soon as the last barriers were lifted, more and more from Poland and elsewhere are deciding to stay
Typically mild-mannered, Russian President Dimitri Medvedev let loose in a nationally televised speech against American and NATO plans for a missile defense system. His probable successor, Vladimir Putin, may even boycott the next NATO summit in Chicago n
Essay: A Chinese commentator notes a disturbing uptick in U.S. drumbeating in the Pacific region. But China’s response, he warns, should be diplomatic pragmatism not more nationalistic posturing.
A R A B I C A ارابيكا By Kristen Gillespie TAHRIR – THE MARSHALWith an estimated 35 Egyptians dead from the crackdown during recent days of protesting, the leader of the country’s ruling military junta gave an address on state television, announcing that the ruling government cabinet’s resignation has been accepted and that presidential […]
Activists have called for a mass showing in Cairo’s central square on Tuesday to call for the ouster of Egypt’s military leadership. The Muslim Brotherhood, the country’s largest opposition group, has said it will not participat
Analysis: Both inside and outside the Middle East, a consensus appears to be forming that the Assad regime in Damascus must go. But if it does, be prepared for the reverberations to be felt from Tehran and Beirut to Ankara and Riyadh.
After working in the shadow of José María Aznar and losing twice to José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, the unassuming former “registrador della propriedad” is now set to lead Spain in a moment of great challenge.
At least 20 have been killed in recent protests in Cairo and elsewhere in Egypt, as the government responds with a major crackdown on demonstrators. A review of how Egypt’s recently liberalized press is covering the most severe unrest since Mubar
Essay: Yet another avoidable tragedy has struck rural China, where a crammed school van crashed and killed 18 children. One Chinese writer’s j’accuse against public officials who are busy spending money on luxury cars instead of safe school transportation
Over the past 10 years, Colombia has enjoyed a huge change in fortunes. The economy is humming, drug-related violence is down and security forces have corralled the rebel FARC guerillas. From infrastructure to corruption, however, some serious problems pe
Rudolf Elmer, former employee of Swiss bank Julius Baer, appeals his conviction of violating confidentiality. Elmer turned over private documents he says show the bank helping wealthy clients avoid taxes. Not surprisingly, Elmer’s new best pal is
Ruslan Akhtakhanov, a well-known Chechen poet and activist, was gunned down Wednesday night in Moscow. Police suspect the writer may have been the target of a contract killing ordered by Chechen nationalists.
Essay: The exit of Silvio Berlusconi and the arrival of Mario Monti marks a watershed for a nation still crucial for both Europe and the world. But Italy has lost both economic and political influence, which can only be regained by rallying all the forces
German authorities had plenty of info on a far-right terror group accused of killing immigrations, robbing banks and building bombs. Yet for more than a decade, the neo-Nazis operated freely. People now want to know why investigators were unable to put tw
A R A B I C A ارابيكا By Kristen Gillespie SYRIA ON SYRIASyrian Foreign Minister Walid Mouallem expressed outrage over Syria’s suspension from the Arab League. The decision “should not have been issued because of the facts on the ground,” Mouallem said. The minister did admit that there is a “crisis in Syria,” but […]
After the regime fell, the security vacuum has posed a new set of problems in some hospitals, where doctors and medical workers describe chaotic encounters with enraged – and sometimes armed – patients.
A top figure in the Socialist party, Arnaud Montebourg is putting pressure on party leaders to not support candidates over 67, saying that new challenges require new blood. Not surprisingly, the proposal has sparked some heated debate — and exposed a gen
Op-Ed: Bodies are piling up in Central America’s ‘northern triangle’ of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, where drug trafficking and street gangs have made the area nearly ungovernable. The isthmus needs outside help, and it’s time the rest of Latin Am
She worked late hours for meager pay, and suffered constant abuse. But in the end, the case of the Berlin-based Indonesian housekeeper went nowhere – thanks to her alleged tormentor’s diplomatic status. Is it time to change the longstanding practice of di
A R A B I C A ارابيكا By Kristen Gillespie YEMEN SHELLING*Nine civilians, including at least one child, were killed on Friday in Yemen’s second-largest city after President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s forces shelled the neighborhood where protesters are gathered, Al Jazeera reported. The shelling continued into the early morning, where undeterred demonstrators held a […]
What do leaked U.S. Embassy documents say about Germany’s original reaction to the developing euro zone crisis? That the German government refused to take the situation seriously, and were all too happy to keep its citizens in the dark.
Russia’s strong criticisms of a U.N. report on Iran’s atomic weapons ambitions has baffled observers. Now it emerges that the U.N. nuclear watchdog’s dossier cites a Russian scientist who some suspect may have played a key role in Tehran’s nuclear program
Analysis: Israel has threatened Teheran with a military preemptive strike, but tougher sanctions may be what it is really after.
Op-Ed: Silvio Berlusconi tried to avoid the inevitable for far too long, as the Italian (and world) economy suffered the consequences of political stalemate. Now that Berlusconi has announced plans to resign, whatever comes next should come quick – and cl