China’s Crisis – As the Bo Xilai saga continues, the New York Times reveals that for much of the last decade, while the now-disgraced official was moving up the ranks of the Communist Party, his relatives were using his …
Dictatorships
Must-Reads From Around the World: April 23, 2012
Withdrawal Symptoms – In a pact reached after a year of negotiations between the U.S. and Afghanistan, Washington promised military and financial support for a decade after its formal troop withdrawal from the country in 2014, …
Must-Reads from Around the World, April 20, 2012
Bahrain Protests – The Guardian reports on a wave of demonstrations in Bahrain to coincide with the controversial Formula One Grand Prix this weekend. The government and organizers have insisted that the event would proceed as …
Must-Reads from Around the World, April 19, 2012
Must-Reads from Around the World: April 16, 2012
Protest This – The Jerusalem Post writes that the IDF condemned an officer Monday who was filmed striking a pro-Palestinian activist with his gun. A video posted on YouTube by the International Solidarity Movement showed Lt.-Col. …
Kim Comes Clean on Rocket Failure, but Can North Korea Handle the Truth?
After North Korea announced that it planned to launch a satellite in mid-April to mark the centenary of the birth of its founder, Kim Il Sung, it was inevitable that it would go ahead, despite the international pressure to …
Must-Reads From Around the World: April 13, 2012
North Korea’s Dud – Amid widespread hype and anticipation, North Korea’s missile launch Friday morning came a cropper as the rocket disintegrated shortly after take off. But the bigger failure, Foreign Policy argues, is that of …
Must-Reads From Around the World: April 12, 2012
Pyongyang’s Plan – Despite mounting international pressure, a defiant North Korea appears poised to launch its Unha-3 rocket, viewed by the U.S. and others as a ballistic missile test that violates U.N. resolutions aimed at …
Must-Reads From Around the World: April 10, 2012
Brazil Matters — A day after Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff visited Barack Obama at the White House, The New York Times explores the evidence of a palpable disconnect between the Latin American giant’s self image as a …
Must-Reads from Around the World: April 6, 2012
Warring Words – Der Spiegel reports on the raging controversy surrounding German Nobel laureate Günter Grass’s new poem, which is sharply critical of Israel. The poet has taken to the airwaves to defend himself, while Israeli …
Must-Reads from Around the World: April 5, 2012
In Response – Under the headline “Nobel Laureates Clueless About Real Tibet,” semi-official mouthpiece Global Times rebuts a recent open letter from 12 Nobel laureates to Chinese leaders raising concerns about the self-immolation …
Must-Reads from Around the World: April 4, 2012
Perilous Path – The Independent of London reports on how the already dangerous journey for refugees fleeing the violence in Syria has become even deadlier in recent weeks as President Bashar al-Assad attempts to tighten control of the country’s borders with fresh landmines, according to the paper’s interviews with aid workers and fleeing …
Must-Reads from Around the World: April 2, 2012
Eying the Presidency – The Daily News Egypt assesses the implications of the surprising nomination of the Muslim Brotherhood’s key financier and long-time chief whip Khairat Al-Shater for the upcoming presidential elections – …