“What is certain is that Russian politics are forever changed; going forward, Putin can never return to the halcyon days of the mid-2000s, when his argument for “stability” trumped all others.”
Russia
Putin’s Pitch: 5 Creepy Campaign Commercials
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin looks set to win his country’s March 4 presidential election. Drawing on his long-cultivated personality cult, Putin’s campaign conjured up a number of tawdry, creepy commercials.
Ballot-Box Watch: Your Guide to March Elections
Global Spin previews upcoming polls from around the world
In Exchange for Food, North Korea Says it Will Halt Nuclear Activities
When Glyn Davies, the the U.S. special representative for North Korean policy, left Beijing last week after two days of talks with North Korean envoys, he would only say their discussions produced “a little bit of progress” but …
Can Syria’s Assad Fight His Way to Political Survival?
Despite the death and destruction his security forces are raining down on opposition-held neighborhoods in Syria, President Bashar Assad is unlikely to succeed in crushing a year-old rebellion. International revulsion at the …
Must-Reads from Around the World: February 28, 2012
Electioneering – The New York Times casts skepticism on revelations Monday that Ukrainian and Russian intelligence services have thwarted an assassination attempt on Vladimir Putin. “The report came less than a week before the …
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Must-Reads from Around the World: February 27, 2012
Syrian Support – After Sunday’s draft constitution vote in Syria, President Bashar Assad’s international allies seem emboldened. On Monday, the Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece Global Times said in an editorial: “What the West …
Must-Reads from Around the World: February 23, 2012
Must-Reads from Around the World: February 21, 2012
Ballot for One – Yemen heads to the polls on Tuesday to replace long-time ruler Ali Abdullah Saleh. Interestingly, the only candidate on the ballot is Vice President Abd-Rabbua Mansour Hadi, who took power after Saleh stepped …
Must-Reads from Around the World: February 20, 2012
Changing China — The announcement that Foxconn, one of the world’s biggest manufacturers of products for Apple, Dell, Hewlett Packard and others, will raise salaries from 16 to 25% at its Chinese factories signals a …
Must-Reads from Around the World
“If he gets his hand on that scepter, he's untouchable. He'll turn into a different animal as soon as he tastes blood. And then what? You think he'll just hand back the reins? I really wouldn't bet on it.”
