Argentina’s president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner has worn black every day since her husband died in October 2010. Last night—as she delivered a speech amid rising tensions between Argentina and the United Kingdom over …
Why Syrians Fight, and Why Their Civil War May be a Long One
The reason that there’s no plausible end-game in Syria anytime soon — and that thousands more Syrians may be fated to die before the conflict is ended — is that the Assad regime is fighting a very different war to the one …
Fukuyama’s ‘Future of History’: Is Liberal Democracy Doomed?
“Imagine,” writes scholar Francis Fukuyama in the latest issue of Foreign Affairs, “an obscure scribbler in a garret somewhere trying to outline an ideology of the future.” Fukuyama, a distinguished political philosopher …
Must-Reads from Around the World: Feb. 8, 2012
Iowa Beckons – Communist Party mouthpiece China Daily muses the impact of Vice-President Xi Jinping’s U.S. visit next week. While its news story quotes experts saying it “will help China-U.S. ties fly clear of U.S. election year …
China: A Top Corruption Fighter Takes Mysterious ‘Stress’ Leave
A key deputy to Bo Xilai, the Chongqing Communist party secretary who has been tipped for a top position in China’s upcoming political transition, has been put on leave, the Chongqing government said Wednesday, prompting …
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Why Did Merkel Endorse Sarkozy’s French Presidential Re-Election Bid?
How odd is this picture? The leader of one country visits the head of state of a neighboring nation to explicitly support the host’s uphill re-election plans — despite the political and diplomatic problems that may arise if …
The Fall of the Island President: The Maldives’ Nasheed Steps Down
Mohamed Nasheed, President of the Maldives until he was compelled to step down today, spent six years as a political prisoner in the 1990s. He was kept for spells in solitary confinement, tortured and beaten by an autocratic …
“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.”
General Strike Leads to Anti-Austerity Protests in Greece
Alarmed by another round of budget cuts, the country’s two main trade unions went on strike against policies they claim have pushed the economy into a downward spiral.
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Why Okinawa Won’t Be Celebrating if 4,700 U.S. Marines Move to Guam
If you’re into planes, the hilltop park overlooking the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma is not a bad place to be. You can watch cargo planes make wide circles over the green hills of Okinawa all day, swooping down to the …
Must Reads from Around the World: Feb. 7, 2012
Syrian Situation – Global Post reports on Syrian Christians’ reluctance to join the uprising against President Bashar Assad. “Syria’s Christians, a fellow minority, believe they need the ruling Assad regime for protection,” …