Fruit Flare-Up – China’s turned to a new weapon in its dispute with the Philippines over contested South China Sea islands. State-run People’s Daily gleefully reports that “fruit from the Philippines will receive stricter …
Democracy
After Greece and France: Europe’s Revolt Against Austerity
I have a piece in the dead-tree TIME this week that looks at the election of François Hollande in France and connects it to the democratic revolt happening in Greece. What do they have in common? Both are reactions to the …
Who Is François Hollande? What You Need to Know About France’s Next President
Most of the world now knows François Hollande as the man who won France’s May 6 presidential election, and in so doing made incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy the nation’s first single-term head of state in 31 years. Many people have …
Must-Reads from Around the World, May 8, 2012
Late-Night Surprise – Israel’s Haaretz reports on the unexpected agreement early Tuesday between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition Kadima Party chairman Shaul Mofaz to form a national unity government. The move …
Netanyahu Calls for Elections, But Will It Change How Israel Is Governed?
Update: The late-night, last-minute deal to avert early elections by bringing the centrist Kadima party into the ruling coalition — announced in the early morning hours of Tuesday in Israel — comes with an agreement to pass …
Must-Reads from Around the World, May 7, 2012
Eyes on Berlin – Germany’s Der Spiegel assesses the impact of François Hollande’s victory in the French presidential election Sunday on Chancellor Angela Merkel. “[She] can’t be pleased… but it will at least be bearable for …
After Winning the French Presidency, What Will François Hollande Do Next?
Though it’s an obvious cliché (and one that has already been used here in a related story last autumn), winning the Elysée may have been the easy part for French president-elect François Hollande. Given the severity of the …
France Election: Socialist Hollande Defeats Sarkozy for Presidency
France was poised for major change Sunday night when Socialist candidate François Hollande looked set to beat conservative incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy in runoff balloting for France’s presidency. Initial results revealed at 8 …
France’s Run-Off Election: Sarkozy Faces Daunting Hollande Lead
Incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy and Socialist challenger François Hollande powered through a last day of media appearances and stump speeches Friday ahead of the close of French presidential campaigning at midnight. The rivals largely …
French Presidential Election: Marine Le Pen Haunts the Sarkozy-Hollande Debate
With just four days to go before the run-off in France’s presidential election, incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy and Socialist front-runner François Hollande squared off in a raw-nerved television debate followed by millions of …
$168 million
Burma’s Aung San Suu Kyi Makes Her Parliamentary Debut
The democracy icon and her colleagues from the opposition National League for Democracy, or NLD, on Wednesday ended their boycott over a controversial clause in the country’s oath of office and took their seats in parliament. “We …
Must-Reads from Around the World: May 2, 2012
On the Defensive – China’s semi-official Global Times breaks the state silence over blind activist Chen Guangcheng’s escape from house arrest with its op-ed “US embassy in a quandary over Chen.” The most apt take: “The US embassy …