The rumors have floated around for a while now, as China’s leadership scrambles to contain political scandals and factional infighting that have inconveniently bubbled up just as the country is gearing up for its …
Queen’s Speech the Latest Installment of U.K. Government’s “Coalition Fightback”
On May 4, as it became clear that a resurgent Labour Party had made significant gains at the expense of Britain’s coalition government during nationwide elections, critics began to throw stones at Prime Minister David Cameron. …
Must-Reads Around the World, May 9, 2012
Warring Words – China’s state-run Global Times issues its most threatening commentary yet on the continuing standoff with the Philippines over disputed islands in the South China Sea. Under the headline “Peace Will Be a Miracle …
Can Chen Guangcheng Find Justice in China?
For months he was simply known as “army coat.” The burly man clad in a green surplus military jacket was just another of the dozens of men who kept Chen Guangcheng under house arrest until a CNN crew accompanied actor …
Singing Its Own Praises: Azerbaijan’s Eurovision P.R. Blitz
Last May, Ell & Nikki, an obscure duo from Azerbaijan, won the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest. The country’s President, Ilham Aliyev, treated the musical win like a military triumph, describing it as “a victory for the people …
The End of ‘Uncle SMS’: Thai Grandfather Jailed for Text Messages Dies in Prison
When Amporn Tangnoppakhun, a 61-year-old retired truck driver and grandfather was last year convicted of defaming the country’s constitutional monarchy and sentenced to 20 years in prison, even some who revere Thailand’s …
Meet Valérie Trierweiler, France’s Unmarried ‘First Lady’
A brief introduction to the woman accompanying President-elect François Hollande to Élysée Palace later this month
Syria: Is This an Arab Spring or a Balkan Winter?
Special envoy Kofi Annan told the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday that his struggling peace plan is the last hope to prevent Syria from plunging into an all-out civil war. But the reason his cease-fire and political-dialogue …
Protesters Rally in Opposition to Vladimir Putin’s Rule
Demonstrators clash with police at rallies after the Russian President embarked on his third term
Israel’s New Coalition: Why Netanyahu Has Moved to the Center
By unveiling a new governing coalition that includes the centrist Kadima party, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu not only called off a national election he had just set for early September, he also re-calibrated the outlook of …
Can India Balance Its Ties with the U.S. and Iran?
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton used her visit to Kolkata and New Delhi this week to urge India to up its efforts in reducing oil imports from Iran. In remarks made in Kolkata, Clinton commended the cuts India has made in …
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 …