The decision Tuesday by France’s constitutional watch-dog striking down a pending law criminalizing the denial of the Armenian genocide by Ottoman Turks produced reactions one might have anticipated: applause from Turkey, …
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 …
Hamas Signals Break with Iran, But Is That Good for Israel?
A popular Washington illusion once held that the right combination of incentives and punishments might “peel off” Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad from Iran’s “Axis of Resistance,” but nobody would have predicted that the weak …
Fukushima Report: Japan Urged Calm While It Mulled Tokyo Evacuation
Systemic inattentiveness. Distrust and meddling. Confusion and friction. These turns of phrase would be bad news on anyone’s job review. But when the job that’s under review is how a government handled the worst nuclear …
Must-Reads from Around the World: February 29, 2012
Weight of History – Following a backbench revolt in the German parliament Monday over the Greek bailout that’s left Angela Merkel’s coalition government weakened, Der Spiegel reports former Chancellor Helmut Kohl has stepped into …
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Will India Stand Up for Gay Rights?
China’s Restive Xinjiang Region Hit by Renewed Violence
Violence erupted Tuesday in the Xinjiang region of northwest China, with at least 10 civilians and two assailants killed in an attack that the state-run Xinhua news service blamed on “rioters.” State media said that a mob armed …
“China’s leaders have recognized that the country’s growth model, which has been so successful for the past 30 years, will need to be changed to accommodate new challenges.”
Correa’s Clemency: Why Critics Say Ecuador’s President Is Still a Threat to Press Freedom
This article was written by Tim Padgett in Miami with Stephan Küffner in Quito
Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa wanted the world to think he was being the magnanimous statesman. Standing before a hall at the Carondelet …
India Goes on Strike
Shops, banks and factories sit idle as 11 major trade unions walk off the job, demanding a minimum wage and stronger labor laws
Fetih 1453: Blockbuster Turkish Epic Revels in Ottoman Past
With Turkey’s geo-political star in the ascendant, it’s fitting that the country’s biggest ever film, released in theaters there Feb. 16, celebrates what is perhaps the Mediterranean world’s most defining historical moment. Fetih 1453 (or “Conquest 1453″) is a $17 million, chain metal-clad, scimitar-waving retelling of the 15th …
WikiLeaks’ Stratfor E-Mails Reveal Unexpected Talent for Comedy
When WikiLeaks released a trove of diplomatic cables penned by U.S. ambassadors at the end of 2010, it soon became clear the missives weren’t simply a fascinating window onto world affairs. Many of them were also a damn good …