German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s fifth official visit to China, a three-day trip that started Thursday, saw her seeking help from the emerging economic superpower on the European debt crisis, reining in Iran’s nuclear …
Must Reads from Around the World: Feb. 3, 2012
Al Shabaab Splintering – Foreign Affairs investigates the splintering of the al-Qaeda-linked militant group, al Shabaab, in Somalia and its potential fallout for the West. “In a sense, with the gains made in recent months, there …
594,000
New Sony CEO Faces Historic Losses and Global Challenges
Sony Corp. announced grim projections for the fiscal year on Thursday in Tokyo, reporting $1.2 billion in operating losses for the third quarter and a projected $2.9 billion loss for the year. The bleak figures highlight the …
How a Regional ‘Great Game’ Reinforces Syria’s Deadlock
Syria itself was the product of a “Great Game” among rival empires. The nation-state we know as Syria today was invented by France and Britain, which carved it out of the old Ottoman province of Syria (which back then included …
Must Reads from Around the World: Feb. 2, 2012
Taliban Update – The New York Times follows up on findings in a NATO report, “State of the Taliban 2012” – based on 27,000 interrogations of 4,000 insurgents in Afghanistan – showing resilient fighters “convinced that they …
“This is not a national security case, it’s a sad case of the South Korean authorities’ complete failure to understand sarcasm.”
Port Said Stadium Disaster: What’s Behind Egyptian Soccer’s Bloodiest Day?
Bill Shankly, the late legendary manager of Liverpool Football Club, is forever remembered for this dramatic claim: “Football isn’t about life and death. I can assure you it’s much more important than that.” Shankly …
Many Feared Dead After Soccer Riot in Egypt
Rival groups of fans attack each other, and police after a match in the city of Port Said
TIME Exclusive: Q&A with Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar
Since she was appointed as Pakistan’s Foreign Minister in July of 2011, Hina Rabbani Khar has had to deal with the fallout from the American raid that killed Osama bin Laden in May, a deterioration in relations with …
In a Chinese Court, Poetry Is Used as Evidence of ‘Inciting Subversion of State Power’
The first stanza of “It’s Time,” a poem by Chinese writer Zhu Yufu’s is rousing:
It’s time, people of China! It’s time.
The Square belongs to everyone.
With your own two feet
It’s time to head to the Square and make your choice.
(Translation by A.E. Clark)
On Jan. 31, the poem, which was circulated online, was …
Pakistan Still Propping Up the Taliban, Alleges Secret NATO Report
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister must have really regretted getting on that flight to Kabul this morning. About the time Hina Rabbani Khar was winging her way over the Hindu Kush for a friendly visit to repair relations between the …
Disgraced British Knights: A Not-So-Chivalrous History
The British government’s decision to strip former Royal Bank of Scotland CEO Fred Goodwin of his knighthood places the banker in conspicuous company