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How Turkey's regional ambitions crumbled
Pre-Arab Spring Turkey seemed to have found a magical non-confrontational formula to resolve historic regional tensions, with the ruling Justice and Development Party proclaiming its re-election victory in 2011 as a win for countries stretching from the Balkans to North Africa and Central Asia. The euphoria died when the flames of Syria's sectarian violence licked Turkey's borders, forcing it back towards Israel.
- Ramzy Baroud
(Apr 4, '13)
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Dozens die in attack on Afghan court
Militants disguised as soldiers have killed at least 44 people by storming a court in western Afghanistan in an attempt to free Taliban fighters standing trial. The multiple bomb-and-gun assault raises further questions about the Afghans government's ability to secure the country as international combat forces withdraw.
(Apr 4, '13)
Where the Yangtze meets the Congo
Expectations that China is baiting a neo-colonial trap in Africa ignore Beijing's pledges that economic and cultural relations rest on an equal plain, and that burgeoning ties were built on mutual anti-Western contempt. As European diplomats wring hands over no-strings aid and human rights, Africa and China can reflect on a decade that's seen the continent experience its fastest growth in history. - Brendan P O'Reilly
(Apr 4, '13)
Xi embraces China's big dream
Xi Jinping's first address as China's president made repeated allusion to the country's past periods of economic success and territorial expansion. The big question is how the state's dream of a ''renaissance'' and the quite different hopes of the people can be achieved harmoniously, and how will these interlink with the fears of neighbors.
- Hoang Anh Tuan
(Apr 4, '13) |
Now for a vacation in Gaza, maybe
A cheery rendition of Gaza City's highlights is part of a tourist map in English devised by geographers to create a sense of normality in the occupied territory. While its creators recognize a flourishing tourism industry to be a distant dream, the map aims to show the people of Gaza are hospitable and welcoming.
- Eva Bartlett
(Apr 4, '13)
SPEAKING FREELY
Beijing finds soft power in sport
Chinese sporting stars such as tennis player Li Na, hurdler Liu Xiang and basketball player Yao Ming are proving vital tools of soft power as Beijing tries to beat rival superpower the United States at its own game. Just as American athletes like Michael Jordan and Mohammed Ali changed how the world viewed the country, China hopes sporting achievement will develop into greater global influence.
- Jieh-Yung Lo
(Apr 3, '13)
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The Great Afghan corruption scam
The United States vociferously denounces Afghan corruption as a major obstacle to its mission in Afghanistan. Missing from this routine censure is a credible explanation of why American nation-building failed there. No wonder. To do so, the US would have to denounce its own role in letting a flood of Pentagon dollars spread corruption, to the extent of hiring a bank well known for its murky past. - Dilip Hiro
(Apr 3, '13)
Korea crisis dims denuclearization hope
The escalation of tensions in the Korean Peninsula is prompting growing calls for the United States to reconsider its refusal to fully engage Pyongyang and notes that a failure to do so risks driving a wedge between Washington and Seoul. UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, meanwhile, can only state the obvious as he urges calm on all sides.
- Jim Lobe (Apr 3, '13)
Terror makes first marks on Pakistan ballot
The decision of the Pakistan Peoples' Party to call off an April 4 public rally as its lead event for the 2013 general election campaign comes as militants turn threats into terror attacks on supporters of secular parties. The May 11 poll is seen as a vote on whether the country will tackle such extremism.
- Syed Fazl-e-Haider
(Apr 3, '13)
SINOGRAPH
Italy's Internet
politics
menace China
While online debate in China represents a potential training ground for future democratic dialogue, the dangers of Internet politics can be seen in the rise of Italy's "5 Star Movement". The prevailing voices in Beppe Grillo's movement are those most active on the web, and they post the most barbed comments. Such chaotic, volcanic politics only lead masses to seek radical leaders. - Francesco Sisci
(Apr 3, '13)
China signals with Coast Guard overhaul
Beijing has moved to bring separate maritime law enforcement agencies under one governing body. Although the overhaul seems a response to international criticism that poor communication between agencies had stoked internal tensions and worsened territorial disputes, it's more likely aimed at improving response times and bolstering command and control mechanisms.
- Lyle Morris
(Apr 3, '13)
Buddhism turns violent in Myanmar
Recent violence in Myanmar between Buddhists and Muslims, which has left a reported 43 people dead and more than 1,000 homes and building destroyed, has caused concern over the stability of the country's current democratic transition and raised the specter of a return to direct military rule. - Matthew J Walton
(Apr 2, '13)
Coalition frays on eve of Iran nuclear talks
 China and Russia are increasingly at odds with their other P5+1 partners (the US, Britain, France, plus Germany) on the eve of talks with Iran over the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, according to Javier Solana. The European Union's former top foreign policy official says fears of a spike in energy prices due to additional Western sanctions are driving the rift. - Jim Lobe
(Apr 2, '13)
Korean cloud obscures Almaty
Washington is grappling with "clear and present danger" from North Korean provocations, a fact that is not lost on Tehran, which senses the crisis has handed it additional chips in this week's round of nuclear diplomacy in Kazakhstan. Under the cloud of Korea, there are plenty of indications that the US will let another opportunity for an Iranian endgame pass it by.
- Kaveh L Afrasiabi
(Apr 2, '13) |
Obama walks Mid-East
high wire, eyes closed
US President Barack Obama is walking on a tightrope when it comes to Israel, Palestine, and Iran. As his recent trip to the Middle East shows, he is treading a thick line between reality and fantasy, and his peacemaking balancing act could come crashing down, exposed as a myth.
- Ira Chernus
(Apr 2, '13)
CHAN AKYA
Beyond parody
Who needs parody when the news - such as "Governments borrow to fight debt crisis" - already fills the spot, supported by ill-informed commentators and readers/ audiences? People in the West, emerging from a period of prosperity and "entitlement'' are ill-equipped to deal with this crisis, and hard facts are putting comedy writers out of work.
(Apr 2, '13) |
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Japan's turn to give
lesson in economics
Japan and the United States have over the years alternated as role models for economic progress. Tokyo's latest ''lesson'' under Shinzo Abe appears to be showing the West how to encourage growth, at just the time that the US, and even more so the UK, are following the path that led to Japan's lost decades. -
William S Comanor and Takahiro Miyao
Georgians wary of
China building project
A multi-million real estate and tourism project to be built by China's Hualing Group in Tbilisi will help Georgia host a major sporting event while revamping the city's Soviet-era housing stock. Wary locals fear it will also bring in large numbers of Chinese and do little to cut high local unemployment rates. - Molly Corso
CREDIT
BUBBLE BULLETIN
Weber's invaluable insight
Europe's Axel Weber questions whether central banks are trying to counter something that is cyclical, when in fact the core issue could be structural - with the result that a lot of stimulus undermines the future. That is in stark contrast to the US view, still held in spite of the evidence of recent history.
Doug Noland looks at the previous week's events each Monday.
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India bypasses
Iran oil sanctions
Last week petroleum minister Veerappa Moily denied the western media reports that India is terminating its oil imports from Iran. The manner in which Moily articulated the denial caught the mind's eye. He said, "These are strategic calls to be taken and we will not cut down imports completely. We will sort out the problems faced by Indian refiners soon."
- M K Bhadrakumar
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