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Lebanon tempts fate
While a protracted civil conflict in Lebanon is unlikely, a clash between Hezbollah and Israel is only too feasible. It is a wonder that Lebanon has thus far managed to contain the repercussions of the...
View ArticleWhere there is no will there is no way: will Syria be the next Halabja?
The final balance of the war has not yet tipped against the regime and, if and when it does, no ‘red-line’ will stop Assad from using chemical weapons on a scale that would make Halabja look like a...
View ArticleAmerica's turn: new wars, special forces
A shift in the United States's military strategy in the direction of "remote control" involves greater reliance not just on armed-drones but on special forces. Many columns in this series have tracked...
View ArticleUK Immigration Courts: fresh observations from the Public Gallery
Two years ago trained members of the public attending immigration bail hearings published their first report, "A Travesty of Justice". Today the Bail Observation Project reports again. Unfairness and...
View ArticleScotland and the EU: a tale of two referenda
Scotland's place in the Union, Britain's place in the EU. Two referenda are on the horizon, but the debates around each are strangely divorced from each other.Two independence campaigns are now running...
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Lord Owen condemns “conspiracy of silence” on the EU-US trade deal
Introducing his revised NHS bill, Lord Owen calls today for transparency from Prime Minister David Cameron over the secret mandate for the EU-US Trade Negotiations which he hopes to boost at the G8...
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Out of the interregnum
The old national order is dead, but the new post-national union of states, whether called a federation or not, is unable to take shape. French philosopher Etienne Balibar calls for European...
View ArticleThe complexity of Beyoncé: a reply to Rakhi Kumar
The argument that Beyoncé is not a role model is uncomfortably close to the idea that women must be de-sexualised to be worthy of respect.Rakhi Kumar's “An Open letter to Michelle Obama,” in which the...
View ArticleThe global and local re-packaging and marketing of a “moderate” Islamist leader
In Tunisia, the resigning former Prime Minister and Ennahda leader, Hamadi Jebali, is being groomed for a presidential role by his party as well as international players, in a bid to market an...
View Article“Beyond the Fragments”: I’m a socialist feminist. Can I be a radical feminist...
The authors of the re-launched Beyond the Fragments take a feminist approach to healing a divided left. They put women’s exploitation by capital firmly on the agenda. But where is the challenge to...
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“Unpredictability” in Bhutan’s elections
Some issues flagged up in the candidates’ manifestos are revealing. These are protecting the rule of law, youth employment, balanced economic development, pro-poor laws and strong...
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Russian vodka and Czech crown jewels
Despite his vow to uplift Czech political life, new president Milos Zeman made no excuses for his 'tired and emotional' appearance at a highly symbolic state event. His call for closer ties with Russia...
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Politics, punditry, and the foreign gaze: the crisis in Portugal and the media
Porous boundaries between politicians and pundits, rigid austerity and a zealous attempt to please foreign observers can only have a destructive effect on Portuguese society.A man reading a newspaper...
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Real democracy still missing
Those of us who were actively working for a sustainable and democratic society in Iceland have always wondered when the window of opportunity opened by the 'pots and pans revolution' would close. Did...
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Spain’s attacks on fighting back
The Spanish government's violent campaign against the grassroots Platform for Mortgage Victims is a dangerous turn against freedom of speech and association. These attacks must stop.A protest against a...
View ArticleEurope’s seven most endangered species of monuments and sites
How best to preserve the archaeological record of the past, which so often obtrudes on political objectives of the present? And what happens when nation states are effectively bankrupt? Are its...
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The British legal profession has a duty to help ensure justice for all
Legal aid and Law Centres are under threat in the UK, along with the principle of equal access to justice. Geoffrey Bindman QC says it's time for the legal profession to dig into their pockets and help...
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The paedophile hunters
In Russia, combatting child sexual abuse involves some unexpected players – on the one hand, vigilantes who hunt down online child abusers, and on the other, the Kremlin, anxious to discredit the...
View ArticleFour years on, genocide continues off the battlefield
On the anniversary of the 26-year civil war, the Sri Lankan state celebrates its 2009 victory while Tamils mark the bloody nadir of the campaign to systematically dismantle the Tamil nation - one which...
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Washington and Caracas: hegemony vs maturity
Venezuela's presidential election presents the United States with a historic choice, says Juan Gabriel Tokatlian.A wise comment made by Sandra Day O’Connor, who retired from the United States supreme...
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