Category: Blogs

Making Sense of Saudi Arabia’s Leadership Transition

Saudi King Salman’s recent shakeup of key leadership positions in his kingdom will not affect oil production in the short term, though it may offer some clues about how Saudi Arabia will confront urgent issues such as rising youth unemployment and instability in the Gulf. That’s the consensus of three scholars who spoke May 29 […]

NATO Leader Sees Dangerous Trend in Russia’s Nuclear Activities

By Jens Stoltenberg, NATO

Russia’s recent use of nuclear rhetoric, exercises and operations are deeply troubling.

TTIP Action | May 28

By Global Business & Economics Program

The European Parliament in Strasbourg Speeches & Official Announcements TTIP: More US Market Access, Reform Investment Protection, Retain EU Standards Members of the EP Trade Committee voted on draft recommendations to the negotiators of the EU-US trade deal on Thursday, approving them in committee by 28 votes to 13 with no abstentions. They noted that […]

Top News: Saudi Arabia Suicide Bomb Attack Kills Four in Dammam

By MENASource

A suicide attack on Friday occurred near al-Anoud mosque in the eastern city of Dammam, where many Shia live.

The Cost of Kenyan Corruption

In Swahili, a language spoken throughout East and Central Africa, “kitu kidogo” means “a little something.” In Kenya, the phrase is shorthand for the small bribes necessary to navigate virtually any encounter with Kenyan officialdom. In Nairobi, the country’s capital, it is wise to factor in extra time, and a lot of extra patience, for […]

EconSource: Libya on Verge of Economic Collapse, UN Envoy Warns

By EconSource

The United Nation’s Special Envoy to Libya Bernardino Leon said Thursday that Libya is on the verge of economic collapse as rival factions haggle over a political settlement.

Reasons for Cheer in Election of African Development Bank’s New President

By J. Peter Pham

On Thursday, Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Akinwumi Adesina, was elected the new President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) during the fiftieth annual meeting of the multilateral financial institution in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The choice of the dapper, bow tie-sporting 55-year-old economist is not only a personal victory of the man, but […]

Top News: Police Officer Acquitted of Charge of Torturing 2011 Suspect to Death

By EgyptSource

An Egyptian court on Thursday acquitted a state security officer who had been convicted of torturing to death an Islamist detainee, state media said. Mohamed Abdel Rahman al-Shemi had been sentenced to fifteen years in prison for torturing and killing Salafist detainee, Sayed Bilal.

Mr. Putin’s Lies Hiding in Plain Sight

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Reports by Atlantic Council and Boris Nemtsov’s allies reveal extent of Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine Russian President Vladimir Putin is violating a February 2015 ceasefire agreement by continuing to send troops and weapons into Ukraine in a blatant attempt to destabilize the country, according to an Atlantic Council report issued May 28. The report, […]

Russia Able to Occupy Baltic Republics in Two Days, Czech General

By CTK

Russia would be able to occupy the Baltic countries in two days, a period during which NATO would not be capable of reacting adequately, Czech general Petr Pavel