Section: The Huffington Post (USA)
The Minsk Agreement Can Only Work If Power Is Balanced Between Russia and the West
MOSCOW — In the little more than a year since 2013, when Moscow first grew nervous over Ukraine’s desire for European integration and President Vladimir Putin presented a set of initially fair and reasonable claims to the West, the world has watched as the Russian leader has put this country into an increasingly deplorable position....
Image Of Gay Couple In Russia Wins World Press Photo
AMSTERDAM (AP) — An atmospheric image of a gay couple in Russia by Danish photographer Mads Nissen was crowned the World Press Photo of the Year 2014 on Thursday. The intimate image of Jon and Alex is part of a larger project by Nissen called “Homophobia in Russia” that highlights how life is increasingly difficult for sexual...
Is the International Community Abandoning the Fight Against Impunity?
Twenty-five years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and more than a decade after the establishment of the International Criminal Court, shockingly little is being done to stop massive human rights abuses. The prospects of victims receiving justice, let alone bringing perpetrators to account, seems ever more remote. In recent days, we have...
ISIS Unites the World
During the Cold War, science fiction writers and politicians like Ronald Reagan imagined that the threat of an invasion from outer space could break down ideological barriers and unify the world. The arrival of giant bug-eyed creatures bent on death and destruction would prompt world leaders to set aside their petty rivalries for the higher...
Greek PM Tsipras Lays Out His Case As The Clock Ticks On An EU Bailout
By Alastair Macdonald and Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS, Feb 12 (Reuters) – Greece’s radical new prime minister Alexis Tsipras was in Brussels on Thursday to lay out his case for more financial help to fellow EU leaders following finance ministers’ failure to narrow differences overnight. The summit chairman, conservative former Polish...
Leaders At Ukraine Peace Talks Reach Deal For Cease-Fire, Putin Says
MINSK, Belarus (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday emerged from marathon Ukraine peace talks by announcing a new cease-fire deal, but questions remained whether Ukraine and the pro-Russian rebels have agreed on its terms. Putin told reporters that the cease-fire will be effective starting from Sunday, but he added that he and...
Why It’s Hard To Be A Russian Millionaire In Europe
An unimposing brick building sits at 8-12 Welbeck Way in a narrow alley near Oxford Street. The Oracle Capital Group’s London headquarters is hardly impressive, boasting neither glittering glass facades nor golden door handles or any other bling. Whoever comes here does not want to attract any attention. On the contrary: The clients are...
Europe’s Dilemma – Putin’s Blessing in Disguise
Co-authored by William Witenberg a contemporary artist focused on abstract painting It is hard to believe but bonds issued by the governments of Austria, Switzerland, Denmark and Germany are offering negative yields. This means that at the maturity of the bond an investor will receive less than invested. These bonds guarantee, in effect,...
Instead of Seeking Revenge, We Must Fight ISIS by Advancing Ideologies of Human Solidarity
The excruciating death of our pilot, Muath al-Kaseasbeh, at the hands of Daesh/ISIS militants has rallied Jordanians and the world at large. Much like “Je suis Charlie,” “We are all Muath” as well. The truth of these proclamations is evident but the mission to which they call us is more intricate and transformative than...
Obama’s Last National Security Strategy
The world of today appears to be a great deal more dangerous than the one that President Obama inherited on taking office in 2009. The Islamic State (ISIS or IS) has remade the map of a large chunk of the Middle East. Neither Iraq nor Afghanistan is any more stable or peaceful despite the formal withdrawal of U.S. ground forces. War rages across...
