Bulgarian politics enter a new phase with ‘We Continue the Change’ heading a coalition under Kiril Petkov as Prime Minister – but the political diversity of the new cabinet could be a major problem.The formation of a new government in Bulgaria in early December understandably brought a new sense of …
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‘Frozen Lake’ of Turkish Politics is Starting to Crack
Under pressure from economic crisis, the rigid political status quo in Turkey is shifting – and the once frustrated opposition scents an opportunity. Turkey’s political landscape used to be likened to a frozen scene from the Ice Age. Across the political spectrum, voting behaviour seemed locked in a status quo …
Read More »Making Electronic Money Safer In The Digital Age
Imagine you go to pay for your morning coffee and your stored-value card returns an error message, or the wallet in the payments app on your phone isn’t opening because the company providing the payment service has gone bankrupt. Worse, what if you live in a rural area and the …
Read More »Lebanon: Quo Vadis?
Forty years have passed this fall since my first travel to Lebanon and it happened ever since to return there many times and to spend more than four years in the beautiful Cedars country; I had during the time the opportunity of meeting relevant Lebanese personalities such as the late …
Read More »Russia Threatens To Deploy Tactical Nuclear Weapons
A top Russian diplomat has warned that Moscow will respond “militarily” and deploy tactical nuclear weapons, if NATO does not guarantee an end to its eastward expansion. His remarks raise the stakes even higher in the confrontation between Russia and Western powers just days after U.S. President Joe Biden and …
Read More »Why Is Libya Delaying Elections?
The Libyan electoral commission has confirmed that it will publish the list of candidates for the presidency only after certain legal issues have been resolved, and most of the Libyan figures involved in the process will take part in a scheduled day, with politicians, analysts, and ambassadors. They all say …
Read More »Cold War Warriors Are Gaining The Upper Hand Again
Oh, to be a Cold War warrior again! I always felt a bit sorry for those politicians, academics, soldiers and journalists who had hitched their careers to the onward march of the Cold War. It was satisfying. There was a clear enemy. The complex arithmetic on which side had what …
Read More »Tensions Between Russia And Ukraine: How Likely Is Another War? – Analysis
As the war in Ukraine heads into its eighth year, many fear that Moscow may be preparing a large-scale military escalation. Over the past few weeks, American, European, and NATO allies, as well as Ukrainian officials, have warned that Russia has massed significant military forces and equipment near its border …
Read More »Blinken says US ready to move forward with sale of F-35s, drones to UAE
Speaking at a news conference in Kuala Lumpur, Blinken said Washington had to conduct some reviews. The United States is prepared to move forward with the sale of F-35 fighter jets and drones to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday, after reports …
Read More »Would the UAE really walk away from prestigious F-35 deal? – analysis
The UAE wants the F-35s but not at a cost that would mean it can’t use them as it wants. The United Arab Emirates is prepared to halt acquisition of advanced fifth-generation F-35 aircraft, according to reports published this week in The Wall Street Journal. The prestigious and important deal …
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