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Category Archives: Politics
Power struggle between Barzani-PKK grows stronger
AYDIN ALBAYRAK, ANKARA (source 
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The escalation of tension between the Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani and the Democratic Union Party (PYD), the Syrian offshoot of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), is a power struggle between Kurdish groups related to both Iraq and Syria, analysts believe. Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani (Photo: Cihan) “While Syria is being rebuilt at the peace table [at Geneva], who will represent [the … Continue reading
Posted in A, Diplomacy, Elections, Leadership, Middle East, Politics, Reconciliation, Security
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Syrian Peace and the Bosnia Precedent
Edward P. Joseph, Elizabeth O'Bagy (source )
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In a situation as complex as Syria’s, the search for parallels is understandable. Indeed, the current effort led by Secretary of State John Kerry to reach a diplomatic settlement draws its inspiration from the Dayton Agreement, which ended another seemingly intractable civil war in Bosnia. Concerted diplomacy backed by air strikes achieved a settlement within a matter of months in Bosnia. So, could the Bosnia … Continue reading
Posted in Aggression, Agreement, Diplomacy, Europe, Global issues, Historical, Middle East, Opinion, Politics, Reconciliaiton, Security
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Turkish first lady empathizes with former US President Lincoln’s story
Editorial (source )
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Turkish first lady Hayrünnisa Gül has likened her and her husband Abdullah Gül’s life story to that of former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, responding reporters’ questions at a book fair in the eastern province of Erzurum, daily Hürriyet has reported. Turkish first lady Hayrünnisa Gül speaks at Erzurum Book Fair. DHA photo She recently watched the Oscar-winning “Lincoln,” which tells the story of Abraham Lincoln … Continue reading
Posted in Arts & Culture, General, Historical, Middle East, North America, Politics, Society
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Give Peace Talks a Chance
J. Michael Quinn and Madhav Joshi (source )
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Kerry’s Plan to End the War in Syria Children hang from the barrel of a tank,2012. (Ahmed Jadallah / Courtesy Reuters) Article Summary and Author Biography In “Settling Syria,” we argued that the conflict in Syria would likely end in a negotiated settlement. The only question was when. It was thus not too surprising when, earlier this month, John Kerry, the U.S. secretary of state, … Continue reading
Posted in A, Diplomacy, Global issues, Middle East, Politics, Reconciliation, Security
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Whose views skew the news?
Editorial (source )
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‘Media chiefs ready to vote out Labor, while reporters lean left’ While reporters’ political biases are always hotly debated, other biases remain – including too few voices from diverse backgrounds. AAP/Alan Porritt Most Australian journalists describe themselves as left-wing, yet amongst those who wield the real power in the country’s newsrooms, the Coalition holds a winning lead. But while the media’s political leanings will no … Continue reading
Posted in Australasia, Elections, Leadership, Opinion, Politics, Society, Study
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Kyrgyzstan: Mining Sector Bogged Down
Chris Rickleton (source )
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The last few weeks underscore why investors are wary of investing in Kyrgyzstan’s mining sector. Over that span, a gold-mine tender was sidetracked by a legal dispute, a scandal brewed involving allegations of conflicts of interest in parliament, and villagers near a potential mining site signaled they would strongly oppose development. A foreman speaks with a truck driver at Kyrgyzstan’s high-altitude Kumtor gold mine in … Continue reading
Posted in Asia, Economy, Politics, Russia
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Political dysfunction spells trouble for democracies
E.J. Dionne Jr. (source )
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We know American politics are dysfunctional. But after a week of scandal obsessionduring which the nation’s capital and the media virtually ignored the problems most voters care about — jobs, incomes, growth, opportunity, education — it’s worth asking if there is something especially flawed about our democracy. Our circumstances certainly have their own particular disabilities: a radicalization of conservative politics, over-the-top mistrust of President Obama … Continue reading
Posted in North America, Opinion, Politics
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What Is Abbott Really Up To?
Ian McAuley (source )
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Are Tony Abbott’s basic economic errors a deliberate distraction from his conservative economic vision? Why aren’t the Greens pushing for a broader tax base? Ian McAuley unpacks the Budget replies Here’s a question: Why was Tony Abbott’s Budget reply so full of basic economic errors? It was laden with statistical abuses (figures comparing Costello’s and Swan’s budgets), emotive language disconnected from reality (“skyrocketing debt”, “a … Continue reading
Posted in Australasia, Economy, Finance, Leadership, Opinion, Politics
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Boat people genuine refugees
Bianca Hall (source )
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More than 90 per cent of boat people were found to be genuine refugees in the March quarter, figures to be released on Monday show. But asylum seekers who arrived by plane – despite being eligible for release into the community – were almost twice as likely to be rejected as refugees. The new figures come after the government, with Coalition support, passed its changes … Continue reading
Posted in Asylum seekers, Australasia, Compassion, Diaspora, Global issues, Human rights, Humanity, Migration, Politics, Refugees, Security
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