Dateline Damascus: fighting on all fronts
For 12 days, two Dutch journalists travelled all over Assad’s Syria. They spoke with high-ranking officials in government and generals at the front lines. A unique look behind the scenes.
Libya’s downward spiral
Libya after the Qadhafi regime is witnessing a complex array of struggles in which ambitions for power, claims to legitimacy, the taint of the past, and ownership of the 2011 revolution are among the key dividing lines.
The White Temple of Chiang Rai
The artist Chalermchai Kositpipat has dedicated himself to creating an offering to Lord Buddha, in the Thai City of Chiang Rai. “My impression upon seeing it was that it looks like a Buddhist Temple designed by Salvador Dali with the help of Rob Zombie and perhaps Walt Disney as well.”
Beijing life in a shipping container
On the outskirts of Beijing, a gardener has built a home out of shipping containers in the hope of creating a green community. It consists of a single-storey arrangement of six 20-foot shipping containers. A 600 watt solar panel hangs on one wall and 300 watt wind turbine spins on the roof.
Yemen: descent into anarchy
With the resignation of its president and prime minister, Yemen lacks the capacity to steer its political transition towards the goal of greater stability. The alternative, however, does not bear thinking about.
Argentina in shock
A mysterious death in Buenos Aires raises questions about the true sources of power inside Argentina’s state. Once again, global geopolitics and local gangsterism are mixed in Argentina. Nisman’s sudden death represents a challenge to Argentines to push for a bigger separation of powers – and especially the longstanding links between presidency, justice system, and security and intelligence agencies.
State of the Empire in 2015
Before Obama’s State of the Union address falls out of the news cycle, here are the foreign policy tidbits you need to remember. A summary of the speech from Peter Certo, editor of Foreign Policy In Focus.
The ECB’s QE decision
The ECB has just launched full-fledged quantitative easing but the ECB’s watershed decision highlights both the strengths and the vulnerabilities of the Eurozone. The limited-risk-sharing provision flags the need for greater fiscal union; and much-needed structural reforms.
Schönberg and Stravinsky
Enzo Restagno, author of “Schönberg e Stravinskij. Storia di un’amicizia mancata” reunites the couple in order to reinterpret Schönberg and Stravinsky from a new perspective, restoring them to their personal history.
Inspiration behind “The Museum of Innocence”
Turkish author Orhan Pamuk elucidates the inspiration behind his “Museum of Innocence” which started life as a novel and then became a museum in Istanbul.