Levant: Splendour and Catastrophe
Philip Mansel’s “Levant: Splendour and Catastrophe in the Mediterranean” is a remarkable, highly unusual and very readable social history of the ports of Smyrna, Beirut and Alexandria during the final decades of the Ottoman Empire.
Stress and Morality in Tehran
“Nader and Simin, A Separation” directed by Asghar Farhadi has been a surprise hit, winning the Golden Bear for Best Film and the Silver Bears for Best Actress and Best Actor at the Berlin Film Festival. It is a parable of truth and selflessness based in modern day Tehran – and it is a must-see!
What is the contribution of the financial sector?
Andrew G Haldane and Vasileios Madouros from the Bank of England examine whether or not the financial sector genuinely offers a positive contribution to the economy.
Rattling Sabres in Turkey and Syria
An interview with Hugh Pope, the Turkey/Cyprus Project Director for International Crisis Group to shed some light on the recent tensions between Turkey and Syria and discuss the thorny issues of the PKK, Syrian political instability and just where Turkish foreign policy is heading.
Channel Hopping the DRC Elections
The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa’s second largest country with its 71 million inhabitants will elect a new president on 28 November. Joseph Kabila is challenging ten other candidates for another term in office. John Nelson in Kinshasa is following the excitement on local TV.
Regime Change in Italy
Bond markets look set to oust the Italian PM, a feat that has defied a paralysed political process in Italy. Berlusconi is now a danger not only to Italy but to the Eurozone and the global economy. He has no intention of going quietly but bond yields may have the final say.
China: Money to Burn on Europe?
The Europeans are hoping to capitalise on their success after reaching a deal to save Greece and are looking to China to help shore up the European economy. The Chinese are wary, they have money to spend but not to burn.
France Gears Up: Sarkozy v Hollande
With François Hollande beating Martine Aubry in the primaries, the battle for the Elysée Palace is now between a very unpopular Nicolas Sarkozy and a somewhat uninspiring François Hollande. The polls suggest an easy victory for the Socialists, but could they throw it all away, again?
Irish Voters Spoilt for Choice
Irish presidential elections will be held on 27 October with an unusually varied range of candidates: a Eurovision Song Contest winner, a poet, a TV personality, a former coach-builder, a Special Olympics organiser, a gay Joycean scholar, and the ex-Chief of Staff of the IRA.
An Open Letter to Wall Street
An OpEd by Truthout editor and columnist William Rivers Pitt. “Before anything else, I would like to apologize for the mess outside your office. It’s been three weeks since all those hippies and punk-rockers and students and union members and working mothers and single fathers……..”