Pro-Ennahda protesers demonstrate in 2011

Tunisia: What happened to secularism?

Not long ago, Tunisia was considered a shining example of the secular Arabic state. But since the Arab Spring, it is now the governing Islamic party which is oscillating between the secular opposition and its own more radical members. The Read on! →

YPF petrol station in Argentina.

Argentina: The beginning of a wave of resource nationalism

Despite the Arab Spring, it was not a Middle Eastern country which grabbed biggest headlines for resource nationalism in 2012. It was Argentina, where populist President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner proposed a bill on April 16 to renationalize Yacimientos Petrolíferos Read on! →

The coffee industry is especially bug in East Africa, but much of it is processed in Europe instead of inside Africa.

Intra-African Trade: A first step to a continental free trade zone

Africa is touted as the continent of opportunities, where there are endless resources available for economic growth and transformation. But for Africa to take its rightful position in the world’s global economy, then it must dream of becoming borderless in Read on! →

USA: Liberals lax on Obama’s foreign policies [op-ed]

Nobel Peace Prize winning President Barack Obama has recently reiterated his desire to close Guantanamo Bay. The news was warmly welcomed by US liberals keen to show their conservative counterparts that their man in the White House is a force Read on! →

The co-operative bank has been downgraded by Moody's

UK: Would criminal law prevent banks taking excessive risks?

On Friday we were yet again reminded of the fragility of the UK financial sector. The Co-operative bank has had its credit rating downgraded to ‘junk’ status by credit rating’s agency Moody’s. In addition, their CEO, Barry Tootell, has resigned Read on! →

What is the future for Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats?

UK: What is the future of the Lib Dems?

The Liberal Democrats have had the fastest rise and fall in modern day politics, whilst, their leader Nick Clegg has gone from being heralded as a potential Prime Minister to being dubbed ‘Calamity Clegg’ by the media. At his party’s Read on! →

A woman is treated for what appears to be breathing difficulties at a clinic in the north of Aleppo Read

Syria: The race for Assad’s chemical weapon stockpile

The last few weeks have been generous in events and catastrophes, from the Boston bombings to the attack on the French embassy in Libya. One event that has been strangely overlooked, but is of critical importance, is the suspected use Read on! →

Rohingya children in a refugee camp.

Burma: Can Burma become a multi-ethnic Asian star?

When President Obama visited Burma last year, he was careful to temper any praise he had for the recent reforms undertaken by Burmese President Thein Sein and his government.

Property for sale in London, 2009

UK: Is London seeding a property bubble?

The average property price in London has increased fourfold since 1995, soaring, slumping and soaring again in a volatile market that economists and commentators have struggled to get a grip on.

A sign for the Cuban Hospital in Qatar

Qatar: Cuban doctors in the desert

If you’re not coming to Dukhan to work at its famous oilfield or visit its isolated beaches there is a little reason to visit the Qatari town. Yet it is here that the recent completion of a new hospital marks Read on! →