Ivo Daalder, Politico EU
For 70 years, starting with the Marshall Plan, the U.S has been committed to help build an open, cooperative, and ultimately united Europe whole, free, and at peace. Russia posed a major threat to that Europe when in 2014 it invaded Ukraine. ISIL similarly poses a critical threat to peoples safety and security. But a Europe that is no longer open, that shuns cooperative solutions for reliance on national ones, is a more lasting and significant challenge to the countries and people of Europe.
Samantha Allen, The Daily Beast
In a press release Monday, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) announced that it has prohibited a practice known as zero-rating, or the offering of select applications or Internet services at no cost. First under the name Internet.org, then as Free Basics from Internet.org, Facebook has been offering a zero-rated service in developing portions of India through smartphone carriers since last February.
Bill Richardson, Fox
Former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. and former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson on mounting concerns over North Korea.
Minxin Pei, Project Syndicate
The evidence of pervasive fear is easy to discern. Since President Xi Jinping’s remorseless anti-corruption drive began in December 2012, arrests of government officials have become a daily ritual, sending shivers down the spines of their colleagues and friends.
Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook
Connecting India is an important goal we won't give up on, because more than a billion people in India don't have access to the internet. We know that connecting them can help lift people out of poverty, create millions of jobs and spread education opportunities. We care about these people, and that's why we're so committed to connecting them.
Borzou Daragahi, BuzzFeed
Five years after the uprising that led to the downfall of Qaddafi, Libya is a failed state, torn apart by rival militias. ISIS is growing stronger by the day, and poorly armed makeshift militias are all that stand in its way
Therese Shaheen, NRO
The January 16 Taiwan elections were the latest evidence of a new reality in Asia: Taiwans cross-strait neighbor, China, is in significant decline. Replacing a government that made economic integration with China its chief priority, incoming Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen asked for and received a mandate to reform her island nations economy, precisely because the close links established by her predecessor have been dragging down the island nation as the depths of Chinas economic challenges become obvious.
Osama Al Sharif, ALM
The fall of Sheikh Miskin near the Jordanian border has sounded alarms in the kingdom, which is working to beef up security on the border and bracing for a new wave of refugees.
Jon Emont, Tablet
Malaysian leaders’ anti-Semitism has trickled down. A 2014 ADL survey found that more than 60 percent of Malaysians exhibited anti-Semitic beliefs, making Malaysia the most anti-Semitic country surveyed in Asia outside of the Middle East. Michael Salberg, the Director of International Affairs at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) said, “There is a decades long tradition of political leaders in Malaysia defaulting to anti-Semitic tropes to explain all kinds of social, political, and economic circumstances. Читать дальше...
Richard Cohen, Wash. Post
The problem in both Europe and the United States is not just a huge influx of migrants, but a lack of political leadership. The exceptions are Barack Obama here and Angela Merkel in Germany. Merkel showed extraordinary leadership in allowing about 1 million Syrian migrants to settle in Germany. Obama has been stingy in his welcome about 2,500 migrants had arrived in the United States as of late last year but he has been generous in his embrace of the Muslim community. Читать дальше...
Mudar Zahran, Jerusalem Post
On January 11, 2016, Iran's official media confirmed the state had filled the Arak nuclear reactor core with concrete. In short: Iran has killed its flagship nuclear site and its nuclear program is now limited to smaller projects, paperwork, research and, of course, propaganda videos.
Virginia Bouvier, Daily Beast
After half a century of war, is it possible the killing will end? This is the best chance there’s been, but the world—and the U.S. Congress—will have to help.
Max Siollun, Foreign Policy
At best, a revitalized Biafran secessionist movement will lead to mass bloodshed. At worst, it will trigger the country's unraveling.
M. Bewarder & B. Kalnoky, Worldcrunch
Sebastian Mallaby, Atlantic
The country’s growth is slowing. The wrong response might make the problem worse.
J Bustamante, Ramen IR
Guerrero needs a comprehensive security strategy that also includes economic alternatives for the farmers in the state.
Emil Sanamyan, The Diplomat
China is far enough from the Caucasus not to be perceived by its states as a security concern in the foreseeable future. Instead, with plenty of threats evident to leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia closer to home, China is pursued as a major global partner that could have a stabilizing regional effect. Military cooperation with China appears to be of greater interest to Armenia than the two other states, but attracting economic cooperation and investments... Читать дальше...
Martin Wolf, The American Interest
One must not casually assume that the extraordinary will continue.
Bennett Seftel, The Cipher Brief
With the Middle East ablaze, new opportunities have emerged for regional cooperation. In fact, partnerships have formed in the most unlikely of places, as Israel and some of its Arab neighbors have joined together to combat regional enemies, such as ISIS and Iran.
George Friedman, Geopolitical Futures
Last week, in the run-up to the first vote that would help determine the Democratic and Republican nominees for U.S. president, polls said that Donald Trump would win the Iowa Caucuses. He didn't. There are many explanations for this, the leading ones being that his supporters were heavily tilted toward those who had never shown up at a caucus before, that the campaign's "ground game" was off and that his supporters didn't turn out to caucus. These are reasonable... Читать дальше...
Sultan Al Qassemi, ME Institute
The collapse of numerous Arab states and the emergence of ISIS have fuelled a sense of urgency within the GCC to insulate their countries from the mayhem around it. Gulf citizens, thus, may stomach the possibility of income taxes—albeit begrudgingly—if it means their livelihoods are protected. The recent spate of ISIS-claimed terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait has elevated fear among GCC citizens for the stability of their home countries. Given this state of heightened insecurity... Читать дальше...
Adair Turner, Project Syndicate
There are no credible scenarios in which Japanese government debt can ever be repaid in the normal sense of the word “repay”: and none in which the bulk of the BOJ’s holdings of Japanese government bonds will ever be sold back to the private sector. The sooner that reality is admitted, the sooner Japan will have some chance of meeting its inflation targets and stimulating total demand, rather than seeking to shift it away from other countries.
J. Cook, National
Israel’s frantic cocoon-weaving entered a new phase last week, as Benjamin Netanyahu’s government stepped up efforts to stifle the last vestiges of dissent.
Robert Fisk, Independent
History teaches us that for 100 years now, the people of this magnificent, dangerous region have sought justice and received only injustice. Foreign and proxy occupation, corruption and dictatorship – the hands of the torturer – have taken from them the one value which so many millions finally sought in the great Arab awakening of 2011: dignity. Yet what are we doing about this? Why have we never addressed the great historical injustices which have caused this human earthquake?
Ivan Krastev, NYT
Germany and Central Europe are torn apart not simply by policy differences; they are profoundly disappointed with each other.
