Art Goldhammer, New Republic
Macron's concessions to the Yellow Vest protesters won't fix a problem that's fundamentally about the European Union.
Andrew Stuttaford, National Review
Angela Merkel squandered Germany's economic windfall.
Geoffrey James, Inc.
Sure they're fun to read but they're mental junk food.
Martin Plaut, NS
Cyril Ramaphosa, who replaced Jacob Zuma, has promised an election in 2019.
Carolyn Cooper, Jamaica Gleaner
At the inauguration of the Museum of Black Civilisations in Dakar on December 6, I was alarmed to learn that the building was a rather expensive gift from the Chinese Government. Approximately US$30 million! And that's not all. In July, another gift had been delivered: a purpose-built wrestling stadium, the only one of its kind on the continent. It cost about US$58 million! President Xi Jinping attended the opening.
Paul Goodman, Conservative Home
Kerr is so fond of the image that he used it twice, almost a year ago, during a debate in the Upper House. We will huff and puff but, in the end, we will basically come to heel, he said. He has been proved right about money (he said that the Government would agree to pay up) but wrong about a bespoke deal (which Theresa May has achieved, like it or not). He later applied the phrase to the prospect of No Deal, claiming that the Government will come to heel in the end... Читать дальше...
Rod Dreher, The American Conservative
Over the past few days, I watched a 1983 British television documentary about the Spanish Civil War. It's six hours long, but you can watch it all on YouTube, starting here. I think it was Uncle Chuckie who recommended it and boy oh boy, was that ever a solid call. Last week I posted here that I knew almost nothing about the Spanish Civil War, but now I can't say that. The passion, the pain, and the terrible tragedy of that three-year conflict (1936-39) came vividly alive in the series... Читать дальше...
C. Raja Mohan, Indian Express
Modi's visit will hopefully begin to change India's national narrative on the Andamans. Three imperatives beckon. The first is about history. Modi's decision to time his visit with the 75th anniversary of Subhas Chandra Bose flying the tricolour in Port Blair has helped highlight the role of Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India's freedom struggle. But it should also draw attention to the complexities of India's pre-Independence engagement with the world in the 20th century.
N. Nougayrde, Guardian
In a region that saw some of the worst 20th-century horrors, there is a yearning for democracy, says Guardian columnist Natalie Nougayrde
