Newspaper ad calls for Israel to bomb Iran

atience in some Israeli quarters seems to be running out with what they see as the world community’s lame efforts to persuade Iran not to join the nuclear weapons community.
An advertisement on Israel’s Haaretz website is calling on Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to make good on his (alleged?) promise to bomb Iran in two weeks’ [...]

Russia hopes Obama is in no hurry to quit Afghanistan

There are hopeful sounds coming out of Washington that President Barack Obama’s military “surge” in Afghanistan is beginning to wear down the Taliban, which could pave the way for an eventual withdrawal. However, there is concern in Russia that, far from being successful, the US is preparing to cut and run, declaring mission accomplished as [...]

Medvedev vows crackdown after Moscow suicide bombings

Russian President Dmitri Medvedev vowed to crack down on terrorism today after two female suicide bombers killed at least 37 people and wounded 65 in an attack on two stations on Moscow’s Metro system.
Separatist Chechen rebels were suspected to be behind the attacks, which raised fears the insurgency was again being brought to Russia’s cities. [...]

US and Russia agree nuclear arms reduction

US President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev have come to an agreement on a new nuclear arms reduction treaty limiting both sides to 1,550 warheads, about 30 per cent less than currently allowed.
The two presidents will sign the accord, which replaces the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, on 8 April.
“With this agreement, the [...]

Analysis: Change is in the air – all over the world

World events over the past few months suggest that a major rethink of everyone’s position is under way; the chess pieces are on the floor again and it is still not clear whether we will emerge from this tumult enlightened or confused, richer or poorer, alive or dead. The Great Game [...]

Russia shows its teeth over adopting tigers

This may be the Chinese Year of the Tiger, but Russia is furious with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) over its “Adopt a Tiger” programme.
What’s wrong with protecting the big cat, one might ask? Well, for one thing, Russia’s is federal property, and therefore not up for adoption, says the head of Russia’s [...]

UK Border Agency vigil for dead asylum family

By Allan Laing
Two days after a family of failed asylum seekers leapt to their deaths from a block of flats in Glasgow, a group of neighbours today held a vigil outside the offices of the UK Border Agency in the city.
As the authorities continued their investigation into what drove the victims – believed to be [...]

New law threatens pirates but also free speech

The difficulty of reconciling the interests of copyright owners and the rights of internet users has been revealed again in a successful Lib Dem and Tory amendment in the House of Lords to the Digital Economy Bill which would force internet service providers to block access to “online locations” where a “substantial proportion of the [...]

Carter fights back over foreign policy legacy

ormer US President Jimmy Carter has made an impassioned defence of his administration’s foreign policy in the face of a flurry of references to “Carter syndrome” in the US media.
“Carter syndrome” is the term used by neo-conservative commentators to describe President Barack Obama’s perceived weakness in dealing with Iran, Russia, China and other real and [...]

Ahmadinejad claims Israel will attack within months

ranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is expecting an Israeli attack in the Middle East in the coming months.
“According to information we have they [Israel] are seeking to start a war next spring or summer, although their decision is not final yet,” the Jerusalem Post quotes Ahmadinejad as saying. “But the resistance and regional states will finish [...]

Now the future isn’t so orange for Ukraine

hatever happened to the Orange Revolution?
The heady days of November 2004, when the government of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovich was swept away on a wave of popular unrest after a fraudulent election, seem very far away now.
With nearly 99 per cent of votes counted after a presidential election run-off against Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, [...]

Iran’s nuclear programme gives energy to US neocons

President Barack Obama seems to be responding at last to American neo-conservative calls for a tougher stance with Iran over its nuclear programme, though he may balk at “regime change”.
With the Obama administration nowhere near the stage where it might declare that “all options are on the table”, increased covert backing of ethnic groups in [...]

Sketch: A nose by any other name

The last thing you expect at First Minister’s Questions is to be offered a “bouquet of absurdity”. A panoply perhaps. But a bouquet? We smelled a rat.
It was Labour leader Elmer Fudd who introduced a pong into the chamber when he raised a question about – wait for it – “the security of the Queen [...]