We’ve written before about what a patchwork mess of competing interests the Syrian resistance is. Today, we hear news that one of the rebel groups previously partnered (however loosely) with the Free Syrian Army may have connections to al-Qaeda and is claiming responsibility for some overnight blasts at an intelligence compound on the outskirts of […]

Israel has its flaws and some of its policies can, in Via Meadia’s view, be counterproductive and poorly conceived. Its system of proportional representation empowers the nutcases and tiny fringe parties. Nevertheless, facing one of its biggest threats since independence (Iran), with relations chilly with its closest ally (the U.S.), the region in flames, and […]

Iraq will become the world’s second-largest oil exporter within two decades and will account for 45 percent of the growth in global supplies this decade, according to an International Energy Agency report examined by the Financial Times.All this will come to pass, of course, if Iraq remains stable enough to continue growing its oil production. […]

It all started with the Myitsone Dam in northern Burma. The dam’s Chinese builders, confident that they had the support of the decision-makers who mattered (Burmese politicians), ignored or were unaware of local resistance to the dam. But the Chinese soon found out just how important local resistance can be. The locals protested, and Thein […]

China’s recent assertiveness in Asia continues to set off destabilizing consequences that are unfavorable for China’s own interests, as Michael Auslin writes in the WSJ: Mr. [Yoshihiko] Noda [Japan’s Prime Minister] has pushed back forcefully against Beijing’s pressure. He dispatched 50 Coast Guard cutters to the islands, refused to surrender Japan’s claims of ownership, and bluntly […]

The labor turmoil in South Africa is spreading to the financial markets, and South Africa’s currency, the rand, is plunging against the weak U.S. dollar.For political economists, Africa wonks, and geopoliticians, this is bad news. Just as the fabulous mineral wealth in South Africa’s mines serves as an engine for the whole economy, labor relations […]

If you want to learn how countries fail, studying Nigeria today wouldn’t be a waste of time. The BBC reports on a grisly, sad story: Nigerian troops have opened fire and burned buildings in the north-eastern city of Maiduguri, reportedly killing 30 civilians.The shootings came after a bomb blast targeting the army had injured two […]

The chattering classes are moaning today about the world economy. The IMF has reduced its economic forecast yet again, lowering growth projections across the board in its World Economic Outlook. Altogether, global GDP is projected to grow 3.3 percent in 2012, down from a July estimate of 3.5 percent. The FT explains the IMF’s reasons for the downgrade: The euro […]

CBS News reports: The percentage of Protestant adults in the U.S. has reached a low of 48 percent, the first time the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life has reported with certainty that the number has fallen below 50 percent. The drop has long been anticipated and comes at a time when no Protestants are on […]

The traditionally small, inward-looking militaries of Southeast Asia are no longer relying solely on the U.S. for regional security. They have been steadily expanding and upgrading their own forces as China’s power rises and disputes over South China Sea islands heat up. Reuters has details on this change in posture: As Southeast Asia’s economies boomed, defense spending grew 42 […]