Monthly Archives: November 2013

Beyond Berlusconi: Italy moves on?

November 28, 2024 by Matt Taylor in Europe.

Former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi delivers a speech from the stage in downtown Rome November 27, 2013. The Italian Senate on Wednesday expelled Silvio Berlusconi from parliament following his conviction for tax fraud, in what the centre-right leader called a day of mourning for Italian democracy.

Silvio Berlusconi, the media mogul and three-time prime minister whose center-right movement has dominated Italian politics for decades, was expelled from the Senate on Wednesday.

Sharif hopes for better luck with new Pakistani army chief

November 27, 2024 by Matt Taylor in Asia-Pacific.

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Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (R) speaks with Pakistani Army Chief General Ashfaq Kayani. AAMIR QURESHI/AFP/Getty Images

Ousted in a coup by his last pick to lead the nation’s beloved military, the three-time premier’s new choice strikes a balance between reform and tradition.

China and Japan loving the Senkaku island dispute

November 26, 2024 by Matt Taylor in Asia-Pacific.

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Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's PC3 surveillance plane flies around the disputed islands in the East China Sea, known as the Senkaku isles in Japan and Diaoyu in China. REUTERS/Kyodo/Files

Good for the internal politics of incumbents in both countries, the spat over a tiny swath of islands is serving as a convenient stand-in for broader foreign policy problems.

Iran deal reshuffles Israeli politics

November 25, 2024 by Matt Taylor in Middle East.

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Israel's PM Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem

Broad agreement in Jerusalem that Tehran has nefarious motives and cannot be trusted to contain uranium enrichment could provide the often-divisive premier with a strong wind at his back as he makes the case abroad.

Russia cracks down on gangs financing jihadist terror

November 25, 2024 by Mark Galeotti in Europe.

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According to police accounts, the organization, which had more than 40 members, was active in major markets across Russia, including Moscow and the Perm Region.

Karzai blows up Afghan security pact

November 22, 2024 by Matt Taylor in Middle East.

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Afghan President Hamid Karzai speaks during the opening of the Loya Jirga, or grand council, in Kabul November 21, 2013. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani

Fiery nationalist president at least temporarily scuttles a deal on keeping U.S. troops behind after 2014, strengthening his own hand ahead of the election to replace him.