Tuesday 06 January 2009
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Russia: Putin's cards still hidden

Putin

It's easy to write Dimitri Medvedev off as a puppet in the hands of his predecessor as Russian president – but the reality is far more complicated

112 articles, sorted by name / date
Pages:12345

Gaza turmoil: Russian roulette »

A dangerous uncertainty hovers over the Levant. Even before Israel commenced air strikes on the Gaza Strip on December 27, 2008 the situation in the region was volatile. The massive air strikes launched by Israel on Hamas targets were hardly surprising...

Wed 31 Dec 2008 by Daniel Kenealy | Read more »

Student activism: What's our problem? »

For many of today’s young people, the student activism of the 1960s is a nebulous concept. Knowledge of that era has dwindled to a collection of disconnected images and soundbytes, mostly relating to popular culture and drug-taking; our understan...

Tue 09 Dec 2008 | Read more »

Baby P furore: Tempers overflowing »

These are very difficult times for child protection workers. The last 35 years have been littered with high profile tragedies and public inquiries, dating back to the death of Maria Colwell in 1973. The death of Victoria Climbié in London, follo...

Tue 09 Dec 2008 by Anne Stafford and Nigel Parton | Read more »

Unrest in Thailand: Where is this going? »

Thitinan Pongsudhirak

By physically shutting down Suvarnabhumi airport, the People's Alliance for Democracy has upped the stakes in Thailand's ongoing political polarisation. It has demonstrated the extent to which it will resort to mob violence to achieve its aims.&nb...

Tue 09 Dec 2008 by Thitinan Pongsudhirak | Read more »

Mumbai attacks: Intelligence test »

Taj Mahal Hotel

The coordinated simultaneous attack in Mumbai on 27 November was a classic al-Qaeda-style assault. Although it was not perpetrated by Osama bin Laden's group, the attackers and their masterminds were influenced by al-Qaeda's methodology and ideology. T...

Tue 09 Dec 2008 by Rohan Gunaratna | Read more »

Economic slowdown: A bleak Christmas »

For years we have been hearing about how the commercialisation of Christmas has killed its true spirit. Well, fret not, naysayers. This year might very well see a return to the Dickensian Christmases of yore: no money for heating, a Christmas goose hu...

Tue 09 Dec 2008 by Sam Karasik | Read more »

Zimbabwe: Breaking point looms »

Charles Abani

Zimbabwe’s people, already seriously weakened by lack of food, are in grave danger as a cholera epidemic sweeps the country. To date there have been almost 13,000 cholera cases reported, but with poor communications, particularly in rural areas, ...

Tue 09 Dec 2008 by Charles Abani | Read more »

Damien Green arrest: Getting carried away »

Damien Green

It seems fair to believe Gordon Brown's and Jacqui Smith's insistence that they were not forewarned of the arrest of Damien Green. But the widespread scepticism over their claims is a telling indictment of this government's battered reputation. The Com...

Mon 08 Dec 2008 by Helen O'Shea | Read more »

EUSA teaching awards: A positive first step »

With the introduction of their new awards for exceptional undergraduate teaching and feedback, the Edinburgh University Students’ Association (EUSA) is to be congratulated for the ingenuity it has shown in its quest to raise course standards. Tr...

Mon 08 Dec 2008 | Read more »

Somalia: The forgotten crisis »

John Watson

Often considered to be a ‘forgotten crisis’, the conflict in Somalia has crippled the country for several years. But in recent months the war has intensified, destabilising every part of the country, and thousands of people are being brutally killed i...

Thu 27 Nov 2008 by John Watson | Read more »

NUS reform: No other way »

In a letter to The Guardian, last year's NUS president told members of her desire to “ensure the NUS is representative of the students studying in 2008 – not 1968.” For too long, the NUS had been balancing on a precarious financial ti...

Mon 24 Nov 2008 | Read more »

BNP furore: Walking a tightrope »

Addressing an audience of American white supremacists in 2005, British National Party (BNP) leader Nick Griffin declared that he and his far-right colleagues were just “one crisis away from power.” As Britain moves into recession amid inter...

Mon 24 Nov 2008 | Read more »

Obama and science: Blowing away the smoke »

Matthew Hartfield

Before the US presidential election, 76 American Nobel laureates penned a letter supporting Barack Obama – 29 more than supported John Kerry in 2004. The reasons for this show of support become clear in light of Obama's consistent show of respect...

Sun 23 Nov 2008 by Matthew Hartfield | Read more »

Somalian piracy: Chaos on the high seas »

In the 21st century, the word “piracy” evokes cheap, illegal DVDs of Hollywood blockbusters, not robbery on the high seas. But old-fashioned “Jolly Roger” style piracy is back. Off the eastern coast of Africa, this menace is app...

Sun 23 Nov 2008 by Daniel Kenealy | Read more »

Higher education: Put students first »

When I was asked by universities secretary John Denham to look at how the student experience will change over the next ten to 15 years, I was hampered by the lack of a crystal ball. Higher education is rooted in the societies and economies in which i...

Sun 23 Nov 2008 by Paul Ramsden | Read more »

Roma in Europe: Racism alive and well »

Gay McDougall

The images earlier this month of far right supporters armed with stones and petrol bombs besieging a Roma community in the town of Litvinov in the Czech Republic are a powerful reminder that violent racism is not a distant memory in the European Union....

Sat 22 Nov 2008 by Gay McDougall | Read more »

Scottish Independence: The bigger picture »

Iain Gray

When Alex Salmond tried to invoke the spirit of Barack Obama in the last issue of The Journal, he missed the key point of what was the new president’s appeal to the American people. It was the politics of thoughtfulness. Gone were the glib soundb...

Sat 22 Nov 2008 by Iain Gray | Read more »

Alex Salmond: No need to panic »

Alex Salmond

Barack Obama's historic triumph in the US Presidential election shows just what is possible when enough people are motivated by the desire for change and renewal. The Democrat candidate’s mantra of “Hope” resonated with people at a t...

Sat 22 Nov 2008 by Alex Salmond | Read more »

America needs a new political party »

Set aside any Obama euphoria you feel. The other important news is that third-party presidential candidates had a miserable showing this year, totaling just over one percent of the grand total with 1.5 million votes nationwide, compared to some 123 mi...

Tue 18 Nov 2008 by Joel Hirschom | Read more »

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