In The News

Islamic Group Blocked From Building “Britain's Biggest Mosque” in London

Andrew Gilligan October 28, 2015
An Islamic group is reported to have lost its appeal for building a mega-mosque in a London neighborhood. The court decision could end a 16-year battle that included protests in support and opposition to the plans. “Tablighi Jamaat is an ultra-conservative and separatist group which believes that Muslims should not integrate into non-Muslim society. Its current UK headquarters, in Dewsbury, West...

Wanted: Competent Foreigners to Work for Ukrainian Government

Olena Lennon October 27, 2015
Ukraine is in political and economic turmoil after Russia’s takeover of Crimea and support of separatists in the eastern part of the nation. The government cannot afford inefficiencies, and a new law allows the government led by President Petro Poroshenko to hire foreigners for top ministerial posts. The goal is to curtail corruption and encourage innovation. “While the process has been eased for...

China's Xi Lauds Britain for “Visionary” Openness, Prods Others to Emulate

Stephen J, Adler and Jason Subler October 19, 2015
China’s President XI Jinping praises Britain for strengthening commercial ties with China. “Xi's visit comes amid debate in Britain and many other Western countries over what is the best way to engage with a Communist-ruled China that has grown more influential economically and diplomatically, but which maintains stances in areas from human rights to the South China Sea that are often at...

Matteo Renzi, Scrapper in the Swamp

Joji Sakurai October 19, 2015
A challenge for Europe is that many talented, skilled young adults cannot find work. Italy’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi would like to jumpstart the economy by “breaking it open to competition,” journalist Joji Sakurai explains for the New Statesman. Italy confronts “a struggle of allegiances versus globalisation; gerontocracy versus meritocracy; made-in-Italy quality versus stark economic...

The German Lynchmob: Islamophobe Movement Returns With a Vengeance

Maik Baumgärtner, Maximilian Popp, Jörg Schindler and Wolf Wiedmann-Schmidt October 15, 2015
Germany’s decision to open its borders to thousands of refugees from Syria has reinvigorated the political party of Pegida, also known as “Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the Occident.” Some supporters insist that they are not Nazis, but oppose a system that fails to embrace a strong and unchanging culture; others call the refugees “invaders” and are ready to blockade streets,...

Islamic State Is Prime Suspect in Turkey Bombing as Protests Erupt

Daren Butler and Humeyra Pamuk October 12, 2015
Suicide bombers attacked a peace rally organized by activists in Ankara, killing at least 97 people. Many suspect that Islamic State extremists are responsible for the attack as the country prepares for the November 1 election: “Opponents of [President] Erdogan, who has led the country over 13 years, blame him for the attack on a rally organized by pro-Kurdish activists and civic groups, accusing...

Islamic State Is Prime Suspect in Turkey Bombing as Protests Erupt

Daren Butler and Humeyra Pamuk October 12, 2015
Suicide bombers attacked a peace rally organized by activists in Ankara, killing at least 97 people. Many suspect that Islamic State extremists are responsible for the attack as the country prepares for the November 1 election: “Opponents of [President] Erdogan, who has led the country over 13 years, blame him for the attack on a rally organized by pro-Kurdish activists and civic groups, accusing...