German general breaks silence on Afghanistan
BERLIN – Breaking with a military tradition of keeping silent about policy, a top German general has branded his country's efforts in Afghanistan a failure, singling out its poor record in training the Afghan police and allocating development aid.
Afghan drug fight will follow law's letter, NATO says
BERLIN – NATO will remain within international law when it proceeds with new measures to kill drug traffickers in Afghanistan and bomb drug-processing laboratories to deprive the Taliban of its main financing, the head of the alliance said Wednesday.
The Daily Killing
On January 19, 2009 lawyer Stansilav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova were murdered in Moscow city center. In the Russian media this incident received little attention.
Afghanistan: From bad to worse
We who voted in the Afghan elections have been betrayed. It's time for a new strategy: To isolate Taliban from politics.
Azerbaijan: We are oil hostages
In Azerbaijan a corrupt regime is thriving. Western countries could have been a driving force for democracy in the region. Instead, they focus on their own oil interests.
A court for a new America
THE HAGUE – Of the many issues that have soured relations between Europe and the United States under the Bush administration, few have been as poisonous as America's refusal to join the world's first permanent war crimes court here. The snub has been seen as a symbol of US contempt for the rule of law.
Ahead of new nuclear talks, North Korea lashes out at Japan
SEOUL – As representatives from five regional powers converged in Beijing on Sunday to join what is possibly the Bush administration's final major effort to revive a nuclear disarmament deal with North Korea, Pyongyang vowed to ignore Japan at the talks.
EU governments agree to overhaul its system of farm subsidies
BRUSSELS – European Union governments agreed Thursday to overhaul the way the bloc distributes tens of billions of euros in subsidies to farmers. But some said the measures did not go far enough and risked skewing markets.
The EU proposes deeper ties to 6 ex-Soviet nations
BRUSSELS – Seeking to extend its reach into Russia's backyard, the European Union on Wednesday proposed deeper ties with six former Soviet nations, even suggesting it could embrace Belarus, often described as the continent's last dictatorship.
Obama takes note of budget deficit but promises decisive action
WASHINGTON – President-elect Barack Obama took sober note Wednesday of a stunning projection by the Congressional Budget Office for a $ 1.2 trillion federal budget deficit this year, then warned that without decisive action, "trillion-dollar deficits will be a reality for years to come. "
Europe and US move towards cooperation with China on product safety
BRUSSELS – The European Union and the United States on Monday sought to bind China to international product safety controls when the three trading partners discussed consumer scares ranging from contaminated Chinese milk to dangerous toys.
Media culture grows up in Eastern Europe
BERLIN – Marius Hagger is no stranger to intimidation or threats. Hagger, general manager of Ringier media group in Romania, said his staff has often faced verbal and physical attacks for articles appearing in one of their newspapers or magazines in the country.
Climate change conference hampered by US political change
POZNAN, Poland – As ministers from 189 countries gather here to hammer out a new climate change treaty, progress is sorely hampered by the absence of one delegation: the team that will forge Barack Obama's climate policy.
"I've never felt the need to scream to anyone"
Has Nrks Sigurd Falkenberg Mikkelsen really been able to feel the fear of the exposed or the violence of the war? On the occasion of his book, we talk to him about the harsh reality of the Middle East, the significance of journalism, and what such journeys do to a human being.