Erdorgan waves his refugees trump card in Europe’s face
by Rashmee
Posted on February 28, 2020
Today (Friday, Feb. 28), Turkey’s president Erdogan has been speaking to US President Donald Trump, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron about the situation in Syria. The sub-text of any conversation with the Europeans is: Or else. Or else, we’ll release the refugees we hold into Europe. Mr Erdogan’s party, the Justice … Continue reading “Erdorgan waves his refugees trump card in Europe’s face”
Read MoreThe Covid-19 pathogen has now invaded at least 47 nations and it’s a pandemic of fear
by Rashmee
Posted on February 27, 2020
So the Covid-19 pathogen has now invaded at least 47 nations but it’s not a pandemic per se, just a pandemic of fear. There’s extreme reluctance, so far, to label the coronavirus outbreak a “pandemic”, which would, of course, prompt the World Health Organisation to press its big red button. Even so, with cases emerging … Continue reading “The Covid-19 pathogen has now invaded at least 47 nations and it’s a pandemic of fear”
Read MoreLibya arms embargo is a ‘joke’, said a UN envoy. But it’s peace-making that is a farce
by Rashmee
Posted on February 26, 2020
Now that European foreign ministers have agreed on a new Mediterranean naval mission to enforce the widely breached UN arms embargo on Libya, it’s worth thinking what it might really mean. The mission, which will replace Operation Sophia that was derailed last year, is still to be finalised. A senior UN official recently called the … Continue reading “Libya arms embargo is a ‘joke’, said a UN envoy. But it’s peace-making that is a farce”
Read MoreFrench public life is becoming more ‘Americanized’ and British public life more French
by Rashmee
Posted on February 20, 2020
Everyone’s talking about the alleged “Americanization” of French public life, but almost no one is mentioning the almost parallel Gallicization of British public life. Let me explain. Just days ago, for the first time in France’s modern history, a politician resigned because his sex life was publicly exposed. Benjamin Griveaux, one of President Emmanuel Macron’s … Continue reading “French public life is becoming more ‘Americanized’ and British public life more French”
Read MoreTrump or not, it’s Washington’s way or Huawei
by Rashmee
Posted on February 18, 2020
If there’s anything that the Munich Security Conference cleared up, it’s this: Donald Trump or not, Washington’s hard line on Chinese firm Huawei will stay. Which means the US will continue to view with disfavour any country that avails of Huawei’s technology. (Boris Johnson had better be listening. By all accounts, Huawei is the reason … Continue reading “Trump or not, it’s Washington’s way or Huawei”
Read MoreEurope wants to help protect oil majors’ good intentions from themselves
by Rashmee
Posted on February 15, 2020
BP, which is practically synonymous with the fossil industry, has pledged be carbon-neutral by 2050 or sooner. Only Spain’s Repsol, a much smaller oil and gas producer, has set so ambitious a 30-year goal. Unsurprisingly, everyone’s wondering how, or even if, BP will make good on its promise. But Europe’s markets regulator is taking steady … Continue reading “Europe wants to help protect oil majors’ good intentions from themselves”
Read MoreThe great game…in Africa
by Rashmee
Posted on February 10, 2020
Europe is fighting hard to be relevant to Africa, its nearest continental neighbour. Today (Feb. 10) is the Africa Union (AU) summit in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia and AU headquarters. And it’s drawn European Council president Charles Michel – he’s been in Addis since Sunday – for some two dozen bilateral meetings with African … Continue reading “The great game…in Africa”
Read MoreIncarcerating jihadists ‘forever’ could run into logistical quicksand
by Rashmee
Posted on February 9, 2020 / The Arab Weekly
It’s a conundrum. There may not be a single solution to the threat of terrorists re-offending. Britain has declared a war on terrorists. It is only marginally better than US President George W. Bush’s “war on terror.” Unlike the United States, which has fought since 9/11 against an abstract noun, Britain will wage war against … Continue reading “Incarcerating jihadists ‘forever’ could run into logistical quicksand”
Read MoreHow far the Greens have come. Or how much the climate has changed
by Rashmee
Posted on February 8, 2020
In Austria, the Greens are in chancellor Sebastian Kurz’s coalition government. In Germany, opinion polls suggest the Greens are on course to enter government. If an election were held in Germany today, the party could win 21 to 23 per cent of the vote. That’s more than the Social Democrats (SPD) and second to the … Continue reading “How far the Greens have come. Or how much the climate has changed”
Read MoreA European Singapore, if such an entity were even possible, might be hard for the EU to stop
by Rashmee
Posted on February 7, 2020
How will the European Union (EU) stop Britain from diverging from its rules here on in? How can the EU do anything about British competitiveness, if indeed Brexit were to be managed in a way that prioritises the building of an agile regulatory system able to foster innovation and nurture efficiency? There’s not a hope … Continue reading “A European Singapore, if such an entity were even possible, might be hard for the EU to stop”
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Rashmee has lived and worked in several countries in the past decade, including Afghanistan, India, Haiti, Tunisia, the UAE, US and UK