Iran stresses the importance of Ayatollah Khamenei's fatwa against nuclear weapons. Should we take him seriously?
Author: Charles Richardson
Jordan stays ahead of the revolution, so far
This week's election in Jordan was a less then fully democratic exercise. But King Abdullah II has so far succeeded in steering a moderate course through the perils of the Arab Spring.
Debt ceiling crisis over, for a while
Congressional Republicans give in and vote to suspend America's debt ceiling for three months. So where's the next crisis?
Netanyahu back, with some choices to make
Israel's election results are almost final: the precise number doesn't make much difference to Benjamin Netanyahu's options, but his drop in support might be psychologically important.
How to read Israeli election results
A quick guide to following the Israeli election results.
Progressive? liberal? socialist? Where is Obama coming from?
Obama's second inaugural seems to have reinforced the narrative that he's a believer in big government. Here's why we should be sceptical about that.
Cliffhanger election boosts Germany’s liberals
Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats went down to defeat in a cliffhanger state election in Germany yesterday. But it's not all bad news for them, since a liberal revival is a good omen for their national prospects.
Austria votes to keep conscription
Austrians voted yesterday to retain military conscription, in a victory for the centre-right ahead of this year's general election. But that's very much going against the trend in Europe. It's also something of a reversal of the usual position.
Guns, debt and hostages: tough times for Obama in Congress
Obama already had trouble with Congress over debt and spending; now he's added guns as well. It's worth looking at the different dynamics involved.
Torture goes to the movies
A film about the hunt for bin Laden puts torture in the spotlight. Will America face up to what Bush and Cheney did?
