December 2nd, 2016
CHINA Singapore May Prove a Tough Nut for China to Crack Over Regional Security Greg Torode and Marius Zaharia, REUTERS As the impounding of Singaporean troop carriers in Hong Kong exposes rising tensions between China and Singapore, the Lion City is unlikely to budge on core security interests concerning Beijing—its military relationship with...
Trainspotting Texts Land Two Russian Women in Prison
Latest trial ended with conviction on espionage and treason charges for text message about Russian military transport. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
“Deoligarchisation” in Ukraine
In 2015, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced a process of “deoligarchisation”. Not much has happened so far. Some of the oligarchs’ profit sources have run dry in the field of public procurement. Certain efforts have been made to curb the influence of oligarchs with respect to media legislation and financing political parties....
Russia accused of mechanisms of political repression in Crimea unprecedented since Stalin & Hitler
From political prisoners & punitive psychiatry to dissident writers being prevented from travelling abroad, the Soviet echoes in Russian-occupied Crimea are becoming increasingly pronounced. On Nov 28, Mykola Semena was not able to personally receive the Pavel Sheremet Journalism Award 2016 at a ceremony in Brussels …read more Source:...
Belarusian Pre-Selections for Eurovision 2017: Contest or Freak Show?
Even after multiple failures, and questionable performances, Belarus keeps hoping to steal the show at the upcoming Eurovision song contest. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
Global Militarization Index 2016 Trends in militarization in Europe
While Russia (2016: position 5) continues to be among the ten most militarized countries, the risen level of militarization of Ukraine has resulted in a change of position from number 23 in 2015 to position 15 in 2016. Not only Ukraine but Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, as well as the Baltic countries increased their military expenditures,...
Between Europe and Russia, Oligarchs Rule
Despite their appealing promises, oligarchs do not offer a viable form of governance in countries such as Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. …read more Source: Carnegie Endowment for International...
Half the Berkut officers deployed against EuroMaidan activists remain police officers
Three years after the savage dispersal on Nov 30, 2013 of young students on Maidan, none of the Berkut officers directly involved have been convicted, and some are continuing to work in the police. The reason in many cases for the lack of progress lies not in the investigators, but in sabotage by the courts …read more Source: Kharkiv Human...
Statement regarding Ukraine by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines to the 15th Meeting of States Parties of the Mine Ban Treaty in Santiago, Chile
Thank you Madam President for giving us the floor a second time for a short statement. We want to express our appreciation for the cascade of interventions we have just heard on Ukraine. It was an extraordinary chorus of voices speaking as one. That chorus of voices demonstrated clear recognition that Ukraine is indeed in violation of the...
Statement by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines to the 15th Meeting of States Parties of the Mine Ban Treaty in Santiago, Chile
Thank you Madam President for giving us the floor a second time for a short statement. We want to express our appreciation for the cascade of interventions we have just heard on Ukraine. It was an extraordinary chorus of voices speaking as one. That chorus of voices demonstrated clear recognition that Ukraine is indeed in violation of the...
