Murder sparks anti-Muslim backlash
There has been a huge increase in anti-Muslim incidents since the murder of a British soldier in London, an inter-faith charity says.
MAIN FOCUS: Soldier killing shocks Britain | 24/05/2013
After the allegedly Islamist motivated murder of a soldier in London, security has been increased around military installations there. The authorities warned on Thursday of copycat attacks. Commentators voice concern about a new generation of extremist lone attackers and criticise the immense amount of attention the London killers are receiving in the media.
The Woolwich attack: should we feel terrorised?
The fact is the perpetrators want this to be perceived as an act of terrorism. Doing so would put them in a league with the Al Qaeda aficionados they have idealised.
French soldier stabbed near Paris
French authorities are investigating whether the stabbing of a soldier in a Paris suburb was a copycat attack after a soldier was killed in London on Wednesday.
Woolwich and Afghanistan: the connection
An understanding of the link between the shocking murder of a young soldier on a London street and “remote-control” attacks by western states is essential.
Throughout the Balkans, LGBT advocates and their supporters face violence, cancelled Pride parades, and unresponsive or disrespectful police. What hope is there for sexual minorities in the region?
Europe’s stance on Hezbollah hardens
Hezbollah’s support for Assad hardens European attitudes
Britain and the World Love Germany
What a pleasant surprise! Germany is more widely seen as “having a mainly positive influence” in the world than any other country, according to the BBC World Service’s Country Ratings Poll. I doubt, however, whether poll participants really meant Germany’s foreign policy.
French army in major Mali pullout
France begins a key stage of its military withdrawal from Mali, four months after sending troops to push Islamist rebels out of the north.
Military power: what will Europe do?
The debate about European military power tends to focus on the need to spend more and deploy more. One deceptively simple question is usually ignored: why? Americans seem to assume that more European capabilities will be deployed where it is convenient for the United States, Europeans just seek to avoid the difficult debate that it would provoke ? until now.
Nordic countries and EU: Public opinion in Norway
After a short recap of the new government in Iceland, we begin to look at various degrees of lukewarm: how the European Union and the eurozone are perceived in the Nordic countries. First we glance at public opinion in Norway. Read Nordic countries and EU: Public opinion in Norway.
Sixth night of violence in Sweden
Rioting exposes a faultline between well-off majority and minority who are poorly educated, cannot find work and feel pushed to the edge of society
EU economic and monetary disunion
Backtracking on the EU’s monetary union will be politically very costly, but in the absence of a genuine economic and political union this stands out as the most likely scenario. What are the alternatives? Are there any?
Cyprus & the troika: off to a rocky start
It may seem a moot point now that Cyprus? financial system has, for all intents and purposes, collapsed in the wake of last month?s ?10bn eurozone rescue that forced the island to impose capital controls on any large withdrawals from its banks.
Would an ‘independent’ UK get a better US trade deal than the EU?
City of London Elections 2013: the battle, the count, the lessons
The recent elections to the City of London?s local authority were fiercely fought, after years where the majority of seats went uncontested. Lessons should be drawn for any future attempt to reform the financial services industry.
After Syntagma: where are the occupiers now?
In 2011, at a time of financial crisis and in opposition to impending austerity measures, Greeks of all ages came together to occupy Athens’ central square and inspire a resurgent form of political protest across the world. Two years on, where are the occupiers now?
Italy?s Democrats fracture over future
Deep divisions within the centre-left Democrats are undermining Enrico Letta as prime minister and raising questions over the party?s future
The challenges of the Swedish model
Stockholm riots more about economics than immigration. Ethnic tension and outright racism is a phenomenon of the fringes ? serious but not systemic
EU should end trade dispute with China
Protectionist measures are counterproductive, as they will not help resolve the difficulties facing Europe?s industries, writes Wu Hailong
Outrage over Arrest of Two Photojournalists in Spain
The news of the arrest of photojournalist Raúl Capín, at his home in Madrid, was widely shared under the tag #RaúlLibertad on Twitter. Later, the reason for the arrest was made know in exact terms: ?disturbances and contempt of authority.? Photojournalist Adolfo Luján was also arrested. They have since been released.
In Croatia and Serbia, Mixed Feelings About the EU
As Croatia prepares to enter the European Union officially on July 1 of this year, and Serbia awaits to finally receive a date to begin talks about EU entry, citizens of both countries express mixed feelings about EU integration.
Unexpected riots in Sweden raise questions on inequality
Sweden has long been a bastion of generous social welfare and an egalitarian political culture
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