by Heather Hastie | Oct 4, 2015 | Middle East, Russia, Winners and Worries
In reality, Syria has been a worry for years. Bashar al-Assad took over the presidency, the role of commander-in-chief of the Syrian armed forces, and the leadership of the ruling Ba’ath party on his father’s death in 2000. For several reasons, including...
by Heather Hastie | Sep 21, 2015 | Democracy, International Politics, Middle East
Just when you thought things couldn’t possibly get any worse in Syria, they have. Putin is going to speak at the United Nations in a few days, and political commentators such as the Guardian’s Natalie Nougayrède are predicting that his speech will be a...
by Heather Hastie | Aug 2, 2015 | New Zealand, Russia, Winners and Worries
My “sinner” this week is again from the political arena. I suspect already that it usually will be – there is so much about people within politics to criticize! Besides, until November 2016 we have the US presidential primaries, followed by their...