February 12, 2008
by Nosemonkey
3 Comments
Shutting down an entire university due to breaches of fire regulations would sound a little harsh at the best of times. When the university in question is St Petersburg’s European University, however, suspicions are naturally raised – not least thanks … Continue reading
February 12, 2008
by Nosemonkey
4 Comments
My big worry over Gazprom boss Dmitry Medvedev becoming president of Russia is his use of the country’s gas supplies as political weapons. Continue reading
February 2, 2008
by Nosemonkey
18 Comments
Allow Tony Blair to become the EU’s first permanent president and I’m very likely to turn anti-EU again. My feelings have already been succinctly summed up by Ari – a Finn, lest anyone get the idea this is yet another … Continue reading
January 22, 2008
by Nosemonkey
3 Comments
Rather than wait until after the elections, Serbia’s already signed that gas pipeline deal with Russia, effectively scuppering the EU-backed alternative. Now we’re going to end up with a president of Russia, Medvedev, who’ll not only be the former head … Continue reading
January 18, 2008
by Nosemonkey
9 Comments
Monday sees the first round of the Serbian presidential elections – and they could well prove vital for the future of Europe. If power shifts we could all, to coin a phrase, end up exponentially screwed. But surely, you might … Continue reading
December 3, 2007
by Nosemonkey
1 Comment
I mean, seriously. According to pretty much every opinion poll throughout his time in office, Putin has scored a 60-90% approval rating. He’s insanely popular in Russia, while the opposition – given considerable airtime in the West largely due to … Continue reading
December 1, 2007
by Nosemonkey
1 Comment
Pensioner, 83, notches up ASBO: “Police said Mr Hughes, of Vane Lane, Coggeshall, Essex, had not been convicted of any child sex offence. But magistrates had decided to use civil anti-social behaviour laws after police received a number of complaints … Continue reading
November 20, 2007
by Nosemonkey
Comments Off on 25 million benefit records lost? Roll on ID cards!
What more can you say? That’s a cock up involving almost half the UK population’s confidential financial details. The names, children’s names, addresses, national insurance numbers and bank details of 25 million people not just compromised, but lost without a … Continue reading
November 18, 2007
by Nosemonkey
Comments Off on Russian elections: two weeks to go
And it doesn’t look good so far, the FT noting that Europe’s main election monitoring group said on Friday it was scrapping plans to deploy observers to Russia’s forthcoming parliamentary elections in a decision that could cast doubt on the … Continue reading
November 16, 2007
by Nosemonkey
1 Comment
For the record, I despise this regime more than words can express. What in hell’s name are we doing assorting with such people? This kind of wanton, gleefully unjust barbarity puts them on a par with the Taleban, while the … Continue reading
November 16, 2007
by Nosemonkey
7 Comments
Well, he may have ignored it for months, but now it’s finally taking shape – although it hardly seems to be overly well thought-out. So, was Foreign Secretary David Miliband’s choice of Bruges to deliver his first EU policy speech … Continue reading
November 15, 2007
by Nosemonkey
4 Comments
For a largely foreign policy-focussed blog, Gordon Brown’s offered little of any interest since becoming Prime Minister. He simply doesn’t seem to have much interest in the rest of the world, happily ignoring both the EU and the US for … Continue reading
November 12, 2007
by Nosemonkey
2 Comments
To be fair, it’s taken the far right Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty European Parliament group – that delightful organisation that combines everyone from convicted fraudsters to French presidential runners-up and the granddaughters of fascist dictators – far longer to disintegrate than … Continue reading
November 3, 2007
by Nosemonkey
4 Comments
Ah yes – that’s a nice easy thing to try and summarise, isn’t it? Nonetheless, I gave it pop – trying to wrap up the dLiberation blog I’ve been writing/editing for openDemocracy for the last few weeks. Warning: it’s a … Continue reading