April 27, 2007
by Nosemonkey
Comments Off on Chechnya – a(nother) crisis brewing?
Helicopter crash, 17 dead – all military. “Involved in a major military operation against separatist rebels at the time, Russian military sources are quoted as saying.” May have been “shot down” – no confirmation yet. If it was, expect a … Continue reading
April 25, 2007
by Nosemonkey
Comments Off on Presidential problems – France and Romania
At one end of Europe, the invective is beginning to rise again in the French elections, as today is the day third-placed centrist Francois Bayrou is expected to announce who – if anyone – he’s going to throw his support … Continue reading
April 24, 2007
by Nosemonkey
4 Comments
Expecting insightful analysis about Yeltsin’s place in history? Sorry – my computer crashed again and ate that one. (And I’d been loosely working on it since I first heard the news yesterday afternoon and all…) Instead, have a couple of … Continue reading
April 21, 2007
by Nosemonkey
2 Comments
DK has the best roundup and overview of this latest EU-wide attack on freedom of speech from our dear German chums (60 years on still not realising that you don’t fight fascism by banning things), with the International Herald Tribune … Continue reading
April 16, 2007
by Nosemonkey
3 Comments
The clock’s ticking, it’s still very tight, and deals are being proposed left, right and centre, important issues are being avoided, and the English language press is struggling to explain it all (and sometimes being deconstructed in the process – … Continue reading
April 14, 2007
by Nosemonkey
3 Comments
One of my ongoing convictions about the worth of the EU is that its very presence, and the vague carrot of potential EU membership, can be a force for good in the lesser-developed states of the European fringe – following … Continue reading
April 13, 2007
by Nosemonkey
4 Comments
Boris Berezovsky – the exiled multi-millionaire Russian businessman and opponent of the Kremlin whom “poison spy” (i.e. ex-FSB man) Alexander Litvinenko was allegedly ordered to assassinate, prompting his investigations into Putin’s Russia that ended in serious allegations and, presumably, his … Continue reading
April 3, 2007
by Nosemonkey
1 Comment
It’s not just in Ukraine that things are happening. All around Europe’s eastern fringe, people seem to have become a tad unsettled by the onset of Spring. In fact, the most stable country on Europe’s eastern edge seems to be … Continue reading
March 15, 2007
by Nosemonkey
2 Comments
And then he flew a flying saucer – fuelled only by the power of CHEESE – all the way to Pluto, where he made merry with the happy band of six-legged elephants that inhabit the former planet for nigh on … Continue reading
March 11, 2007
by Nosemonkey
1 Comment
Ahhhh… Those were the days… And it all led to this: “our armies do not come into your cities and lands as conquerors or enemies, but as liberators. Since the days of Halaka your city and your lands have been … Continue reading
March 10, 2007
by Nosemonkey
5 Comments
1) A handy short explanation of why I’ve been writing about the EU constitution here a lot recently. 2) A new bilingual blog aggregator type thing from new(ish) French news channel France 24, designed to provide an insight into the … Continue reading
March 7, 2007
by Nosemonkey
2 Comments
1) Read Rachel 2) Be aware of the usually unjustified and frequently hurtful conspiracy theories, which will only escalate without full public disclosure 3) Sign
February 21, 2007
by Nosemonkey
2 Comments
With Russia, like the US, in a two year electoral cycle (Parliamentary elections this year, Presidential next), I thought it was about time to beef up the Russia/CIS blogroll a bit, so have added a new section. Loads of good … Continue reading
February 18, 2007
by Nosemonkey
1 Comment
Bit of breaking news – a bomb’s gone off in a MacDonalds in St. Petersburg about an hour or so ago. Now I’m not much of a one for conspiracy theories, but this all sounds rather familiar… 1994 – Russian … Continue reading