LATEST ARTICLES

Greece eurozone exit fears: why the birthplace of democracy needs a bit of give

Greece eurozone exit fears: why the birthplace of democracy needs a bit of give

Democracy, with all its enormous benefits and unsettling drawbacks, was born in Greece. The least worst of government systems, as Winston Churchill categorised it, democracy has been the foundation of stable, peaceful, independent and economically-thriving nations.

Russian opposition leader paid dearly for his courage

Russian opposition leader paid dearly for his courage

A few hours before bullets ripped through his body and stilled forever a brave voice, the Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was, yet again, tempting fate. Like few others in Russia, Nemtsov was willing to publicly excoriate the policies of Russia’s president Vladimir Putin, to call into question Putin’s designs and more importantly, his veracity. …read more

Anwar case a stain on Malaysia’s reputation

Anwar case a stain on Malaysia's reputation

With the jailing of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim last week, Malaysia appears to have again resorted to dubious law to eliminate political challenges. This unfortunate practice has been seen in many Asian nations: Thailand, Myanmar and Singapore are in the unsavoury line-up. All too often, the courts are used to shape the course of politics. Opponents …read more

Our security is important but our freedom is precious

Our security is important but our freedom is precious

In the aftermath of the Sydney siege and the Paris shootings, and in light of the growing might and reach of Islamic State, Boko Haram, and other terror movements, US President Barack Obama is talking tough. In his State of the Union speech last week, President Obama said the US stands united with all those …read more