Dutch press review Wednesday 18 January 2012

  Christian Democrats are worried that ‘compassion’ sounds like an anti-government slogan, Trouw reports. The coalition partners are heading for a showdown with Geert Wilders over cutbacks. Health insurance companies have been paying for therapy to ‘cure’ gays. School grades are falling as pushy parents insist their kids should study […]

Pakistan: Hydra unity

Courtesy Daily Dawn:  ……….This actually shouldn’t come as a surprise in a country where the state has for long been active in defining what or who a ‘Muslim’ is, and that too in a society brimming with various sects and sub-sects. This has left the sects judging one another, sometimes […]

The Real Threat in the Middle East

Islamic political parties don’t endanger democracy. Powerful leaders do by Fareed Zakaria As 2011 was coming to a close, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a remarkable speech to his parliament. Assessing the Arab Spring barely a year after it had begun, Netanyahu announced triumphantly that it had failed, that […]

Nothing personal, just geopolitics: Britain bans Iran-based TV channel

Courtesy Russian TV: Britain has revoked the press license of Iran-based English language broadcaster Press TV, accusing it of violating press regulations. But some say the decision was really motivated by British geopolitical interests. The Office of Communications (Ofcom), a government-approved watchdog overseeing broadcasting and telecommunications in the UK, says […]

Syria looks more like Libya every day

By Rami G. Khouri The Daily Star The continuing deterioration of the political situation in Syria led the emir of Qatar to suggest last week that it would be appropriate to send in Arab troops to stop the killing. How seriously he meant this suggestion remains unclear. He may have […]