Well, the Iranian nuclear talks have been extended. Both sides in the negotiations — Iran and the P-5 plus 1 (The United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, China and Germany) — have agreed to delay the deadline to July… Continue Reading
The centenary of the capture of Basra offers an opportunity to reflect on the nature and impact of the first Western military intervention in Iraq, nine decades before the city once again became the focal point of British activity in… Continue Reading
The Oct. 26 elections in Uruguay confirmed the hegemony of center-left party Frente Amplio (FA). Even though the presidential candidate of this political force, ex-president Tabaré Vázquez (2005-2010), did not win 50 percent of the votes — necessitating a Nov.… Continue Reading
Computers have enhanced workplace productivity by automating calculations and programming processes based on preconfigured rules. Each rule dictates one right answer. However, computers are evolving and so are the ways we are using them. For example, consider IBM Watson. The latest generation… Continue Reading
Since its highly classified beginnings in 2012, Colombia’s peace process with the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) has advanced through different stages of visibility and civil involvement. What began as six months of secret talks in Cuba has turned into a well-publicized peace process focused on six issues: land reform, political participation, illicit drugs, victims’ rights, disarmament and peace deal implementation. Continue Reading
On October 11, 2014, five opposition groups under the banner of National Democratic Opposition Parties (NDOP) announced they would boycott the November parliamentary elections in Bahrain. The boycotting groups include the Shiite Al-Wefaq, the largest oppositional political organization in Bahrain… Continue Reading
Although the Yazidi people have only recently garnered world attention, they have been subject to a history of persecution, their roots dating back thousands of years to the Mesopotamian era. Most recently, they have become the target of the Islamic State because of their ancient religious practices, derived from Zoroastrianism, which IS believes is incompatible with their Islamic State and condemns as “devil-worship.” The Yazidi’s misery began when IS seized Sinjar, a semiautonomous northern region of Iraq and a Yazidi safe-haven, which resulted in the displacement, deaths and enslavement of thousands of Yazidis and has left the future of this minority in question. Continue Reading