The world is changing. The weather is becoming more volatile, with the number of extreme weather events on the rise. Climate change represents the new normal: the Earth is already showing the impacts of our actions, which will continue to become more visible.
The third cease fire in Ukraine had a rocky start, but today the German foreign minister noted that tensions have calmed. The top NATO military commander, US Air Force General Breedlove agreed earlier today that there has been a “definite decrease” in fighting. Both sides have withdrawn some weapons. He noted that the past two cease fires were used to rearm and prepare for additional action.
The European Union is making a push to raise its profile in two trouble spots in the South Caucasus, Abkhazia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Brussels insists its forays in the region are nothing more than routine diplomacy. But some observers believe the EU is hoping to push back against Russia’s troublemaking in Ukraine.
The opening EU diplomatic thrust was aimed at Abkhazia, a Black Sea territory that broke free from Georgia in 1993. It remains financially dependent on Russian subsidies to maintain a semblance of self-government.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. Such milestones offer an opportunity to reflect on the progress made and the steps needed to ensure that such tragic events are never repeated.
German Chancellor Merkel visited the Vatican over the weekend. Consistent with the diplomatic practice, they exchanged gifts. The Chancellor gave to the Pope a Bach CD and a donation for refugee children. Pope Francis gave Merkel a medal with a picture of St.Martin giving his coat to the poor.
On a normal Friday, Kara-Suu’s Al-Sarahsiy Mosque is packed with thousands of worshipers from across southern Kyrgyzstan. They come to this town of 20,000 to listen to the sermons of Rashot Kamalov, the mosque’s charismatic imam. Kamalov is respected for criticizing brutal and corrupt officials, society’s moral decline and Western pop culture.
As banks slowly approach the age of digitalization they already seem to be facing tough challenges that are related to their own systems’ security. Banks have been victims to many cyber crimes but so far the crimes had been related to hacking into customers’ accounts. The shift from hacking customers’ accounts to hacking banks’ systems seems to be one of the latest and perhaps the biggest and quietest cyber crimes. In the past, bank robberies might not have been so planned and professional but with changes in technology, even cyber crimes seem to keep up.
Anti-prostitution campaigners have made grand statements about the effectiveness of Sweden’s hugely influential approach to prostitution. However, researchers say the claims are grossly exaggerated and the law has put sex workers in greater danger.
The turmoil of 2014 was a timely reminder to businesses that they need to be prepared and have contingency plans for global conflict. The crisis in Ukraine brought Russia and the West to the brink of military confrontation; relations between Japan and China became more fraught; and the year ended with the US and North Korea in something approaching what headline writers like to call “cyber war”.
A new government crackdown is targeting lawyers abusing an investment visa program.
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission announced it is pursuing an investigation against business owners and lawyers who the SEC claims are running “fraudulent investment scams” to exploit a little-known visa program that awards U.S. residency to wealthy foreigners.
