The Hub: International Perspectives

Pope Benedict XVI’s Abdication and Geopolitics in Its Background

Benedict XVI announcing his abdication is the first such an occurrence since 600 years. Thus, it is a precedent event, which in addition concerns a person believed to be conservative. Therefore, it has raised many doubts and resulted in emergence of possible theories about the nature of such decision.

Monday, February 25, 2013 - 07:23 By: Gracjan Cimek, Geopolityka

ANZUS and the Asia Pivot: A Fork in the Road?

America’s pivot to Asia is forcing many states in the region to try and strike a balance between their strategic relationship with Washington and their growing economic ties with China. Today, John Bruni looks at Australia’s and New Zealand’s attempts to reconcile these two imperatives.

Friday, February 22, 2013 - 11:42 By: John Bruni, ISN

Kazakhstan joins growing list of state pension grabs

Cash-strapped governments across Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CEE/CIS) are resorting to the desperate measure of raiding the pension piggy bank, which may plug budget deficits now but could leave their OAPs impoverished in a decade's time.

Friday, February 22, 2013 - 09:28 By: Clare Nutall and Ben Aris

Old Friends, New Partners: US and Germany in the Golden Age of Natural Gas

There is a new trans-Atlantic partnership budding between Washington and Berlin, one based on a mutual interest in energy security and securing adequate supplies of what will be the leading fuel powering their economies in the 21st Century: natural gas.

Friday, February 22, 2013 - 07:52 By: Anthony Livanios, Natural Gas Europe

Piebalgs urges EU countries to fill the gap on development aid

Andris Piebalgs, the European development commissioner, has called on EU member countries to compensate the aid cuts from the bloc's long-term budget that were agreed by EU leaders at a summit last Friday.

Speaking at an informal meeting of EU development ministers in Dublin on Tuesday (12 February), Piebalgs said he regretted the deep cuts to the EU budget for 2014-2020.

Thursday, February 14, 2013 - 11:26 By: Georgi Gotev, originally published by EurActiv

Managing Kashmir

Tensions over Kashmir remain at the sticking point of Indian-Pakistani diplomatic relations. In today's Questions and Answers presentation, the CSS' Prem Mahadevan explains the current dynamics shaping this 'frozen' conflict and weighs the prospects for their long-term resolution.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013 - 08:33 By: Prem Mahadevan, ISN

Interview with Sergey Komlev, Gazprom Export

Natural Gas Europe was pleased to interview Sergey Komlev, Head of Contract Structuring and Pricing Directorate at Gazprom Export in advance of the European Gas Conference in Vienna.

Friday, February 8, 2013 - 13:20

The Role of Religion in Civil Wars

Religion often plays an important role in civil wars but is it ever THE precipitating cause behind them? As he explains in today’s Questions and Answers, the CSS’s Owen Frazer doesn’t think so. He sees (and describes) an interplay of factors that drive civil conflicts.

Thursday, February 7, 2013 - 09:10 By: Owen Frazer, ISN