Topic: U.S.S.R.

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Mother's Day: 10 great books for Mom

You've probably already done the classics – try these 10 books for a gift this Mother's Day.
Catholicism in Latin America: 5 key facts

Pope Benedict XVI began his second trip to Latin America on March 23, with stops in Mexico and Cuba. Here is a brief history of the Catholic church in the Americas.
8 reasons America is not in decline

As many as 70 percent of Americans believe that the United States is in decline. And who can blame them? High unemployment. Crushing debt. Political gridlock. For all the unrelenting gloom, Old Dominion University political science professor Steve Yetiv explains that America remains strong in key areas, unlikely to be superseded by another country anytime soon. He urges readers to consider these 8 facts:
5 ways Americans and Iranians are surprisingly similar

Despite escalating US-Iran tensions, remarkable similarities between their peoples have prompted some to suggest that the US and Iran could one day be powerful ‘natural’ allies.
Five reasons to attack Iran

Sanctions against Iran are tightening, including Europe’s ban on oil imports. Tehran is highly unlikely to reach a negotiated agreement over its nuclear program, says Matthew Kroenig, a Stanton Nuclear Security fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations believes. In the choice between Iran having nuclear weapons and a US military strike to prevent that, a strike is the least bad option. Here Mr. Kroenig gives five reasons the US should attack Iran.

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France's Afghanistan pull-out signals war fatigue driving European defense cuts

Disillusionment with warfare, coupled with economic troubles, has given European defense cuts strong momentum. But defense experts worry they are being made too haphazardly.
Global News Blog
Report: Russian intelligence suspects US hand in SuperJet crash

Although aviation experts dismissed Russian intelligence's suspicions of a US hand in the May 9 plane crash in Indonesia, the many unanswered questions about the crash fuel conspiracy theories. 
Death of Russian-born boy in US reignites adoption debate

A 9-year-old Russian boy adopted by US parents died in a house fire last week, reminding Russians of several incidents of poor treatment of Russian orphans adopted by Americans.
On the Eve

The focus in this book about the approach of the Holocaust is not Adolf Hitler and the Nazis but the European Jews themselves.
Keep Calm
Good Reads: on optimism, rise of a global middle class, and geek revivals

It may be easy to feel down in an election year, but between the rise of the global middle class and a geek resurgence, there are reasons for hope.
Damaged black box key to Russian jet crash mystery

The cockpit voice recorder, found Tuesday, holds the key to why a brand new Russian Sukhoi Superjet 100 crashed in Indonesia last week. The flight data recorder is still missing.
Russia should be rewarded with NATO membership

Russia should be on the agenda for NATO summit in Chicago this weekend. In spite of recent tensions, the historically fractured relationship between Russia and NATO is the most ripe for transformation. Obstacles like missile defense and Eastern Europe can be resolved.
Russian, French, Italian jobs hang on Sukhoi Superjet crash probe

No survivors have been found at the crash site of the Russian Sukhoi Superjet in Indonesia. A key question: Was it pilot error or equipment malfunction?
Plane crash in Indonesia upends strategy to put Russian aviation on stronger path (+video)

The Russian Sukhoi SuperJet 100 that went down over Indonesia is seen as the struggling aviation industry's greatest hope. The crash will cast a shadow, even if human error is the cause.
Searchers find wreckage of lost Russian plane in Indonesia (+video)

The Russian-made Sukhoi Superjet-100, on a demonstration flight, had 47 people on board; early indications are that there are no survivors. The Sukhoi Superjet crashed into the side of a volcano in Indonesia.
Mother's Day: 10 great books for Mom

You've probably already done the classics – try these 10 books for a gift this Mother's Day.
Global News Blog
Russian plane goes missing in Indonesia, dealing blow to aviation industry (+video)

The late-model Russian Sukhoi SuperJet-100 was meant to revive Russia's aging and accident-prone airplane fleet. It disappeared on a demonstration flight.
Keep Calm
Clinton in India: a gentle reminder about all that Iranian oil (+video)

The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wants India to stop buying oil from Iran, given concerns over Iran's nuclear program. But can Delhi stop?
Putin steps up to run a vastly changed Russia (+video)

The powerful protests before and during Vladimir Putin's inauguration today signal the fraying image of a Russia united behind its leader.
Editor's Blog
Russia's one-man brand

Like too many Russian leaders, Vladimir Putin's long shadow makes it hard to see the real owners of Russia -- its people.
Backchannels
One year after Osama bin Laden's killing, Al Qaeda is in tatters

While his murderous ideology persists in pockets of the Middle East and beyond, Al Qaeda as it was understood after Sept. 11 has failed.
Backchannels
Ahead of elections, Egypt's state propaganda machine rolls on

Egypt's government paper Al Ahram was the central arm of state propaganda during the reign of Hosni Mubarak. Ahead of elections, it's taking aim once again at Egypt's Islamists.
What's the Israel-Azerbaijan connection?

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman's visit to Azerbaijan underscores growing ties, including a $1.6 billion Israeli deal to supply Iran's neighbor with a wide range of military equipment.
Is Russia's Orthodox Church privileged or persecuted?

The Russian Orthodox Church's ties with the government are facing push back. Church leaders have decried recent incidents, including a punk band's protest inside a church.
Israel bans a textbook promoting Arab rights as 'unbalanced'

Israel's Education Ministry approved the textbook, 'Taking the Civil Road,' just last year but now says it has factual errors. Critics see the ban as part of a broader nationalistic push.
World's next technology leader will be US, not China – if America can shape up

Innovation drives income growth and determines global military and diplomatic leadership. China lacks the kind of inclusive political institutions like those in the US that promote innovation. But inequality and money's influence on political power threaten American innovation.
Secret Service scandal sheds light on sex tourism in Latin America

Large events like the Summit of the Americas and upcoming Olympic games in Brazil can drive up the demand for prostitution and sex trafficking.
Backchannels
Afghanistan: overinterpreting the Kabul attack

A coordinated attack in the heart of Kabul - which coincided with attacks in three other provinces - isn't a good thing. But sign of imminent defeat or victory? Hardly.
Imagining Cuba after Chávez

Venezuela provides Cuba with up to $15 billion a year, which helps offset the US embargo. But there is the real possibility Chávez may not win or survive another six-year term as president.
Militaries vie for Arctic edge as ice cap melts

By Arctic standards, the region is already buzzing with military activity, and experts believe that will increase significantly in the years ahead.