Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

“The Chickens Come Home To Roost In Baltimore – OpEd” plus 24 more : Eurasia Review

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• The Chickens Come Home To Roost In Baltimore – OpEd
• Iran Between A Rock And A Hard Place – OpEd
• Anti-Islam Cartoons And Free Speech – OpEd
• Techno-Financial Capital And Genocide Of The Poorest Of The Poor – OpEd
• Congo: Is Democratic Change Possible? – Analysis
• Armenia Releases Opposition Activists
• Research Looks At The ‘Dark Side’ Of Cannabis
• Sri Lanka Government Promises More Facilities For Anuradhapura Pilgrims
• Neural Network Model Predicts Whether A Bank Can Go Bust
• US-Japan New Defence Cooperation Guidelines Contributes To Asian Security – Analysis
• Scientists Find New Link Between Diabetes And Alzheimer’s
• Chad: Petrol, Price Protests And Police Brutality – OpEd
• China’s Dalai Lama Dilemma: Pursuing The Wrong Path – Analysis
• The Northern Caucasus, The Tsarnaevs And Us – Analysis
• Xi Jinping’s High-Risk Policy Needs A National Security Commission – Analysis
• Netanyahu: US Alliance ‘Foundation’ Of Israeli National Security
• Juncker: If Greece Leaves EU, Anglo-Saxons Will Try To Break Up Eurozone
• Obama’s Approval Rating Improves
• Saudi Arabia King Salman Warns Iran Deal ‘Could Spark Nuclear Arms Race’
• Kerry Pays Surprise Visit To Somalia
• Can Greece Bargain Its Way Out Of A Default? – OpEd
• Discussing Islam: Western Logic Is Flawed – OpEd
• Erroneous Threat Perception Taking Saudi Arabia To Uncharted Seas – OpEd
• King Salman: The Boldest Ever Saudi Monarch? – Analysis
• Sri Lanka: Sirisena Says Buddhist Teachings Help Strengthen Moral Values

The Chickens Come Home To Roost In Baltimore – OpEd Posted: 05 May 2015 06:08 PM PDT Once again, the nation watches as prosecutors deal with the killing of an unarmed black man. “ failed to establish probable cause for Mr. Gray’s arrest as no crime had been committed by Mr. Gray . . . Accordingly, illegally arrested,” Baltimore state’s attorney Marilyn Mosby declared, as she announced the filing of criminal charges against the six officers implicated in Freddie Gray’s death. Gray made “eye contact” with Officer Brian Rice. Gray then ran from Rice, and Rice began chasing Gray.... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Iran Between A Rock And A Hard Place – OpEd Posted: 05 May 2015 06:05 PM PDT By Osama Al Sharif Recent setbacks for the regime in Syria could give an unexpected push to the UN-sponsored Geneva talks, which began Monday and are slated to last for a month or more. UN Syria Envoy Staffan de Mistura will hold separate in-depth consultations with representatives of the regime, the Syrian National Coalition and local opposition members in addition to ambassadors of key international and regional states, including Iran. The consultations will focus on ways to implement the... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Anti-Islam Cartoons And Free Speech – OpEd Posted: 05 May 2015 06:02 PM PDT According to some media outlets, minutes before Elton Simpson started shooting at the anti-Islam cartoon event in Garland, Texas that left two gunmen dead and one security guard wounded, he tweeted, “If there is no check on the freedom of your speech, then let your hearts be open to the freedom of our actions.” He was shot dead quickly thereafter, never realizing that his plainly irresponsible position—no limits on speech means no limits on conduct—was the proximate cause of his... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Techno-Financial Capital And Genocide Of The Poorest Of The Poor – OpEd Posted: 05 May 2015 05:57 PM PDT Today, the ‘poorest of the poor’ are superfluous to empire and thus the policy of genocide. The current world war between the classes has become a war between exterminators and those who would fight to survive! ‘The war and its results have turned Yemen back a hundred years, due to the destruction of infrastructure . . . especially in the provinces of Oden, Dhalea and Taiz.’ — Izzedine al-Asbali, Yemeni Human Rights Minister ‘Yemen is devastated. There are no roads, water or electricity.... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Congo: Is Democratic Change Possible? – Analysis Posted: 05 May 2015 05:53 PM PDT The presidential and legislative polls scheduled for 2016 are a potential watershed for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); they could be the first elections held without an incumbent protecting his position, said the International Crisis Group in a new report (PDF). The prospect of these elections is testing nerves on all sides of the Congolese political spectrum and has already caused deadly violence. There is an urgent need for President Joseph Kabila to commit to the two-term limit... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Armenia Releases Opposition Activists Posted: 05 May 2015 05:50 PM PDT Armenian authorities released five political opposition activists on May 4, 2015, pending investigation into controversial charges of plotting street violence in the capital, Yerevan, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday. The authorities should independently review the charges, which reflect possible interference with the activists’ rights to freedom of thought, expression, and assembly. On May 4, the prosecutor general’s office ordered the release of five members of the Founding Parliament... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Research Looks At The ‘Dark Side’ Of Cannabis Posted: 05 May 2015 05:48 PM PDT Although the use of cannabis as a medical drug is currently booming (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2012; 109: 495–501), researchers suggest we should not forget that leisure time consumption—for example, smoking weed—can cause acute and chronic harms. These include panic attacks, impaired coordination of movement, and nausea, as Eva Hoch and colleagues show in a topical review article in Deutsches Ärzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2015; 112: 271–8). The symptoms depend on a patient’s age,... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Sri Lanka Government Promises More Facilities For Anuradhapura Pilgrims Posted: 05 May 2015 05:46 PM PDT Proper facilities will be provided to local and foreign tourists visiting the historic Anuradhapura historic city in Sri Lanka. This will see an increase in tourists visiting the area, North Central Chief Minister Peshala Bandara Jayarathna said. He was speaking at the opening of a provincial tourist information centre build at Rs. 30 million in the Anuradhapura city. It had taken around 11 years to complete the building complex. “Proper facilities such as comfortable accommodation,... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Neural Network Model Predicts Whether A Bank Can Go Bust Posted: 05 May 2015 05:40 PM PDT The learning mechanism of neurones has inspired researchers at the University of Valladolid (Spain) to create algorithms that can predict whether a bank will go bust. The model was correct for 96% of the banks that went bust in the USA in 2013 after analyzing their financial indicators from the previous decade, marked by the economic crisis. The most vulnerable were those which had accumulated loans from the construction sector and grown rapidly without sufficient provisions. Since the economic... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

US-Japan New Defence Cooperation Guidelines Contributes To Asian Security – Analysis Posted: 05 May 2015 05:36 PM PDT By Dr Subhash Kapila* US-Japan New Guidelines for Defence Cooperation released on April 27 2015 marks the momentous advent of Japan asserting the right of collective self-defence as part of its National Security Strategy and Japan’s readiness in conjunction with the United States to play a proactive role in Asian security. Japan under the ‘collective self -defence’ reinterpretation of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution initiated by Prime Minister Abe, is now open to assist its allies and... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Scientists Find New Link Between Diabetes And Alzheimer’s Posted: 05 May 2015 05:33 PM PDT Researchers have uncovered a unique connection between diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease, providing further evidence that a disease that robs people of their memories may be affected by elevated blood sugar, according to scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. While many earlier studies have pointed to diabetes as a possible contributor to Alzheimer’s, the new study – in mice – shows that elevated glucose in the blood can rapidly increase... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Chad: Petrol, Price Protests And Police Brutality – OpEd Posted: 05 May 2015 05:31 PM PDT Foreign diplomats in Chad express concern about the brutality of the Chadian police force, but the Chadian military enjoys an international reputation for its efforts to fight Boko Haram and neither France, the UK or the US seems willing to do anything about the human rights abuses committed by the police. By Ketil Hansen* Chad has seen numerous popular rallies since the end of 2014. On 11 November, important rallies started in the southern town of Moundou. People were protesting against the... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

China’s Dalai Lama Dilemma: Pursuing The Wrong Path – Analysis Posted: 05 May 2015 05:29 PM PDT By Bhaskar Roy* There is a lot of talk, and writings, that China’s minorities have become a huge challenge to the Chinese Communist Party and the security and integrity of the nation. How correct is this assessment? The party leadership is convinced that the Tibetans and the Muslim Uighurs pose this threat, encouraged and abetted mainly by the west. Beijing believes that after the dismemberment of the Soviet Union, the west, led by the USA have trained their focus on China. It is true that the... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

The Northern Caucasus, The Tsarnaevs And Us – Analysis Posted: 05 May 2015 05:26 PM PDT By Michael A. Reynolds* The identification of two young Chechen males as the alleged perpetrators of bombing of the Boston Marathon has caused Americans to ask a great many questions about the alleged perpetrators.  Those questions range from the ineffable—what could drive the brothers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to commit such willful acts of violence?—to the seemingly straightforward—where is Chechnya? For understandable reasons, many commentators have been quick to downplay or disavow... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Xi Jinping’s High-Risk Policy Needs A National Security Commission – Analysis Posted: 05 May 2015 05:22 PM PDT China’s president has dominant role in foreign policy, but coordination on decision-making could be lacking. By David M. Lampton* When Xi Jinping came to power, he sought considerable adjustment in foreign and internal security policy, as suggested in interviews. He wanted to be the prime mover toward a vision of a rejuvenated China more active on the world stage, and he was less comfortable with the professional foreign policy bureaucracy that previously defined, shaped and conducted policy.... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Netanyahu: US Alliance ‘Foundation’ Of Israeli National Security Posted: 05 May 2015 05:19 PM PDT Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with a bipartisan US Congress delegation on Tuesday. The delegation was led Representative Michael McCaul, the chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security. The Prime Minister discussed the US-Israel relationship, stating “The support and the alliance with the United States is a foundation of our national security. It’s a bipartisan position. It’s also bipartisan here. I think there’s complete unanimity about the importance of the relationship with... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Juncker: If Greece Leaves EU, Anglo-Saxons Will Try To Break Up Eurozone Posted: 05 May 2015 05:16 PM PDT (EurActiv) — Commission President Jean Claude Juncker said that if Greece left the single currency area, the “Anglo-Saxon world” would try everything to break it up. Speaking at the KUL, the Catholic University of Leuven on Monday (4 May) on the occasion of the launch of the Wilfred Martens Fund, Juncker made it clear that a ‘Grexit’ was not an option, because it would be an existential threat to the 19-member economic and monetary union. Juncker, who chose French... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Obama’s Approval Rating Improves Posted: 05 May 2015 05:13 PM PDT President Barack Obama isn’t exactly riding high on public support, but for the first time in two years more Americans approve of the job he is doing than disapprove. The news comes courtesy of a new Wall Street Journal/NBC poll that was released Monday. It found that 48 percent of Americans approve of the job Obama is doing as president, while 47 percent disapprove. Obama is only one point into positive territory and hasn’t hit 50 percent since February 2013, but it’s the highest number the... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Saudi Arabia King Salman Warns Iran Deal ‘Could Spark Nuclear Arms Race’ Posted: 05 May 2015 05:10 PM PDT Saudi Arabia’s Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman warned on Tuesday that a nuclear deal with Iran that does not have clauses to safeguard other nations would spark a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. “Seeking nuclear weapons represents a very serious threat,” said King Salman during his address to the consultative summit of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). King Salman urged Gulf leaders to stand up to Iran. He called on the international community, especially... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Kerry Pays Surprise Visit To Somalia Posted: 05 May 2015 03:44 AM PDT US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived on a surprise visit Tuesday in Mogadishu, Somalia, as the nation continues struggling to restore stability after a two-decade civil war. Kerry arrived from Nairobi, where he was on a visit to discuss cooperation with the Kenyan ally in the fight against the Somali al Shabab insurgent group. He will meet with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the prime minister, local officials and civil society representatives. The US State Department did not... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Can Greece Bargain Its Way Out Of A Default? – OpEd Posted: 05 May 2015 03:16 AM PDT By Theodoros Papadopoulos* With the announcement that Greece’s impetuous game theorist turned finance minister Yanis Varoufakis has been pushed to the sidelines of Eurogroup negotiations to secure a 7.2 billion euro bailout package for Greece, markets and leaders alike have expressed optimism that a compromise can be found to stave off Athens’ looming default. While Varoufakis denies being pushed aside in the negotiating process, the talks are now largely being spearheaded by the... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Discussing Islam: Western Logic Is Flawed – OpEd Posted: 05 May 2015 03:07 AM PDT Of late, checking the news has become monotonous. Every other day, in virtually all publications and verticals of repute, there is some “expert” or the other busy discussing ways in which Islam is in conflict with the rest of world, or how Islam is having trouble dealing with itself, etc. None of these so-called “insights” are original, nor do they add any merit to the news in general. Yet, such opinions continue to remain in vogue, and are preferred by the common populace. You know, when you... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Erroneous Threat Perception Taking Saudi Arabia To Uncharted Seas – OpEd Posted: 05 May 2015 03:03 AM PDT By Seyed Jalal Dehghani Firoozabadi* More than a month has passed since the beginning of air strikes against Yemen by Saudi warplanes. Up to the present time, various analyses and speculations have been offered on the reasons and motivations behind this act of aggression. All of those analysts, however, are unanimous that, at least, one of the main goals behind the ongoing Saudi aggression against Yemen is to prevent further rise of Iran’s influence and power both in this Arab country and... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

King Salman: The Boldest Ever Saudi Monarch? – Analysis Posted: 05 May 2015 03:00 AM PDT By Ranjit Gupta* King Salman, at 79 years old, was widely believed to be in poorer health when he ascended the throne than any of his predecessors. He had been the Saudi minister of defence for six months and Crown Prince for two-and-a-half years – the shortest period amongst his predecessors. King Abdullah and Prince Salman did not have a close relationship. He was overshadowed by his three high profile elder brothers – King Fahd, Crown Prince Sultan, the longtime stalwart and defence... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Sri Lanka: Sirisena Says Buddhist Teachings Help Strengthen Moral Values Posted: 05 May 2015 02:56 AM PDT Protecting moral values along with the development of technology and the economy could be strengthened only through Buddhist philosophy, said Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena. He also said that the government plans to implement a national and international programme to impart a comprehensive knowledge of Buddhism to the people, especially the younger generation, to mould their lives in accordance with the Buddhist principles and teachings. He added that this programme will be formulated... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.