Shada Islam

View from abroad: Women grab the headlines — and reins of power

Unequal treatment does not stop once women are elected; they are given "soft" portfolios such as family affairs. Updated 29 Oct, 2017 09:50am

VIEW FROM ABROAD: As Trump embarks on Asia trip, it’s Europe that is really pivoting to Asia

REMEMBER the excitement triggered by America’s much-publicised “pivot to Asia” almost six years ago? There was... Published 21 Oct, 2017 06:57am

Hotheads, confrontation and importance of peaceful mediation

HOT-HEADED leaders, war and confrontation dominate the world stage. The political stand-off between Spain and... Published 14 Oct, 2017 06:59am

Europe, Turkey and the importance of reputations

The abduction by armed men of Mesut Kacmaz in Pakistan makes one think of Turkey's standing as a democratic nation. Updated 07 Oct, 2017 03:01pm

Macron, Merkel and May: Europe is getting very complicated

Britain has very sadly written itself out of the EU’s future. And neither Macron nor Merkel seem to care. Updated 30 Sep, 2017 03:09pm

Europe’s populists aren’t going away, but neither are immigrants

GLOBAL media networks are headlining breathlessly with reports on the German national elections on September 24. But... Published 23 Sep, 2017 05:58am

Who cares about Brexit now that the EU27 have ‘wind in the sails’?

AS snubs go, this was a resounding one. Setting out his vision of a strong, successful and even more integrated... Published 16 Sep, 2017 07:04am

As EU emerges from ‘valley of tears’, there’s new hope but also challenges

BY now everyone knows: 2016 was the European Union’s “annus horibilus”, the year of living dangerously and on... Published 09 Sep, 2017 07:13am

Brexit is loud, noisy and probably pointless

IT’S a noisy world — and it’s driving all of us just a tad crazy. How else to explain the chaos, confusion and... Published 02 Sep, 2017 03:30am

Happiness: it’s the real divide between countries

I DON’T know about you but much of the world today seems to be angry, unhappy and fearful. Insults and offensive... Published 22 Jul, 2017 07:00am

VIEW FROM ABROAD: Europe-China: cooperation in an era of uncertainty

AS the United States, under President Donald Trump, retreats from the global stage, the spotlight at the recent G20... Updated 15 Jul, 2017 02:45pm

It’s a crazy world — get used to it

Here are some rapid-fire key new trends: SOMETIMES a conference, a picture or even a tweet captures just perfectly... Published 08 Jul, 2017 06:57am

It’s a crazy world — get used to it

SOMETIMES a conference, a picture or even a tweet captures ... Published 08 Jul, 2017 06:57am

What is EU doing about unaccompanied refugee children?

Children are showed another side of Europe: caring, trusting and welcoming. Updated 01 Jul, 2017 08:37am

View from abroad: Rivalry, resilience and resistance: the new normal of a changed world

In this roller-coaster world, it’s difficult to discern patterns of conduct. Updated 24 Jun, 2017 09:25am

Europe bounces back, but challenges remain

The sudden arrival of thousands of refugees and continuing economic problems were the norm for Europe a while ago. Updated 17 Jun, 2017 09:34am

View from abroad: In new global landscape, US and UK head for irrelevance

This week the contrasting priorities and focus of attention in three key Western capitals made compelling watching. Updated 10 Jun, 2017 10:23am

VIEW FROM ABROAD: After Trump’s disastrous tour, Europe turns focus on China

HE had been gone for almost a week but the tremors from US President Donald Trump’s disastrous European tour... Published 03 Jun, 2017 06:59am

Summertime puts a new focus on EU-Asia ties

PERHAPS it’s global uncertainties sparked by US President Donald Trump’s volatile policies and the result of a... Updated 27 May, 2017 07:25am

VIEW FROM ABROAD: EU’s female defence ministers kick-start bloc’s hard power

LONG known for its “soft power”, the European Union is finally getting serious about upping it’s “hard... Updated 20 May, 2017 06:43am