Uzbekistan’s dictator turns on his own creation: his daughter

It is not unusual for dictators, especially particularly nasty ones like Islam Karimov, to create monsters among their family members, notes International Affairs columnist Jonathan Manthorpe. Think only of the plundering relatives: Robert Mugabe’s wife Grace in Zimbabwe, the offspring of “Papa Doc”

Scotland’s independence referendum: a beginner’s guide

By Coree Brown, University of Edinburgh What is Scotland voting for? Voters in Scotland will go to the polls on September 18 and answer the question: “Should Scotland be an independent country?” The result will be determined by a simple majority vote,

Tammy Wynette: Brian Brennan’s Brief Encounter

Tammy Wynette said that if she had to make a choice between husband and career, she would choose the music first. As Arts columnist Brian Brennan reports in his new time capsule piece, she revealed this to him just as she was about

Humans have the tools to avoid eco-geddon: Chris Wood

Systems approaching the brink display some common features, and sometimes thresholds give advance warning, writes Chris Wood in his new Natural Security column. They recover more slowly from disruption; “in-state fluctuations” become wilder and less predictable; conditions “flicker” rapidly from one state to another.

Oscar Pistorius and South African justice

Oscar Pistorius, the double-amputee Olympian known as Blade Runner, was found not guilty in South Africa on Thursday of premeditated murder in the shooting of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, a law graduate and model. Pistorius was convicted Friday** of unlawful homicide, a charge similar to that

Island-building Inflames China-Philippines Dispute

Pursuit of Beijing’s claim to the South China Sea is a major element in the drive by China’s Communist Party boss Xi Jinping to convince the population that the country is re-emerging as the world’s pre-eminent power, writes International Affairs columnist Jonathan Manthorpe..

Darts, bitters and Granny Admirers — Oh, My

Mature babes: Granny admirers more overt in the UK is the title of Penney Kome’s hilarious new work for F&O’s Loose Leaf column. It’s a story prompted by a startling experience in a London pub, and while title almost says it all, here is an

A Brief Encounter with Randy Bachman

Randy Bachman walked away from two of Canada’s hottest rock bands, the Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive, when they were at the height of their fame. In his new time capsule piece, Arts columnist Brian Brennan tells what happened to him next. An

Imran Khan’s sad, public flameout

Political rifts in Pakistan widened recently when soldiers expelled demonstrators occupying the Pakistan Television building; at least three protesters died and 400 people were injured, writes International Affairs columnist Jonathan Manthorpe. It’s another example of trouble for Imran Khan. An excerpt of Manthorpe’s

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