Bronwen Maddox



Profile:


Full name: Bronwen Maddox

Area of interest: World affairs

Journals: The Times

Email: [mailto:bronwen.maddox@thetimes.co.uk bronwen.maddox@thetimes.co.uk]

Website: TimesOnline / Bronwen Maddox

Blog:

Agent:

Networks:



Biography:
Education: St Johns College, Oxford: Politics, Philosophy and Economics

Career: Media sector market analyst in the City and Wall Street; Director of Kleinwort Benson Securities; Financial Times: Investigative reporter, leader writer specialising in energy and microeconomics; The Times: Washington Bureau Chief and US Editor, 1996/99; Chief Foreign Commentator until December 2010

Current position/role: Editor of Prospect magazine


 * also writes/has written for:

Other roles:

Other activities:

Disclosures: Viewpoints/Insight:

TV/Radio:

Controversy/Criticism:

Awards/Honours: Awards for investigations into Robert Maxwell's empire

Other: Prospect of Bronwen Maddox, Maddox is preparing to replace David Goodhart at the helm of the British monthly magazine – and hopes to give it 'a clearer voice, at the argumentative centre of ideas', Maggie Brown, The Guardian, 1st November 2010



Books & Debate:


Latest work: In defence of America (2008) OCLC23188641

Speaking/Appearances:
 * Bronwen Maddox live: Debate the US defence budget, Tuesday April 13 at 1pm - Join Times Chief Foreign Commentator and Todd Harrison, Senior Fellow for Defense Budget Studies at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, to discuss the US defence budget
 * Bronwen Maddox live: the Obama presidency one year on, Tuesday January 19 at 1pm - Join The Times Chief Foreign Commentator and Robin Niblett, Director of Chatham House to discuss the first year of Barak Obama's presidency



The Times:
Column name: World briefing

Column remit: World affairs - commentary on foreign news

Section: News

Role: Chief Foreign Commentator

Pen-name:

Email: [mailto:bronwen.maddox@thetimes.co.uk bronwen.maddox@thetimes.co.uk]

Website: TimesOnline / Bronwen Maddox

Commissioning editor:

Day published: several times per week

Regularity: days vary

Column format:

Average length:



Articles:

 * legions lay siege to Mubarak'' - The eruption in Egypt is partly the product of complacency, by the regime of President Hosni Mubarak and by a series of presidents of the United States - 30th January 2011
 * view: Energy problems put leaders’ resolve to test'' - The share-swap that BP has announced with Rosneft, the Kremlin-controlled oil group, in order to press ahead with exploration in the Russian Arctic makes a familiar point with new sharpness - 17th January 2011
 * is joined in cities'' - Questions about whether countries can go bust are still a pressing theme at the start of the year, but as a variation, there is now the drama about whether American cities will go bust - 4th January 2011
 * we are seven billion, what’s in store for us?'' - The balance of global power is shifting from the West to China, but don’t be too quick to write the US off - 29th December 2010
 * balancing act'' - Beijing’s economic policy, while steadier than its diplomacy, is pulled in two directions by the wishes for expansion and for internal political stability - 20th December 2010
 * the impossible'' - The euro crisis has been made worse by the many-sided refusal to face the need to write down the sovereign debt of the stricken countries, and of some of their banks. Germany purports to have recognised the problem, but has ducked it - 6th December 2010
 * shines a light into North Korea’s darkness'' - The latest missile attacks come as the Kim regime struggles to maintain its isolation - 24th November 2010
 * eurozone crisis: blame it on Brussels'' - I am not a great believer in blaming European institutions for such sustained misjudgments as the eurocrisis reveals. They are too big, too clunky in their analysis, too slow-moving; after all, what did you expect? - 22nd November 2010
 * view: Ties that bind Obama'' - For all the debate about whether the United States is a superpower in decline, its elections are still watched around the world for one reason - 8th November 2010
 * search for peace'' - It’s good news for the currency wars that the G20 meeting will be held in Seoul next month - 18th October 2010
 * on the back foot as currency wars loom'' - Get ready for the currency wars. We’ve got months of them to come, as yesterday’s bad-tempered summit meeting in Brussels between China and the European Union showed - 7th October 2010
 * really does matter'' - If Liam Fox wants ammunition for his pre-emptive strike against George Osborne’s defence cuts, he should point to the youthfulness and size of Britain’s population 20 years from now - 4th October 2010
 * leaders’ tribute to Tea Party comes with a big bill attached'' - The Republican Party’s 20-point agenda is not a “Pledge to America” but a pledge to the Tea Party - 24th September 2010
 * high price'' - The ninth anniversary of the September 11 attacks brought more questions about why America had not caught Osama bin Laden — and why a reward of $25 million had not been enough to tempt anyone into betraying his location - 20th September 2010
 * claims take shine off Brazilian superstar’s successor'' - with the first-round vote just a fortnight away, Dilma Rousseff, campaigning to take over the reins from President Lula da Silva, faces allegations about bribery among her close aides - 17th September 2010
 * of EU forces Serbia to look kindly at Kosovo'' - This is the real end of the Balkan wars — even if there are no prizes for spotting the unsolved problems - 10th September 2010
 * safer from al-Qaeda but not lone jihadis'' - Nine years after 9/11, the West’s response has dealt with some threats only to see others take their place - 10th September 2010
 * high risk of default'' - The IMF, not known for delivering doses of cheerfulness, startled many with its argument last week that the markets were exaggerating the risk of default on sovereign debt from advanced economies - 6th September 2010
 * island needs a bridge to the future'' - Stuck in the 1950s, the Isle of Wight is a textbook example of the problems facing an area needing regeneration - 31st August 2010
 * needs a new big league strategy'' - Last week China overtook Japan as the world’s second-largest economy; this week its bubble bursts? Not quite - 23rd August 2010
 * rely on Hillary riding to Obama’s rescue'' - The Secretary of State is at the peak of her game. Stepping up to Vice-President could only dent her ambitions - 18th August 2010
 * struggle to read the electoral tea leaves'' - Strategists from both the Republican and Democrat parties are grasping at anything for clues to the national mood - 12th August 2010
 * attraction of stimulus'' - Out of the dust of the battle within President Barack Obama’s team, the victors are emerging. At this point Larry Summers appears to be on top with his argument that the United States should mount another round of stimuli to stave off the threat of a second wave of recession - 9th August 2010
 * is strangling itself with green tape'' - Adding armies of lawyers to piles of environmental regulations is a disaster for America’s investors - 6th August 2010
 * virtuous are guilty'' - The question of who is to blame for the global financial crisis has been entertaining analysts — and presidents — for three years. As Charles Dumas points out in an amusingly dry introduction to his latest book, a case can be made for almost everyone - 26th July 2010
 * and Netanyahu are at a point of inconceivable mutual support'' - Relations could hardly have got worse without triggering a permanent change in the alliance - 9th July 2010
 * growth is not a given'' - What if the Budget is wrong in its assumption about how fast the UK can afford to cut costs? - 6th July 2010
 * Belgium split: small is beautiful in the EU'' - Flanders and Wallonia could go their separate ways and thrive – and Scotland could too - 1st July 2010
 * in Spain steadies the euro’s slide to the abyss'' - That’s a relief. Spain’s Cabinet backed a new plan yesterday to shake up the rigid, 32-year-old labour laws - 17th June 2010
 * bluster, more bite'' - Amid all the talk about cutting the country’s budget deficit, much less has been said about how to stimulate British growth - 7th June 2010
 * new role as hero of the Arab world'' - After Israel’s attack on an aid flotilla, with soldiers killing a number of Turkish nationals, the nation is looking to new role - 4th June 2010
 * policy on pirates may mean turning a blind eye'' - British hostages Paul and Rachel Chandler were kidnapped by Somali pirates seven months ago but seem no closer to being released - 28th May 2010
 * is time for China to take sides on North Korea'' - China must not stay silent on North Korea any longer, the problem is China’s to solve - 27th May 2010
 * holds its nerve'' - The past two weeks have delivered a vivid reminder of the intimate effects of globalisation with the euro drama and China’s struggles - 24th May 2010
 * the euro club is no longer unthinkable'' - The question is no longer whether a country could leave the single currency, but how it could pick its way to the exit - 20th May 2010
 * Kremlin is making all the running in race for power in Ukraine'' - Since President Yanukovych’s election, the Kremlin has not missed a beat in its drive to make Ukraine look east, rather than west - 19th May 2010
 * goes in where America fears to tread'' - President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is hoping to score a diplomatic coup by getting Tehran to agree to send its uranium abroad - 24th May 2010
 * likely squeeze fuels market fears'' - One worry driving down markets in the past week is that China will take steps to rein in its overheated economy - 14th May 2010
 * the Pig getting out of the muck'' - If you’re deep in debt, the Irish can show you a way out - 11th May 2010
 * fears look overdone'' - It seems that we’re likely to have a bit more uncertainty about the nature of the new government — and about how long we can expect it to remain in power. Is that really as bad for sterling as many were suggesting on Friday? - 10th May 2010
 * on Iran have failed. US must target its oil'' - No country has yet tried to hit at the heart of the Iranian economy - 3rd May 2010
 * on borrowed time'' - Even assuming that Greece’s rescue plan is approved by Germany and the IMF, it looks like buying only a year’s relief - 26th April 2010
 * foreign aid target is absurd'' - The main parties are perversely sticking to a figure that never had any legitimacy to begin with - 21st April 2010
 * more likely than action over sanctions'' - After seven months of refusing to back sanctions, China says that it will back the UN over Tehran’s nuclear programme - 14th April 2010
 * its grief, Poland is a beacon'' - The bright star of the 'EU 10' is a reminder that a series of good governments can transform a country within a generation - 12th April 2010
 * of Poland, where politics is intimate'' - The importance to all Poles of the Katyn mission helps explain why so many senior figures climbed aboard one aircraft - 12th April 2010
 * least bad option'' - President Karzai’s wild rant at America gives Barack Obama three options, none good. Well, there is a fourth — to ignore it - 7th April 2010
 * has saved Greece – but not the euro'' - The German Chancellor’s rescue exposed contradictions that will eventually kill off the single currency - 3rd April 2010
 * has got one thing right: his finance minister'' - Giulio Tremonti took Italy out of crisis and voters should thank his boss - 31st March 2010
 * counts the cost of going to war'' - President Obama's achievements last week on healthcare and nuclear arsenals indicate that the US can afford no more conflicts - 29th March 2010
 * harsh plan gave birth to many problems'' - China's one-child policy deterred the Western development community from discussing population control for decades - 19th March 2010
 * call for Obama despite the rage'' - The US believes Israel’s lack of seriousness over Palestinian talks is endangering American military lives in Muslim countries - 17th March 2010
 * deaths will focus US attention at home'' - The spreading drugs-related violence in Mexico will force the US to focus on the growing problems in its own backyard - 16th March 2010
 * on a Japanese crisis'' - Thje country’s central and local government debt together are nearly 180 per cent of gross domestic product - 15th March 2010
 * Bill is a tribute to Obama'' - The President was right to invest both time and capital on an issue that had defeated his predecessors in the White House - 26th February 2010
 * claim could be difficult to defend'' - Argentina says it has the support of many neighbours but the countries at the Mexico summit have more important problems - 24th February 2010
 * turmoil points to wider mood change'' - The Netherlands, one of the bellwethers of Europe, has brought to light tensions that Nato and the EU have tried to ignore - 23rd February 2010
 * is part of Greece’s woe, not just its remedy'' - The sight of Greece, and others, wilfully outspending their ability to pay offends many Germans, proud of their prudence - 15th February 2010
 * of hope despite Tehran’s ugly tactics'' - Plans by the US to impose sanctions alone and the irrepressible followers of the Opposition are good news in Iran - 12th February 2010
 * plausible response to Iran needed'' - Tehran’s announcement that it will go ahead with its uranium enrichment has yet to draw a workable response from abroad - 9th February 2010
 * EU should stop courting Barack Obama'' - Spain and the EU should focus on solving their economic problems rather than trying to bring Obama to their summit - 5th February 2010
 * must not give in to China's tantrum'' - The Dalai Lama argues for Tibetans’ rights, not independence. Inflammatory as China would find a meeting, it would chime with US policy - 34th February 2010
 * in tone, skimpy on the details'' - Predident Obama's budget was a tentative muddle, closer to Left than Right yet almost devoid of political direction - 3rd February 2010
 * ‘strikes at democracy' says Obama'' - Fresh blow for President as Supreme Court rules that some limits on companies donating to campaigns should be scrapped - 26th January 2010
 * currency game is the Treasury's role?'' - Do we really want the FCO, rather than the Treasury, to go into currency hedging? It can’t be in Britain’s best interests - 22nd January 2010
 * a year of reduced expectations'' - The US President may be suffering because US power is more limited and constrained than it was in his predecessors’ time - 20th January 2010
 * UN veto opens other sanction routes'' - Decision to block more action against Iran simplifies the task of organising pressure over its nuclear programme - 19th January 2010
 * crisis may well become Germany’s problem'' - The possibility that a eurozone country will get to the brink of defaulting on sovereign debt remains real - 18th January 2010
 * relations set for irritable year'' - From Copenhagen, to trade, Google and fresh spats over Taiwan, the Obama Administration will need to stay on its toes with Beijing - 15th January 2010
 * lights of hope are beacon for migrants'' - No one questions the pressure on Italy but Europe will continue to be a powerful lure for those in the poorer countries - 13th January 2010
 * in grip of a cold snap — and energy crunch'' - China’s problems with its energy resources, while prompted by the weather, go to the heart of its struggles to transform itself - 8th January 2010
 * plays domestic host in a global game'' - Conferences in London on Afghanistan and Yemen may be a good idea, but owe too much to the jostling of British politics - 7th January 2010
 * economy’ lies behind Greek tragedy'' - Greece's financial predicament raises questions of whether the eurozone can hold together if one member stumbles - 6th January 2010
 * in Yemen now impossible to ignore'' - The failed airliner attack has highlighted the nation's problems, but in reality it has been a terror threat for ten years - 5th January 2010
 * - Europe's year of drama and crisis?'' - Live Q & A - 4th January 2010
 * against time to stop Iran's nuclear plan'' - Sanctions must be pushed through quicker with only months left before Iran’s work puts it within easy reach of a bomb - 15th December 2009
 * leaves Brown lacking in European credibility'' - Failure of Pre-Budget Report to make impact on budget deficit does nothing to address the scepticism of other governments - 11th December 2009
 * Jerusalem resolution driven by anger over Gaza'' - A year after Israel’s aerial assault, its lack of humanitarian concern has radicalised Palestinians and enraged EU leaders - 10th December 2009
 * at stake in Start talks than US and Russia'' - Discussions on reduction of nuclear weapons will have implications for countries aspiring to be atomic powers - 9th December 2009
 * grasps tail of bloodied Celtic Tiger'' - Ireland’s Finance Minister is delivering a budget from a dire position, but this is a crisis that is not being wasted - 8th December 2009
 * Laden stonewalling cannot last much longer'' - Pakistan's Prime Minister may have had no choice but to deny that bin Laden was in his country but he's still under pressure - 4th December 2009
 * to yachtsmen’s release than goodwill'' - Iran does not want to provoke an airstrike by Israel on its nuclear facilities, but still wants credit at home for defying the West - 3rd December 2009
 * cannot live up to its rhetoric'' - The plan for ten plants may seem possible to an Iranian audience but it is clearly outside the country’s capability - 2nd December 2009
 * may strengthen leadership'' - Perhaps Britain has nothing more left to throw into the Afghan war than rhetoric, chastisement and an exhortation to do more - 1st December 2009
 * web of fear and hope tying down deal'' - A deal to free Gilad Schalit is proving difficult because it pulls in strands from conflicts across the Middle East - 27th November 2009
 * tests reforming mettle of EU and IMF'' - Presidential election will tests badly hit Romania’s resolve in delivering changes demanded by financiers and the EU - 26th November 2009
 * homes are risk Netanyahu must not ignore'' - By approving the plans Israel is taking to a reckless level the indifference shown to foreign opinion, including the US - 20th November 2009
 * time for action on population'' - Family planning is back on the agenda with the ayatollahs leading the way in promoting contraception - 19th November 2009
 * is right to take his time on Afghanistan'' - Those who accuse him of dithering brush aside the value to be gained by the continuing uncertainty over his answer - 18th November 2009
 * delivers a few home truths to China'' - Visit by the US President represents the perfect opportunity to raise some tricky issues — but only after a show of humility - 17th November 2009
 * President Medvedev must act on reform'' - Modernisation is the slogan of the Government in Moscow, but there is a gab between the rhetoric and the reality - 13th November 2009
 * creature paralysed by incompatible parts'' - To recruit for the new top jobs, the EU would do best to start with the urgent issues and work out who could best address them - 12th November 2009
 * should know what’s good for him'' - The abuse that Venezuela is hurling at Colombia is part of a decade-long cold war that should never get hot - 11th November 2009
 * regime supported by strong oil prices'' - Facing unrest at home and pressure over nuclear research from overseas, Iran is drawing strength from rising oil prices - 4th November 2009
 * of dollars in aid but nothing in return'' - Despite offering money and troops to help the country America has been unable to have a reliable partnership with Karzai - 3rd November 2009
 * fiasco gives Obama room for manoeuvre'' - The debacle over the vote count in Afghanistan is providing the President with some breathing space - 23rd October 2009
 * turns away as Eastern Europe loses direction'' - For too long the West has been taking the stability of Central and Eastern European governments for granted - 16th October 2009
 * in credit while Obama takes the blame'' - The Secretary of State is proving better than her predecessor and almost better than the President on the world stage - 15th October 2009
 * to change Britain's foreign aid policy'' - The call by Andrew Mitchell, Shadow Development Secretary, for a hard stocktaking is a step in the right direction - 8th October 2009
 * will decide Blair's presidential fate'' - The horse trading has begun, but the German Chancellor holds the key to deciding who becomes the new face of Europe - 7th October 2009
 * spins it to its advantage again'' - Tehran manages to buy time while making unconvincing promises about its uranium work - 6th October 2009
 * what does McChrystal want more troops for?'' - The General was right to say that ‘Afghanistan is worth it’. But he has not explained what the extra troops would achieve - 2nd October 2009
 * victory will nudge Europe to the right'' - German Chancellor will continue to act cautiously, pragmatically and entirely in Germany’s interests as she has done so far - 1st October 2009
 * must look to his home agenda'' - Although many foreign leaders may adore him, the President’s influence abroad will dwindle if he cannot succeed at home - 25th September 2009
 * diatribe hijacks General Assembly'' - The Libyan leaders 95-minute debut rant to UN delegates brought sypathetic laughter, gasps of horror and some applause - 24th September 2008
 * offers Obama chance to act'' - The US President has an opportunity to make new moves to cut energy waste after China’s bold approach to the debate - 23rd September 2009
 * US committed to West Bank freeze?'' - Questions are being raised over the US's willingness to exert pressure on Israel to halt construction of new settlements - 17th September 2009
 * is on the up, the US is flagging'' - The International Institute for Strategic Studies, a UK think-tank, argues that Israel would attack a nuclear-armed Iran - 16th September
 * exit signal end of the road for US envoy?'' - Peter Galbraith’s exit from Kabul is a rebuff to Richard Holbrooke, his fellow big American trying to cut through the Afghan fog - 15th September 2009
 * proposals could hold off sanctions'' - Foreign Minister’s proposals offer vague assent to more talks on nuclear programme and could scupper chances of UN sanctions - 10th september 2009
 * Copenhagen climate deal in danger'' - Foreign Secretary captures urgency that has eluded Brown, but Britain is short of the funds to give help to poorer nations - 9th September 2009
 * smooth talking will not be enough'' - If President Obama can be precise, and make quick, clear compromises on his wish list, then he will survive - 8th September 2009
 * victory for Karzai be legitimate?'' - The results of Afghanistan's presidential election will be open to doubt after thousands of allegations of serious fraud - 6th September 2009
 * of these hawks may be only option'' - Iran’s hardline and eccentric new Cabinet does not offer much hope that it will freeze its nuclear programme - 4th September 2009
 * nonsensical view'' - With 3,000 allegations of ballot box stuffing, foreign governments should take note of threats of violence from voters - 3rd September 2009
 * and Armenia make tentative peace'' - The agreement, brokered by Swiss officials, baldly leaves aside history, genocide or the frozen Nagorno-Karabakh dispute - 2nd September 2009
 * on paper still a crucial US ally, just has a seat in the wings'' - For President Mubarak of Egypt, this summer has given cause for unease. The release of the Lockerbie bomber symbolises Libya’s move in from the cold - 28th August 2009
 * the drug cartels is not that simple'' - The summit between the US, Mexico and Canada finds itself paralysed by questions of torture, rape and illegal detention - 14th August 2009
 * is China’s problem to solve'' - So is North Korea’s refusal to give up its nuclear programme. So, up to a point, is Iran - 13th August 2009
 * a problem that will not go away'' - Hired troops always attracted either suspicion or hostility and they have an awkward position in the modern laws of war - 7th August 2009
 * elections face many challenges'' - The ballot is set for August 20 but no one can be sure what tactics the Taleban will use and how many Afghans will vote - 6th August
 * stay? To help Afghan women'' - As ministers scale down the British mission's goals, don’t forget we are there to protect humanity - 5th August 2009
 * will confront Iran alone if the United Nations dithers'' - Another round of American sanctions against Iran is the likeliest outcome of the coming weeks of frenetic diplomacy - 4th August 2009
 * should not ignore ‘Taleban’ on his doorstep'' - Mexico’s troubles could eclipse, in their urgent call on the President’s attention, the tribes of the Hindu Kush - 30th July 2009
 * Obama is badly adrift on healthcare'' - The American President’s failure to draw up detailed plans goes too far to avoid repeating the mistakes of the Clintons - 29th July 2009
 * few good speeches are no substitute for action'' - There is a sense that Obama will not immerse himself in the Israeli-Palestinian deadlock the way that a breakthrough would require - 28th July 2009
 * saves California. But for how long?'' - Lawmakers have agreed a Bill to save the state from going bust, but its extreme democracy is proving to be a great weakness - 23rd July 2009
 * realistic on Britain’s place in world'' - The Shadow Foreign Secretary has struck the right tone in a belated Conservative contribution to the foreign policy debate - 22nd July 2009
 * over Iran election continue'' - Authority of the Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamanei is further undermined with every new challenge to the disupted poll results - 21st July 2009
 * had to be taboo in Rock talks'' - Gibraltar talks with Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Ángel Moratinosa were on condition that sovereignty was off limits - 20th July 2009
 * powerless to aid the countries in need'' - Development and aid — those are the only big subjects left to the G8. Only they’re not rich and don’t have money to spare - 9th July 2009
 * nuclear burden transferred to Russia'' - Obama's missile shield offer to Russian leaders may be welcome, although his speech could irritate rather than bring peace - 8th July 2009
 * Russia’s economic skills boost hopes'' - US finds value in strengthening relationship with Russia after World Bank praises Moscow’s response to worldwide downturn - 7th July 2009
 * threat from Iran Israel's big dilemma'' - No easy options for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu as Americans play it cool over pre-emptive strike against Tehran - 3rd July 2009
 * gamble may Middle East's last chance'' - President Obama himself is the biggest new factor bringing hope for peace in the Middle East - 2nd July 2009
 * can lead EU to a tougher line'' - Angela Merkel, the Chancellor, in Washington for talks with President Obama, will inevitably focus on Iran - 26th June 2009
 * tough words silence critics for now'' - The post-election turmoil in Iran gives the US President more options, although his tools are the same, and none is powerful - 25th June 2009
 * has more to lose in fight with Britain'' - The regime risks increasing the row to the point where Britain wants to call in the European Union and US - 24th June 2009
 * can’t ignore Europe'' - The EU governments’ new tough talk will not change the outcome within Iran but they cannot be ignored - 23rd June 2009
 * question remains: will Iran negotiate?'' - Britain and US may believe Ahmadinejad stole the election — but they will try to bring him to the negotiating table anyway - 19th June 2009
 * leads Bric's search for common cause'' - Four find little common ground beyond shared self-interest in welcoming Ahmadinejad on his first foreign trip since election - 18th June 2009
 * and clerics call the shots in Iran'' - The role of Iran’s Supreme Leader has been described as 'part Pope, part commander-in-chief and one-man Supreme Court' - 17th June 2009
 * words from Netanyahu that could mean hope'' - When the Israeli Prime Minister uttered the words "Palestinian state" in his speech on Sunday, it was a real concession - 16th June 2009
 * must raise diplomacy stakes with Iran'' - US should present President Ahmadinejad with an offer he cannot refuse to help to foment change in the pariah state - 15th June 2009
 * miscalculation over Obama'' - Did the Israeli leader think the US President would favour anything but a two-state solution to the Palestinian issue? - 12th June 2009
 * Pakistan hotel truck bombing'' - The suicide blast was intended to sever some of Pakistan's links with the outside world. It will probably succeed - 10th June 2009
 * faces opposition over healthcare plans'' - President Obama has taken on an ambitious project that has beaten his predecessors: providing healthcare to all Americans - 9th June 2009
 * of Iranian President is healthy'' - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s popular appeal may be waning but the real battle in the election campaign involves the economy - 8th June 2009
 * ‘No’ from Britain could derail Lisbon treaty'' - Elections right across Europe will sho what people think of their politicians not the European Parliament - 4th June 2009
 * Obama evades democracy dilemma'' - The President is evading the problem left to him by George Bush by giving his address to the Muslim world in Egypt - 3rd June 2009
 * optimistic about the Middle East'' - The former PM says his task has been frustrating but there was agreement in the Middle East that a solution must be found - 1st June 2009
 * must make hard decisions on Israel'' - President is reshaping US relations with the Middle East and that includes facing up to Israel over its settlements - 29th May 2009
 * nuclear watchdog has to be ready to use teeth'' - Any new head of the IAEA must take a more combatative stand on proliferation than the outgoing Mohamed ElBaradei - 28th May 2009
 * must tackle the problem of North Korea'' - Beijing should recognise that the North Korean threat is likely to come to its door and sanctions are the best option - 27th May 2009
 * closing Guantánamo Bay is complicated'' - George Bush’s War on Terror, planned in rage and panic, has left a messy trail but fixing it is politically difficult - 22nd May 2009
 * rivals line up in Iran'' - Who’s going to be the next president of Iran? It looks ever more likely that it will be the current one, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - 21st May 2009
 * Obama risk upsetting the Israel lobby?'' - The US President could make life expensive and uncomfortable for Binyamin Netanyahu. But there would be repercussions - 20th May 2009
 * poll makes peace in Kashmir possible'' - By returning a moderate, strong government, India's elections have increased the chances of Kashmir moving towards peace - 19th May 2009
 * keeps up Bond theme over Arctic'' - Russia’s doom-mongering has the air of a familiar stunt on the day of a UN deadline for filing claims to the region’s seabed - 14th May 2009
 * check for Obama's rhetoric on Israel'' - When President Obama meets Binyamin Netanyahu in Washington who will blink first over the plan for a two-state solution? - 13th May 2009
 * Iraq invasion lesson: don't do it again'' - Adviser to General David Petraeus predicts al-Qaeda will wither and die if Barack Obama avoids unnecessary conflicts - 12th May 2009
 * with nine zeros’ for Berlusconi'' - The highest financial stakes in the tycoon's split are over the inheritance of his business empire and how it is split - 9th May 2009
 * Blair's chances are boosted'' - With the Lisbon treaty looking as if it will be ratified by all EU nations, the former PM is a step closer to the top job - 8th May 2009
 * is doing well despite Berlusconi'' - Fiat’s scheme to take over German and US counterparts shows that Italian businesses are setting the pace on their own - 7th May 2009
 * and Afghanistan aid is admirable'' - When it come to aid for Afghanistan and Pakistan, you can quibble with the figures and the delivery, but not the goal - 6th May 2009
 * for business but only for the brave'' - It's not easy to make the case for investing in Iraq a day after two car bombs in Baghdad killed at least 41 people - 1st May 2009
 * Tiger ready to pounce on treaty'' - Irish anxiety about the recent collapse of its glittering economy may finally convince voters to say 'Yes' - 30th April 2009
 * must cast the right bait to hook the euro club'' - After last year’s financial eruption Iceland's passion for the EU within the new leftwing coalition is understandable - 29th April 2009
 * Ashfaq Kiyani: calling the shots'' - The head of the Pakistan Army has done an about-turn from his position that appeasing the Taleban was necessary - 28th April 2009
 * affairs can be painful for a country short of cash'' - Would you rather have a bank dragged back from failure or the Trident nuclear deterrent? - 24th April 2009
 * Obama ready for immigration battle'' - The President of the United States will have a hard task trying to sell immigration reform as something the country needs - 10th April 2009
 * must knock on Obama’s door'' - Bereft for nearly two decades of the Soviet Union’s support, Cuba now desperately needs to do business with the US - 9th April 2009
 * Pakistan is stumbling block'' - Any strategy for the Afghan-Pakistani border will depend on the Pakistani Army holding its side of the line - 28th March 2009
 * makes hard work of getting to summit'' - It’s difficult to see what this summit is going to do apart from fret over who’s committing how many troops to each conflict - 26th March 2009
 * wants influence and has money to buy it'' - A call by China's central banker for a reserve currency for the world to be managed by IMF, is symbolic rather than sensible - 25th March 2009
 * will it work? Who knows?'' - Team Obama certainly cannot be accused of inactivity, but this week's flurry of initiatives are uncertain and causing concern - 24th March 2009
 * recipe for misunderstanding'' - Russia is badly weakened by the financial crisis but its leaders are convinced that they hold a strong hand - 20th March 2009
 * is popular but unpredictable'' - Nawaz Sharif believes that he is so popular in Pakistan that he can defy his house arrest. He may well be right - 17th March 2009
 * easy answer to question of foreign aid'' - Australia has given Britain and other opponents of Robert Mugabe a tough decision. Should they send aid to Zimbabwe? - 13th March 2009
 * hasn't thought it through'' - President Zardari is provoking the same confrontation with Pakistan's judges as the one that prised Musharraf from the presidency - 12th March 2009
 * China afford to wait out this leader?'' - Anything China believes it gains from its persecution of Tibetans is eclipsed by the cost in international support - 11th March 2009
 * are blinded by ideology'' - The party's loathing for President Obama is compelling it to argue, mistakenly, that he should let big banks fail - 10th March 2009
 * of interests will come to a head'' - If the tone of the G20 summit repeats Brown’s in Washington – calling on the US to save the world – it will get nowhere - 9th March 2009
 * army must tread a fine line'' - Sri Lankan cricket team attack poses two questions: can the Pakistan army control the militancy – and will it might mount a coup? - 5th March 2009
 * Agenda: cricket attack exposes increasing chaos in Pakistan'' - Yesterday’s terrorist attacks do not mean that Pakistan is a failed state. But it has a failed President - 4th March
 * must keep poor relations in the family'' - The recession has driven home the point that Eastern European countries want more than voters in the west want to pay - 3rd March 2009
 * Iran bent on tilting balance of power'' - The row between Iran and Bahrain shows how Iran’s intention of being the region's superpower is deeply upsetting its neighbours - 26th February 2009
 * needs a special adviser – but not this one'' - Appointment of Dennis Ross as Hillary Clinton's envoy to the Gulf Region is tainted by belief that he is solidly pro-Israel - 25th February 2009
 * crisis poses a threat to reforms across Europe'' - Stock markets of Central and Eastern Europe have plunged on fears that these countries’ finances are deteriorating precipitously - 19th February 2009
 * has chance to make up for US neglect'' - US Secretary of State has been hard to define as a politician because she weaves idealistic language with the utterly pragmatic - 17th February 2009
 * an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities is not an option'' - Israel cannot afford to launch a strike at Iran’s nuclear facilities, though threatening to do it might be a useful tactic - 13th February 2009
 * Lanka must show its concern for civilians'' - The Government needs quickly to find others to negotiate with, if a new brand of rebel is not to form - 12th February 2009
 * stimulus plan hinges on job creation'' - Republican opponents have been overstated in their attacks, but the President's sprawling Bill is too messy for comfort - 11th February 2009
 * hits Iran's expectations'' - The Islamic state's uncomfortable position makes leadership highly unpredictable at home and abroad - 10th February 2009
 * leads Arctic race to claim Northwest Passage'' - The scramble for territorial rights over the Arctic, dubbed the new Cold War, will accelerate as the ice cap retreats - 6th February 2009
 * would halt Iran’s advance'' - A deal with Russia would put the US in a far stonger position to argue against nuclear proliferation throughout the world - 5th February 2009
 * tone of Wen Jiabao conceals the usual divisions'' - Human rights and economic issues remain a source of dispute despite the determination of China's leader to make friends - 2nd February 2009
 * rules on family planning will let world love Obama more'' - Barack Obama has made one of the moves that development groups say will be most helpful in combating Aids - 27th January 2009
 * should take second place to proper talking'' - Blocking off future sources of uranium ore might prevent a larger-scale nuclear weapons programme from getting under way - 24th January 2009
 * reality of closing Guantánamo Bay'' - The Bush Administration's treatment of prisoners has left Barack Obama a legal headache that is difficult to overcome - 23rd January 2009
 * US eyes Britain seems like toytown'' - The delay over Britain’s new carriers, and the fudging of the reason, is exactly why Britain’s stock is falling in Washington - 22nd January 2009
 * hands need new approach to stubborn conflicts'' - Obama is going to find it hard to unite the pack of super-envoys that he is putting together to shower advice on to intractable conflicts - 21st January 2009
 * sees its role as gatekeeper to Gaza'' - The Israeli leadership must relax its rules on allowing aid into the territory or risk further criticism of its actions - 20th January 2009
 * just shut it down – give the whole place back'' - The handing back of Guantánamo Bay naval base would be a step towards normalising relations with Cuba - 16th January 2009
 * masterclass in how to lose friends'' - Vladimir Putin has found an efficient way of converting Russia’s zone of influence into a zone of countries that loathe Russia - 15th January 2009
 * the prison is right, but is it safe?'' - Barack Obama has promised to shut the prison at Guantánamo Bay. But he does not have a clear plan for how to do it - 14th January 2009
 * still opaque on Iran'' - The President-elect's policy remains opaque, despite his declaration that his team would talk directly to Iranian officials - 13th January 2009
 * India must be patient with Pakistan'' - It is easy for India to criticise; the harder question is how to help its neighbour shut the door on radicalism - 9th January 2009
 * is best placed to broker a deal'' - Fears may be key to getting other Arab neighbours involved in talks about how to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict - 7th January 2009
 * waits for Obama to speak'' - Israel’s action will force Obama to do what he has worked so hard to avoid so far: saying how he intends to break the deadlock - 6th January 2009
 * request is ridiculous: it should clear up its own mess'' - The US should provide a home for those Guantánamo prisoners whom it cannot charge for lack of evidence or is unable to deport. That is the only way to bring an honourable end to one of the worst legacies of the Bush Administration - 1st January 2009
 * a terrible year where does Pakistan go?'' - President Zardari is a weakened leader struggling to prove his political credibility or economic competence in Pakistan - 27th December 2008 (see also: Benazir Bhutto mourners lament Pakistan's gathering gloom)
 * can help rally leaders over Zimbabwe'' - South Africa's departure from the United Nations Security Council brings UN action against Robert Mugabe a step closer - 23rd December 2008
 * plunging oil prices make Tehran more friendly?'' - Will the sudden shock of plunging national income persuade Iranians to pick a new president in the June elections? - 19th December 2008
 * last chance for the Lisbon treaty'' - If the Lisbon treaty dies at the Brussels summit because Ireland refuses to hold another referencum, then that, surely, is it - 11th December 2008
 * CIA ‘torture’ officials next on Bush’s list?'' - A blanket pardon to CIA officials would seem to indemnify illegal actions carried out for the President’s political reasons - 10th December 2008
 * faces a moral maze'' - The Khalid Sheikh Mohammed trial could easily spill into the new president's term and present him with some messy decisions - 9th December 2008
 * special treatment has cost it real leverage'' - The Bush Administration has surrendered much of America's influence for little advantage in its relations with India - 4th December 2008
 * change of tone if not policy'' - Obama picks big names whose known positions appear closer to those of the Bush Administration than many Obama followers hoped - 2nd December 2008
 * must not lose sight of the real enemy'' - The West needs India and Pakistan to fight terrorism together. Resolving Kashmir is the key to achieving this - 1st December 2008
 * has enough worries without religious strife'' - India’s secular democracy, its proudest boast, is an obvious target for religious militants - 28th November 2008
 * perverse’ denial of science'' - Mbeki’s denial that the virus was the prime cause of Aids was the oddest feature of his otherwise too-cerebral presidency - 27th November 2008
 * is not the right woman for the job'' - Obama should resist the temptation of Clinton as Secretary of State. He could never sack her - 19th November 2008
 * time is right to seek a trade in allegiances'' - David Miliband’s trip to Damascus was the public face of several years of quiet and growing contact - 18th November 2008
 * only thing wrong with this summit is its name'' - It’s asking for trouble to take one of modern history’s most resonant names and then put a II after it - 14th November 2008
 * different tone but Obama's options are few'' - The President-elect is constructing a country’s government, from what feels like scratch, but where will he go after that? - 13th November 2008
 * leaders vie to be friends with Obama'' - Second race for the White House begins as Gordon Brown jostles with other leaders to get to the ear of the President-elect - 7th November 2008
 * world won't stop hating America'' - Election of Obama does not get rid of the deep opposition that exists to the US taking a leading role in the world, and the suspicion of its motives - 6th November 2008
 * dress-rehearsal should scare the US'' - The threat that Pakistan will move towards extremism should be top of the new US president’s list of fears abroad - 4th November 2008
 * long banks, thanks for all the fish '' - Should Iceland forego some of its bitterly-defended independence and join the European Union and the euro? - 31st October 2008
 * sex on the beach, it’s time to draw a line in the sand'' - For 15 years Dubai has been both the playground of the Gulf and as a conservative Arab society. Can it keep up the juggling act? - 17th October 2008
 * blamed for being slow to react'' - he global financial turmoil cost Stephen Harper the majority he expected when he called this election - 16th October 2008
 * to the past would condemn millions to poverty'' - Global financial crisis could reinforce India’s old suspicions of capitalism and undermine its recent economic transformation - 15th October 2008
 * will not halt rise of the politics of fear'' - The current turmoil in Austria will surely only strengthen the sense of fear on which Jörg Haider traded - 14th October 2008
 * shoulder for Iceland allows rival to court new ally'' - 10th October 2008
 * over from Mandelson is no job for a Lady'' - Baroness Ashton’s real problem is that her appointment to the remainder of the post is not a job and barely even an honour - 9th October 2008
 * to show solidarity belies EU’s divisions'' - The EU’s slowness to act has merely revealed the boundaries where common interest reasonably gives way to national interest - 8th October 2008
 * built on little was always vulnerable'' - Iceland’s success has come from holding only a few cards, but ones that others do not have, and playing them very well - 7th October 2008
 * doomed to fail'' - No European government is going to use its taxpayers’ money to save the banks of other countries - 2nd October 2008
 * could the pay price as markets tumble'' - Russia's PM steered the country out of crisis in 1998 but the falling oil price could stymie his efforts this time around - 1st October 2008
 * false steps towards a debate on a topic that doesn’t matter (yet)'' - What was John McCain thinking when he suggested delaying his first debate with Barack Obama? There is no way that he comes well out of the suggestion, for all his call for a truce to beat America’s economic woes - 26th September 2008
 * tests that will spread gloom'' - This week brings two tests of whether the United Nations can do much about nuclear proliferation - 24th September 2008
 * has a difficult goal to achieve'' - Without clear borders problems faced by the government of Pakistan will persist as the country focuses on tribal areas - 23rd September 2008
 * hope for peace process'' - If a new US president is to revive talks, he will need an Israeli leader prepared to do so too. Tzipi Livni is the best on offer - 17th September 2008
 * Union right to avoid gamble on risky Ukraine accession'' - Ukraine's sheer size puts it far beyond the kind of expansion that the EU could begin to consider at the moment - 10th September 2008
 * Nato partners stop dithering on Russia?'' - Should Nato now revert to its original model: an alliance against a hostile Russia? - 9th September 2008
 * task ahead for troubled politician'' - Our greatest fear should be that Asif Ali Zardari inflames the reflex anti-Western feeling that is becoming a danger for Pakistan - 6th September 2008
 * Ali Zardari has won power – now he must use it properly'' - 4th September 2008
 * America needs a post-Bush makeover'' - The US has lost many of its natural supporters and allies in recent years. Here are six changes that would help - 2nd September 2008
 * and capitalise: Russia exploits a limp EU summit on the Georgian crisis'' - 2nd September 2008
 * America needs a post-Bush makeover'' - The US has lost many of its natural supporters and allies in recent years. Here are six changes that would help - 2nd September 2008
 * is not an environmental villain'' - A gas guzzler, yes. But America has some of the toughest green laws in the world - 1st September 2008
 * are easy, punishment is hard'' - The most likely outcome of the EU summit is a gift basket of trade, aid, and partnerships offered to Georgia and Ukraine - 29th August 2008
 * last Miliband delivers the right words'' - Democracy is the subject on which David Miliband is most fluent and in Ukraine he revealed the skill that he has not often shown - 28th August 2008
 * Zardari fit for office?'' - Court documents from Asif Ali Zardari's doctors, citing mental afflictions from his years in prison, are disturbing - 27th August 2008
 * will blink first in Zimbabwe?'' - Morgan Tsvangirai has calculated that no deal that lacks his signature is worth anything - but his plan could backfire - 14th August 2008
 * Medvedev left dangling'' - The past five days answered the puzzle of who is running Russia. Putin is in charge; Medvedev has seemed like his puppet - 13th August 2008
 * bet on Mugabe giving up power'' - 12th August 2008
 * impeachment with no end'' - In the present chaotic state of Pakistan's politics no-one can assume that political pacts will hold over the weekend - 8th August 2008
 * oil bonanza flows to tune of $80 billion'' - US agency report says Iraq has been slow to spend its bounty on reconstruction, preferring to rely on American funds - 7th August 2008
 * dispute could turn Russia against the West'' - Rise in tension over South Ossetia is getting much worse and European diplomats fear it could even trigger war - 6th August 2008
 * Iran delays nuclear discussion - Iran has achieved, yet again, what it wants: paralysis of the international wrangling over its nuclear programme - 5th August 2008
 * Early exit may jeopardise Ehud Olmert’s few real achievements - 1st August 2008
 * No comfort in the Doha failure - Farming is so politically charged that it will make giant pacts impossible until profound societal shifts have occurred - 31st July 2008
 * India deserves help as the problems pile up - 30th July 2008
 * US presence unlikely to break nuclear impasse - Sending a US official to meet Iran directly is a useful shift in tactics, but will have little effect on the substance of the talks - 18th July 2008
 * A high price yo pay - The prisoner swap represents the unspoken suggestion that one Israeli, even if dead, is worth more than a dozen of the other side - 17th July 2008
 * Harm done by US-India nuclear pact eclipses benefits - 11th July 2008
 * Little things can mean a lot in the machinations of great nations - The real value of the G8, for all the lack of grand bargains, lies in the small shifts of tone and the small decisions - 10th July 2008
 * Progress in Iran may require regime change - in the United States - 9th July 2008
 * Turkey's past is ruining hopes of a liberal future - 2nd July 2008
 * Economic implosion will do for Mugabe - If sanctions against Mugabe’s regime are the only immediately available option, will they have much effect? - 30th June 2008

