Commentary
Commentary: Open secrets – and Trump’s wrath – will challenge new CIA chief
Have some sympathy for Mike Pompeo, the smiling, sharp-tongued Kansas congressman who breezed through his confirmation on Jan. 11. He's going to be Donald Trump's CIA director. He’ll also have the privilege of being a star witness in Senate hearings on links between Russian spies and the presidential campaigns.
Commentary: In a fractured Europe, two celebrations could make – or break – the union
When business leaders meet at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland this week, they will be looking ahead to some crunch days for Europe in 2017. Crucial elections will be held in the Netherlands, France and Germany. Italians may go to the polls too. Any one of these ballots could bring a populist upset and further destabilize an already crisis-stricken European Union. But in a year of great political risks, investors should also pay attention to two momentous anniversaries and their im
Commentary: Why Europe became a baby
Has Europe been infantilised? Is it now less capable than other regions or nations of determining its future with the force and strength required to preserve the coherent governance and relatively high standards of living that it’s shown since the last war? That war, devastating as it was, seemed to teach a series of lessons on how to avoid more war, grow economies and remain a centre – even, the centre – of world power
Commentary: True or not, Russia allegations will scar Trump presidency
It would be comical if not so serious. Or perhaps serious if not so tragicomic. Certainly, had an author or screenwriter suggested what American politics has seen this week, it would have been judged unbelievable.
Commentary: The case for Exxon’s Rex Tillerson as Trump’s secretary of state
President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, former Exxon Mobil chairman Rex Tillerson, faces his Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday. Having surrounded himself mostly with retired generals for national security positions, the president-elect has chosen someone with no previous government experience to be the nation’s chief diplomat. But it would be a mistake for foreign policy experts and political pundits to dismiss him for that reason.
Commentary: As Russia’s gas market gets weaker, Europe gets stronger
Europe’s Trans Anatolian natural gas pipeline in Turkey has hit a major milestone. It passed the halfway mark to completion at the end of 2016, bringing the Southern Gas Corridor pipeline project closer to its finishing point – and closer to reducing Europe’s dependence on Russian gas. If the corridor succeeds as planned, the project will bring Caspian gas into the European market for the first time.
Commentary: If the EC’s Juncker could say what he really wants...
Picture this: The president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, sits down this week to write an open letter. The new year unfolds before him in his mind. Its challenges are vast, existential. Only the truth will serve.
Commentary: A messy march of folly to Brexit - and beyond
Barbara Tuchman published her masterpiece, “The March of Folly,” in 1984. It explored what the American writer and historian called “one of the most compelling paradoxes of history: the pursuit by governments of policies contrary to their own interests.” Today she might have explored the march of folly by “the people” as well as governments in pursuing those harmful policies.
Commentary: Reading news in the age of Trump? Think like a spy.
President-elect Donald Trump is clearly antagonistic toward the mainstream media. That attitude is unlikely to change after Inauguration Day. His disdain for journalists and reluctance to release details about his finances and business ventures may force journalists to rely increasingly on anonymous sources, a strategy that reputable news organizations have long frowned upon.
Commentary: From ‘Dreamers’ to nukes, Obama still has time to make a difference
Riveting as President-elect Donald Trump's Celebrity Apprentice-style cabinet selection process may be, we should not forget that President Barack Obama still has more than two weeks left in office.
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Viewsroom: Wells Fargo stagecoach hits a ditch
The bank that steered clear of the financial crisis breaks down after creating 2 mln fake accounts. New evidence undermines Donald Trump's claims few benefit from the U.S. economic recovery. And why Hanjin's corporate capsize may prompt attempts to fix to shipping-industry woes.