Politics

By Haridos Apostolides, US Correspondent  What can be expected from Obama in 2014? The current United States Congress, one of the most powerful legislative branches of government in the world, has been the most ineffective since the dawn of the Republic. How ineffective? Of the 5,700 bills proposed last year in both the Senate and House of Representatives, only 56, less than one per cent, were made into law. Many have pointed the finger at the Tea Party as the...

by Lock Bailey Why Washington’s Oval Office never supported the Egyptian revolution on Tahrir Square If for thirty years Hosni Mubarak played the violin while Egypt burned, then the United States tightened the strings and provided the bow. Yet many Americans look aghast and astounded when they see that the anti-American government placards have been especially pervasive in recent months on Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt. The reason for the hate is quite clear. The United States has given roughly...

By John Close  This is a touchy one for some people so I feel like I should start with the disclaimer that 1) I don't in any way dislike Scottish people or Scotland as a whole, and 2) that in my ideal world this wouldn’t even be up for debate and Scotland would forever remain part of the UK. Saying that, it is an issue that peeves me off like nobody's business. I JUST DON'T GET IT! Why would any...

By Pete Ramand and James Foley, authors of Yes: The Radical Case for Scottish Independence. Some call it the dismal science.  But, of all the referendum’s controversies, economics arouses the nastiest emotions. The media, along with No campaign leaders, frame the problem of Scotland’s economic security around Alex Salmond’s personal credibility, and the tactic works.  Otherwise level-headed Scots confess they would vote Yes, except that putting wee fat ‘Eck at the helm is a risk too far: who would compromise their futures so he...

By Joe Mellor, In house Reporter Exclusive interview with Mr Cannabis on his new smoked out coffee shop dream. A man known as “Mr Cannabis” has failed in another a new attempt to open a cannabis café in the UK. He rose to fame in 2000 when he gave the Queen a bouquet of flowers which was actually cannabis. Her royal high-ness declined to press charges. Colin Davies, 56, then opened the Dutch Experience in Stockport, the UK's first ever...

By Pieter Cranenbroek, International Politics Blogger European society has altered dramatically in the past centuries, yet one component has survived the test of time: the royal family. Despite our efforts to make society fairer, more democratic and with equal rights for everyone, this symbol of inequality has proved irremovable. ‘Keeping’ the royal family cost British citizens £36.1 million in 2014, but continuing to fund the royals is a luxury we should no longer want and one we can no longer afford. Queen...

By Ollie Ward Geneva II Talks Begin The Geneva II peace talks are underway and judging by the fact that Assad’s regime and the opposition barely spoke directly to each other and the city of Homs remains besieged, expectations seem understandingly low. To describe the meeting as a shambles would be pessimistic, but not overly so. The effort to end the three year war nearly collapsed at the first hurdle when UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon invited Iran to the table, a...

By Jack Peat, Editor of The London Economic TLE editor Jack Peat talks to adventurer, inventor and entrepreneur Jaimie Mantzel about why he gave up his green card and left the US. Jaimie Mantzel’s antics range from the strange to the extraordinary. As a business and politics newspaper, securing a suitable feature on a man who once resided in the wilderness of Vermont in a four-story-high geodesic dome with  DIY central heating, plumbing connections and a  giant six-legged robot in...

By Nishad Sanzagiri Imagine this scenario: You receive a letter in the mail. You read it and you then leave it on your desk.  Just then, you hear a knock on your door and see a team of FBI agents outside. They walk in and grab the letter, take a copy of it and walk out. Without your permission, they have just taken something that belongs to you; something personal – thereby violating your privacy. In this scenario, your best...