If official reports are to be believed, US President Barack Obama’s recent visit to Europe covered everything except for what was actually at the heart of the discussions, namely the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)…

On October 1, Turkey and six other countries of the US-led coalition published a joint declaration expressing concern over Russia Air Force strikes against the militants in Syria. The signatories include the United States of America (as expected), the monarchies of Persian Gulf (Saudi Arabia and Qatar that were also expected to join), as well as Great Britain, Germany and France…

It is rather difficult to assess the significance of the BRICS and SCO summits held in Ufa on 8-10 July immediately, and this is evidenced by the barrage of relatively similar (though essentially true) comments. Most of the commentators are drawing attention to the fairly external, essentially symbolic, aspects. It is difficult to argue against statements that the BRICS and the SCO together are forming a new centre of power in opposition to the unipolar world order, for example, but what does this mean in practice?..

British MPs have approved the EU Referendum Bill. No doubt, Prime Minister David Cameron and the ruling Conservative Party ran a great risk putting the issue to vote. Polls say nothing threatens the UK’s European membership as the majority of British voters support it. But it’s not just an in-out vote (if it were the case, there would be no need to hold the referendum). A huge pile of unsolved problems (or even unsolvable ones) dividing Brussels and London makes the choice much more complicated…

No matter how hard President Obama tried to push the Patriot Act through, Senate failed to avoid the expiration of its key provisions. Republican Senator Rand Paul, a presidential hopeful, achieved his goal. He filibustered the vote to upstage the administration and some Republican heavy weights who wanted the global spying on US citizens and foreigners to continue. One of the hawks, Republican John McCain, said bluntly that Rand Paul «obviously has a higher priority for his fundraising and political ambitions than for the security of the nation»…