site.news_by_theme opinion
McCain op-ed to Russia: Putin 'doesn't believe in you'
US Senator John McCain penned a blistering column for Russian media, telling the Russian people that their President Vladimir Putin is a dissent-quashing tyrant who "doesn't believe in you."
19 September 2013
Putin: Unilateral Syria strike would up-end world order
Russia issued a stark warning Thursday that unilateral US military action could destroy world order, as the rival great powers discussed a plan to remove Syria's chemical weapons.
12 September 2013
Boxing: Australian boxer doubts Golovkin
Australian boxer Daniel Geale (29-1, 15KOs), the current IBF world middleweight champion, believes that Kazakhstan's Gennady Golovkin has never faced a real rival.
06 September 2013
Moscow warns US against Syria military action
Military action against the Syrian regime would be a "tragic mistake", Russia said Sunday, warning the West not to preempt the results of a UN probe into alleged deadly chemical attacks.
26 August 2013
Katy Perry confronts Australia's Abbott on gay marriage
US pop star Katy Perry on Thursday took Tony Abbott to task over his stance on gay marriage, telling the Australian opposition leader she would not vote for him.
15 August 2013
Syria crisis can only be solved by 'striking terror with iron fist': Assad
Syria's crisis will only be solved by stamping out "terror", President Bashar al-Assad said on Sunday, in reference to rebels fighting his regime.
05 August 2013
Pope Francis: 'Who am I to judge' gays?
Pope Francis reached out to gays on Monday, declaring that it is not his place to judge them -- while also condemning the Vatican's reported gay lobby as a "serious problem".
30 July 2013
Israelis pessimistic over talks with Palestinians: poll
Nearly three quarters of Israelis think it will not be possible to reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians even if stalled peace talks resume.
05 July 2013
Boxing: Macklin envious of Golovkin's rates and attention
British boxer Matthew Macklin believes that Kazakhstan's Gennagy Golovkin is getting too much attention.
28 June 2013
More EU pressure on Iran, Israel PM tells Ashton
Europe must take a firmer line with Iran over its controversial nuclear programme, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday at the start of a working meeting with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.
21 June 2013
Obama skeptical on major military action in Syria
President Barack Obama expressed skepticism Monday that setting up a no-fly zone in Syria or other major US military action could save lives or tip the balance against President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
18 June 2013
Art will always triumph, says Tunisia revolution singer
"Art will always triumph in the end," says acclaimed Tunisian singer Lotfi Bouchnak, who composed songs for the 2011 revolution but has since seen his profession come under threat from firebrand Islamists.
10 June 2013
Portugal 'should leave euro': best-selling economist
A Portuguese economist, whose book "Why We Should Leave the Euro" has become a rapid best-seller, says it is only a matter of time until his crisis-wracked country leaves the troubled currency.
04 June 2013
US slams Iran's disqualification of candidates
The United States on Tuesday condemned Iran's disqualification of hundreds of would-be presidential candidates, accusing the "unaccountable" clerical leadership of seeking to tighten its grip on power.
22 May 2013
Boxing: Golovkin can fight Martinez, if he wins Macklin
A fight between WBC middleweight world champion Sergio Martinez and WBC middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin of Kazakhstan may take place if the Kazakh fighter wins British Matthew Macklin, Lou DiBella says.
20 May 2013
Russia must be convinced to 'finish with Assad': Hollande
French President Francois Hollande said Thursday that more efforts were needed to convince Moscow to drop its support for Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.
17 May 2013
Bush 'comfortable' with decision to invade Iraq
Former US president George W. Bush says he remains "comfortable" with the decision to invade Iraq, even as a new spate of bloody violence hit the country and rocked politics in Baghdad.
25 April 2013
Barroso assures US of Europe's 'strong' economy
The president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, called on the United States Friday to not underestimate Europe's economic strength.
14 April 2013
Canada pulls out of UN drought convention
Canada said Thursday it is pulling out of a UN convention that fights drought, mostly in Africa, becoming the only nation to walk away from a pact that Ottawa says is a waste of money.
30 March 2013
Romney: I'm not pessimistic about America
In his first major speech since his US presidential defeat, Mitt Romney urged fellow Republicans Friday to buck up and set course for the White House, as he sought to uplift conservatives.
17 March 2013