Last night, panelists from Washington Week With The Atlantic discussed the state of democracy 250 years after the Declaration of Independence and the successes and challenges of the American experiment. The United States of today is in an "epistemological crisis" compared with the nation founded 250 years ago.
The National Security Council (NSC) recently launched a series of conferences to expand the outreach of the council from ministers and commanders to other top officials. In the past, the NSC was used as a tool to advance the agenda of certain circles instead of the country's security. In 2001, President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan launched the processes to end the military tutelage in 2001. The NSC now has a focus on national security priorities.
The recent enactment of legislation in Hong Kong regarding the appropriate procedure to be followed in cases of non-national security offences involving national security considerations has spurred some to revisit the chief executive’s power to issue a certificate as to whether an act involves issues of national security.
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu replaced Özgür Özel as CHP leader less than one month ago. He wants to clear the CHP of all corruption and wrongdoings associated with Özel's administration. He is taking disciplinary action against several prominent names from the Özel camp, including the chairs of the party's several provincial branches.
Controversy at Ma's foundation has spiralled into criminal complaints and public accusations. Two of Ma's long-time aides, Hsiao Hsu-tsen, the foundation’s chief executive and a KMT vice-chairman, and Wang Kuang-tzu, a senior employee, were dismissed over alleged financial irregularities. Ma's camp accused them of distributing employee bonuses in cash and failing to properly record a donation from a Taiwanese businessman operating in mainland China. The dispute has also raised broader questions about Ma's health, political legacy and what effect all this will have on the main opposition party Kuomintang ahead of the local elections later this year.
Karam Nama wrote a commentary on MEMO's article "The cowards' playbook" about Rached Ghannouchi, Imran Khan, Bilal Abdul Kareem and Ahmed Farid Moustha. Nama misunderstands what true journalistic and intellectual courage means. He is neither blind nor indifferent to the profound suffering of the Iraqi people since the 2003 Western invasion and its grim aftermath.
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Election outcomes in California have become more drawn out in recent years. It took about a week to determine the gubernatorial and L.A. mayoral candidates advancing to November’s runoff after hotly contested primaries. The U.S. Supreme Court could soon rule that California cannot accept ballots after election day.