Chechnya Blowback: West gets what it paid for
When you make a Faustian Bargain, there always comes a time to pay up, as the United States and its sidekicks are finding out
War in the East: How Khalkhin-Gol changed the course of WWII
In 1939 an unknown general named Georgy Zhukov trounced Japan at the Battle of Khalkhin-Gol in the Mongolian steppes, changing the trajectory of Japanese expansionism towards Pearl Harbour and Europe’s Asian colonies
Stalin: Not so steely in World War II
Joseph Stalin’s indecision and blunders in the weeks leading up to the German invasion in June 1941 paralysed the Russian armed forces and nearly cost his country the war
E-bomb – The real doomsday weapon
Electromagnetic pulse weapons that can paralyse a country in a nanosecond are already in the possession of several states. By 2015, North Korea is likely to acquire one. If you are not sweating, check your pulse
Colours of corruption – More than you think
While emerging countries like India and Russia admit graft is a huge problem, in the West they tend to dismiss it as a Third World disease
The man who won the race to the stars
Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, enjoyed rock star status before the term rock star was coined
Why Australia should scratch the F-35 and fly Sukhois
The F-35 Lighting was the first choice of the Australian air force. But several thunderbolts have struck the stealth aircraft, including the arrival of new generation Sukhois that are skewing the odds against the Australians
Tango in space: Choose your partner carefully
A number of countries are looking for partners in space. Here’s why India and Russia have the synergies that others lack
Mobster’s paradise: Why Britain remains a haven for the bad guys
Britain has been acting like a state sponsor of criminal fugitives like Boris Berezovsky for decades
Why Europe planned the Great Cyprus Bank Robbery
The unprecedented and steep deposit tax the EU wants to shove down Cyprus’ throat will shave over $3 billion in Russian assets. These are legitimate funds and not a mafia stash as some like to believe
Show me the Evil Empire
Thirty years after Ronald Reagan called the Soviet Union an evil empire, the description is boomeranging on the United States today
Chavez and the art of diplomatic ambush
By punching way above his weight, the late Venezuelan leader showed that countries like Russia and India, with vastly more influence, can do a lot more in shaping the world around us
Sukhois shift the balance of power in the Asia-Pacific
The Australians are attempting to take evasive action against the threat posed by the Sukhoi Flanker in Southeast Asia
Can the BRICS rule in a world without the West?
Jim O’Neil, the Goldman Sachs economist, who coined the term BRIC, has walked away into retirement, but the alliance he allegedly sparked remains standing. How realistic are its chances of establishing a new world order?
Steroids for success: Who’s pumping up?
Reports of large scale doping by Australian athletes and the fall from grace of American cycling legend Lance Armstrong show that drug abuse is rampant in places once thought to be kosher
Spaced out Russia needs another Sputnik movement
Once the leading space faring nation, Russia is reduced to ferrying cargo for other space agencies. Do the Russians have it in them to make a spectacular comeback?
Stalingrad – What happened inside the cauldron
Courage, toughness and weapons were peripheral factors in the Battle of Stalingrad. It was the tactical superiority of the Russian soldier in a range of environments that was the key to the Russian victory
Goldman Sachs and the dark days of Russia
The return of Goldman Sachs to Russia is a throwback to the dark days of the early 1990s when Western advisors played a catalytic role in the collapse of the Russian economy
Stopping the madness in the Middle East
In the backdrop of the meltdown in Mali, Russia’s struggle to save stable Middle Eastern regimes from Western-backed fundamentalists is matched only by the West’s attempts to create more Libyas in the volatile region
The hunt for Red October
Red October not only exposes the vulnerability of India’s national security, it reveals the new reality in cyber espionage – amateur hour is over and the professionals hired by nation states have taken over