海角大神

The Globe and Mail / Toronto

Canada鈥檚 frustrating year dealing with the Trump administration

鈥淚n dealing with the Trump administration, it鈥檚 been a year of frustration for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cast. Try as they might ... they haven鈥檛 been heard...,鈥� . 鈥淲here Ottawa鈥檚 exasperation lies is in trying to locate where, on any given day of the week, Mr. Trump鈥檚 head is situated. The North American free-trade agreement zigzags offer an example.... Frustration anyone? How is the Prime Minister supposed to deal with a President whose modus operandi is the hairpin turn?... It鈥檚 not all bad. The Keystone XL pipeline favoured by Mr. Trudeau was given the go ahead.... A big plus for Canada is the high-flying economy over which Mr. Trump presides, making American markets for the northern neighbour more bounteous....鈥�

The Guardian / London

Why the West is culpable for untold suffering in Yemen

鈥淸Saudi Arabia鈥檚] Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is on quite the shopping spree: a $500m yacht here, a $450m Leonardo da Vinci painting here,鈥� . 鈥淎s this despot showers himself in decadent luxury, the children of Yemen are starving as Saudi bombs ... destroy the country. It is one of the greatest crimes on earth, so it is welcome that [on Dec. 19] 350 high-profile figures 鈥� Nobel peace prize laureates and celebrities among them 鈥� have signed a letter demanding the leaders of France, the US and the UK stop 鈥榮toking the flames of war鈥�. The barbarous Saudi regime is being armed and supported by the west as it pummels Yemen.鈥�

The Jordan Times / Amman, Jordan

The new year calls for a pivot in anti-Islamic State strategy

鈥淭he year 2017 will be looked upon as setting a crucial milestone in the long and costly war against jihadists and in particular the self-proclaimed 鈥榗aliphate鈥� of [Islamic State],鈥� . 鈥淚n the past few weeks there has been a number of celebratory events 鈥� all marking the defeat of this brutal cult.... But is it too early to sign the death certificate of one of the most enigmatic and radical takfiri groups in recent history?... [W]hile the so-called 鈥榗aliphate鈥� no longer exists, the brand continues to linger.... 2018 should be the year that sees the beginning of the defeat of the dogma that continues to appeal to disenfranchised young men and women.鈥�

Al Jazeera / Doha, Qatar

President Trump鈥檚 National Security Strategy is devoid of direction

鈥淸President] Trump鈥檚 assertions [in his speech about the National Security Strategy Dec. 18] about renewed US respectability and influence around the world seem laughable...,鈥� . 鈥淭rump鈥檚 doctrine reveals a zero-sum vision that leads to a zero-sum strategy: Us vs them. It is a vision of an alien world that鈥檚 hostile to US interests, a vision that led the US to pull out of the Paris Climate accords, from UNESCO, and from the Trans-Pacific partnership, among others.... President Trump has advanced a three-tier strategy to protect the homeland, promote American prosperity, and preserve peace through strength. But his logic is populist, his style antagonistic, and his policy is belligerent.... In sum, Trump has embraced a hyperrealist foreign policy and sees no real value in universal values.鈥�

The Hindu / Chennai, India

Chile鈥檚 new president faces a balancing act聽

鈥淭he election of the centre-right Sebasti谩n Pi帽era as Chile鈥檚 President in a run-off [Dec. 17] comes at a critical juncture, with the country鈥檚 political boundaries in the post-Pinochet era being redrawn...,鈥� . 鈥淢r. Pi帽era鈥檚 victory raises expectations of the country鈥檚 return to the robust economic performance of his previous term during 2010-14.... Economic consolidation is a critical priority in Latin America, still reeling under the effects of the plummeting commodities markets in recent years. But governments may not be able to ignore demands that the fruits of growth be distributed evenly.鈥澛�