Egos are a problem in international relations, Coverage of Finsbury mosque attack was a rarity, Why American voters don’t care about the Russia investigation, The world must act against the root cause of global famine, A Catch-22 for Australia’s refugees

A roundup of global commentary for the July 3, 2017, weekly magazine.

Global Newsstand

The New Times / Rwanda

The problem of egos in international relations

“Qatar is finding itself still isolated from the other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries...,” writes Richard Miller. “The timing came right after a visit to the Saudi kingdom by U.S. President Donald Trump when he ... assured [King Salman] of a new American approach ... [in] dealings for their ally.... This century has seen a worldwide resurgence of egos on the international stage.... President Paul Kagame put things into perspective when he stated: ‘There are African leaders who have the dangerous habit of leading their people into an abyss’. That statement might now apply to many in the ‘developed world’....” 

Dawn / Pakistan

Why coverage of the Finsbury mosque attack was a rarity

“For Muslims who live in and around Finsbury Park, the attack was not a surprise,” writes Rafia Zakaria. “Even while terrorist attacks committed by Muslims gain undivided media attention in the United Kingdom, attacks on Muslims are rarely reported.... [A]ll Western Muslims must face [that it] is unlikely that terrorist attacks in the West will abate anytime soon.... With each subsequent terrorist attack being perceived as a collective indictment of all Muslims ... many will likely have to leave these countries, or if they stay, hide their religious identity.”

The Telegraph / London

Why American voters don’t care about elite Washington’s Russia investigation

“Every day the scandal deepens...,” writes Rob Crilly. “And yet what ... evidence is there that the Trump campaign colluded with Moscow in trying to sway the presidential election?... Mr Trump’s words and actions may be confounding. But that is hardly evidence of guilt.... Voters ... turned against a tired elite with little understanding of the world beyond the liberal cities in last year’s election.... There may yet come a point when the scandal begins to resonate further afield but ... Republicans with an eye on next year’s mid-term elections say they aren’t hearing voters bring up the Russia scandal.”

The Jerusalem Post / Jerusalem

Why world must act now to address war, the root cause of global famine

“We are on the brink of a humanitarian mega-crisis unprecedented in recent history,” writes Dominik Stillhart. “The specter of famine looms large over parts of Africa and the Middle East.... It is estimated that more than 20 million people in Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia, Nigeria, Kenya and Ethiopia are affected by the current crisis.... No amount of aid money can overcome widespread violations of the Geneva Conventions.... States should not support those who fail to abide by the laws of war.... If conflict deepens, if polarization increases, there will be a growing price to pay.”

The News / Mexico City

A Catch-22 for refugees in Australia

“The roughly 800 refugees seeking asylum in Australia who have been patiently awaiting a response from Canberra in primitive detention centers on Manus Island (some for up to three years now), have just been told ... to pack up and get out...,” writes Thérèse Margolis. “The asylum seekers have been given ... options: to relocate to ... rustic transit center[s] ... or to return to their country of origin. Oh, but there is one silver lining for the refugees. The Australian government [is] ... offering ... to fork up ... $20,000 ... for any refugees who ... opt to return to the[ir] countries.... [O]ne Australian immigration official commented that [the closure] was ‘a good thing’ for the migrants.... Of course, that would be true if they had a life to get on with.”