Did you know that about 6,000 British servicemen wed Belgian women and settled here after WW2? Or that Princess Margaret’s divorcee lover Peter Townsend was unceremoniously packed off to Brussels to avoid a scandal? If such things are new to you, then fascinating new research by Belgium-based UK expat Dennis Abbott will be right up…
Features
Working from Home
A European Health Union must be a union of citizens
On 9 May 2020, to mark the 70th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, New Europeans launched an appeal for an ‘International Conference on the Lessons Learned by the EU after Coronavirus’, with the aim of paving the way to a European Health Union, writes Roger Casale. Six months later, it is fair to say that both objectives are somehow…
The Party Box
The confinement has been depressing for us all and, despite an imminent vaccine, there is no end in sight. But, happily, there is some good news and that includes a few go ahead initiatives in Belgium that have emerged during the confinement. At a time of many business closures, this includes the creation of a…
‘Deadly coronavirus, domineering China and divided America: What the new geopolitics means for Europe’
New essay published by Charles Grant of the Centre for European Reform is a must read. For the third time this century, the geopolitical kaleidoscope has been severely shaken. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the financial crisis, the double whammy of Donald Trump’s presidency and COVID-19 is causing further disruption to the global order. Each of…
Albion Languages
The logistics and supply chain sector has experienced extreme challenges during the Coronavirus pandemic, writes Alistair Binks. A recent survey conducted by the Institute for Supply Chain Management found that nearly 75 per cent of companies reported supply chain disruptions in one form or another due to Covid-19-related transportation restrictions. The importance of global supply chains…
New Hope and Opportunity for Nagorno-Karabakh
It is hard to explain to my children what happened in Ganja during the last few days when they ask me about shocking images of destroyed buildings, flying missiles and wounded kids, because their education does not include hate, war and killing innocent people, writes Rufat Azizov. As a result of rocket shelling by Armenian…
A legend in his lifetime
“The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.” – Ernest Hemingway The death of Tony Mallett symbolises the global passing of old fashioned journalism. Tony was everything that once reflected what in Britain was known as Fleet Street journalism, excellence and a lifestyle that prompted the question “what makes journalists…
Regional Universities Go Global Amid Corona
By Ekaterina Tsaranok The concept of higher education has been well established for well over a thousand years. According to UNESCO and Guinness World Records, the University of Al-Karaouine located in Fes, Morocco, is the world’s oldest existing and continuously operating higher education institution in the world, having been established in 859. With international education…
Money Laundering Capital?
London, one of the world’s great international cities, is home to countless nationalities, a thriving financial sector and a diverse cultural scene. It also has a more sinister side; a property market well known as one of the world’s prime destinations for foreign politicians, dignitaries and businessmen to stash their ill-gotten gains. A recent study…