The Guardian (09/05/2015)  looks at the Victory Day parade in Moscow, which as a commemoration of the defeat of Nazi Germany is an important symbol of Russian national identity, and Putin’s use of it as a platform to attack the United States for its attempt to create a unipolar world.

Nottingham Blog (09/05/2015) examines the Internet’s effects on Chinese society and the three ‘schools of thought’ of the conventional wisdom on the subject.

The Economist (08/05/2015) analyses shifts in Scottish identity, from religiously-defined to a more secular nationalist stance, as reflected by the SNP’s landslide victory at the polls.

Project Syndacate (12/05/2015) reports on the extent to which the rise of identity-driven politics is reshaping Europe’s political landscape, and examines the related debates in light of existing threats from within globalisation and global economic issues.

Maclean’s (12/05/2015) reports on the ongoing situation in Egypt, in the aftermath of the ‘Arab Spring’.

News compiled by Sabella Festa Campanile

If you would like to write a response to any of these news stories, please email us at sen@lse.ac.uk

The Guardian (02/05/2015) presents an acute analysis of the precarious balance of power between parties in Westminster.

Todayszaman (30/04/2015) reports on racist, nationalistic, and discriminatory tendencies among football supporters, with a focus on the Balkans, but seen as a pattern by no means unique to this context.

East Asia Forum (30/04/2015)reports on how multiculturalism in the Korean peninsula – although clearly different between the two Koreas – is blurred by an ethnic nationalism that characterizes society and underpins national identity in both states.

The Economist (03/05/2015)  examines political arrangements in Northern Ireland and in the Irish Republic, and analyses Irish expectations for the British elections.

News25 (05/05/2015)  examines the causes behind rising xenophobia in South Africa, its use as a tool by populist politicians, and its relationship to South African political dynamics.

Global Research (24/04/2015) reports on the implications of the statement made by Pope Francis on Nazi and Stalinist mass killings as the second and third genocides of the 20th century – having already stirred controversy with Turkey by naming the Armenian genocide as the century’s first – and its allusion to the recognition of the Holodomor as an act of genocide in 1930s Ukraine

Counterpunch (24/04/2015) takes an unusual angle to depict and define the differences between an “unabashed nationalist” and a “fascist”.

NYT (24/04/2015) reports on the latest wave of violence against immigrants in South Africa and analyses the historical reasons and context.

The Huffington post (27/04/2015) highlights a central paradox of US politics, and examines the internal dynamics of political exclusivity on a national and international level.

China Spectator (27/04/2015) takes a look at Chinese maritime territorial claims in the South China Sea and Indian Ocean and examines the significance of these disputes for other nations in the region.

News compiled by Sabella Festa Campanile

If you would like to write a response to any of these news stories, please email us at sen@lse.ac.uk

Carnegie Endowement for International Peace (15/04/2015)   reports on the situation in the Egyptian parliament today, in comparison with the immediate aftermath of the 2011 uprising, emphasizing the difficulties of the house in executing its constitutionally mandated role due to a lack of pluralism.

European Council on Foreign Relations (20/04/2015) analyses a shift in Chinese foreign policy in terms of a move from a geopolitical stance of “strategic military” to “strategic economy”.

BBC (18/04/2015) describes the enormous human cost of the 1971 Bangladesh war, and the renewed wave of violence and executions in a country which is still fighting to define its identity.

The Guardian (17/04/2015)  analyses the issue of migration into Europe in the light of Western moral responsibilities and the resources we possess to help migrants.

The Guardian (15/04/2015) looks at the almost complete absence of Wales and Welsh issues – in stark contrast to Scotland, for example – from the mainstream parties’ national political debate.

News compiled by Sabella Festa Campanile

If you would like to write a response to any of these news stories, please email us at sen@lse.ac.uk

The Guardian (08/04/2015)  analyses the behaviour of the English parties in the approach to the elections, and highlights Westminster’s irrational focus on UKIP while overlooking the SNP.

OpenDemocracy (10/04/2015) features an essay examining the semantic construction of collective memory as the basis for current identities. Verbalised memories or narratives substitute experience in the construction of a nation’s collective memory, defined around an opposition between ‘them’ and ‘us’; among others, Orientalism and Balkanism stem from this tendency.

BBC (12/04/2015) reports on Pope Francis describing the killings of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey during Word War I as a ‘massive and unprecedented tragedy’ and ‘the first genocide of the 20th century’, and on Turkey’s predictably defensive reaction.

Channel New Asia (11/04/2015) describes the former Indonesian president’s presentation at the inaugural Singapore Forum, in which he analyses ‘global seismic shifts’, their impact on the region, and the importance of Asian cooperation within ASEAN.

OpenDemocracy (10/04/2015) examines and compares the conception of use of violence for political ends as it is in the Arab world and in eastern Europe.

The Guardian (10/04/2015) reports on Catalonia’s efforts to bring working hours into line with the rest of Europe’s other economies.

News compiled by Sabella Festa Campanile

If you would like to write a response to any of these news stories, please email us at sen@lse.ac.uk