| Old Saudi succession pot stirred as US sours on young prince. Too late? Posted: 28 Nov 2018 12:58 PM PST ![Old Saudi succession pot stirred as US sours on young prince. Too late?]( "Old Saudi succession pot stirred as US sours on young prince. Too late?") Growing bipartisan opposition in Congress and across America to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Saudi Arabia itself has shaken the House of Saud, reportedly emboldening rivals to push for the de-facto ruler to be removed from the line of succession. Within the family, the crown prince's detractors are seizing on the October murder of Saudi dissident and journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the strained US ties as a "now-or-never" opportunity to prevent Bin Salman from reaching the throne.
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| Letter from Buenos Aires: Soccer fan violence leaves G20 host with jitters Posted: 28 Nov 2018 12:53 PM PST ![Letter from Buenos Aires: Soccer fan violence leaves G20 host with jitters]( "Letter from Buenos Aires: Soccer fan violence leaves G20 host with jitters") Under normal circumstances, the hooligan street violence that forced the postponement Saturday of what had been billed as the South American soccer "Final for all Time" between Buenos Aires arch rivals Boca Juniors and River Plate would have remained a sordid affair among Argentines. Beginning Friday, the Argentine capital will host more than three dozen world leaders – including Presidents Trump, Xi Jinping, and Vladimir Putin – at the G20 summit of large and emerging economies.
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| Russia-Ukraine crisis turns on Kiev politics, irreconcilable views of Crimea Posted: 28 Nov 2018 11:07 AM PST ![Russia-Ukraine crisis turns on Kiev politics, irreconcilable views of Crimea]( "Russia-Ukraine crisis turns on Kiev politics, irreconcilable views of Crimea") As military engagements go, this past weekend's action, in which Russian forces seized three small Ukrainian naval vessels near the disputed Kerch Strait, was a small skirmish on the edges of a simmering conflict zone. The invocation of martial law underscores just how shaky Ukraine's democratic institutions remain, despite almost five years of aspiring to European standards. More seriously, critics worry that Mr. Poroshenko might use his strengthened powers to reshape the political landscape ahead of scheduled March presidential elections that polls suggest he has little chance of winning.
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| The power in Ukraine that keeps Russia at bay Posted: 28 Nov 2018 11:02 AM PST ![The power in Ukraine that keeps Russia at bay]( "The power in Ukraine that keeps Russia at bay") After Russia openly used armed force against an independent Ukraine for the first time on Nov. 25 – seizing three Navy vessels in the Sea of Azov – one might think Ukrainians would direct their strongest ire at President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. While the Russian attack and detention of Ukrainian security forces clearly break international norms, the widespread concern among Ukrainians was whether their own president, Petro Poroshenko, would exploit the incident to cancel the 2019 presidential election.
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