Nicolas Pelham, New York Review of Books
Thirty-five years after Wahhabi forces saved the Saudi monarchy, foreign descriptions of Saudi Arabia remain for the most part remarkably bleak. The writers of the four books under review examine the domination of the al-Saud dynasty with the fascination with which a zoologist might regard a black widow snaring its prey.
Jim Wyss, Miami Herald
In a major shock to this country's hard-fought peace deal with FARC guerrillas, Colombians on Sunday narrowly rejected the pact that held out the hope of ending a half-century-long conflict. But both sides said a cease-fire would remain in place.
Isabel Hilton, The Guardian
The result has shocked many, not least President Santos. But his predecessors gave Colombians reason to hope for a better deal.
George Friedman, RealClearWorld
The world after 1929 changed and was never the same. That is true today. All regimes have shifted the way they operate, most democratic elites have been stunned by the changes, and their contempt forà the incivility of their challengersà is not enough to maintain the status quo.