By Dan Smith

Last month Cuba and the United Kingdom signed a formal declaration to strengthen bilateral co-operation.  The agreement champions “closer dialogue and economic, scientific, technical, educational, cultural and sporting links between the two countries” and highlights key areas for collaboration including environmental issues, biotechnology, trade and investment, regional security, child protection and disaster preparedness.

By Natalia Tariq

Arecent report published by the Centre for Global Development, titled, “Beyond Bullets and Bombs: Fixing the US Approach to Development in Pakistan”, discusses how the US aid and development programme in Pakistan is not working. The report makes suggestions to revamp the programme in order to best meet the development needs of a country that is currently facing an economic crisis, a breakdown of law and order and weak political institutions.

By Asian Image reporter

Cambridge University is hosting the world’s only programme that creates an international social entrepreneurs network to improve Jewish-Muslim relations. The Ariane de Rothschild (AdR) Fellowship brings together Muslim and Jewish social entrepreneurs from UK, France and USA to participate in a unique model for conflict resolution at Cambridge University’s Judge Business School. The AdR Fellowship is the brainchild of Firoz Ladak, the Muslim executive director of the Edmond and Benjamin de Rothschild Foundations. Now in its third year, 24 social entrepreneurs will participate in this year’s programme.

By Marko Attila Hoare

Regular readers of this blog will be aware that I am the European Neighbourhood Section Director of the Henry Jackson Society (HJS), a think-tank that promotes democratic geopolitics, and of which I have been a member since its foundation. I believe that the HJS is a positive, progressive voice that has been and is listened to with respect by British politicians and government ministers, both Labour and Conservative.