King Salman's Return to Brunei Two Decades Later

Earlier this month, King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud became the first Saudi monarch to visit the Sultanate of Brunei Darussalam, spending one day in this Southeast Asian Muslim-majority country 20 years after his first visit as the then-governor of Riyadh. As part of his three-week Asia tour, King Salman went to Brunei as well as China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia and the Maldives, with the expressed intention to boost the kingdom’s investment, commercial, security and cultural relations with Asian states, including four Muslim-majority nations. Although his visit to the monarchy in Borneo was brief, it was significant for several reasons

Enhancing proteotoxic stress in leiomyosarcoma cells triggers mitochondrial dysfunctions, cell death, and antitumor activity in vivo

Leiomyosarcomas are rare and aggressive tumors characterized by a complex karyotype. Surgical resection with or without radiotherapy and chemotherapy is the standard curative treatment. Unfortunately, a high percentage of leiomyosarcomas recurs and metastasizes. In these cases, doxorubicin and ifosfamide represent the standard treatment but with low response rates. Here, we evaluated the induction of proteotoxic stress as a possible strategy to kill leiomyosarcoma cells in a therapeutic perspective. We show that aggressive leiomyosarcomas coexist with high levels of proteotoxic stress. As a consequence, we hypothesized that leiomyosarcoma cells are vulnerable to further increases of proteotoxic stress. The small compound 2c is a strong inducer of proteotoxic stress. In leiomyosarcoma cells, it triggers cell death coupled to a profound reorganization of the mitochondrial network. By using stimulated emission depletion microscopy, we have unveiled the existence of DIABLO/SMAC clusters that are modulated by 2c. Finally, we have engineered a new version of 2c linked to polyethylene glycol though a short peptide, named 2cPP. This new prodrug is specifically activated by proteases present in the tumor microenvironment. 2cPP shows a strong antitumor activity in vivo against leiomyosarcomas and no toxicity against normal cells

Power-Sharing in Bahrain: A Still-Absent Debate

Bahrain was among the first Arab Spring countries in which mass protests arose in February 2011. The authoritarian monarchy, which excludes vast segments of society from fair political and economic participation, opted for the use of force to suppress the mainly peaceful demonstrations, but it could not expunge the protests by a popular movement that continues to exist to this day. The power struggle is occurring along a Sunna-Shia divide that interconnects with regional sectarian tensions. This article investigates powersharing arrangements as an option to deal with such deep divisions. It outlines the historical background of the sectarian tensions in Bahrain and the rudimentary forms of powersharing that have existed there in the past. It then analyses the current debate between the regime and the opposition regarding the distribution of political power. While the reality still seems to be far removed from a power-sharing solution, we nevertheless recommend power-sharing as a feasible way out of the current stalemate

Can China and India coexist in Myanmar?

For more about the East-West Center, see http://www.eastwestcenter.org/Daniel Wagner, Chief Executive Officer, and Giorgio Cafiero, Research Analyst, both with Country Risk Solutions, explain that "Even if Myanmar's relationship with China does not fundamentally shift (and we do not expect that it will), India--and other countries such as the United States and Japan--offer Naypyidaw greater leverage against Beijing by emphasizing that Myanmar has other options.

Is the Bahraini Muslim Brotherhood's 'special status' over?

For Bahrain's Al-Khalifa royals, Islamic Minbar has served as an important support bas