The year 2011 for Southern Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa in general, will probably be remembered for what did not happen in the light of the people-powered uprising and protests that swept across the globe. In the Arab world, in particular North Africa, what is being now referred to as the Arab Spring made 2011 a […]
This end of year has been quite tumultuous in Europe: European citizens are in the street, rating agencies threaten to downgrade the rating of some members of the Eurozone, the race to elections is going full speed in several EU countries, all this taking place in a dire economic and political climax. The political debate […]
“Here I am in Gonaives this morning after 26 years, answering your invitation, which provoked memories that are not necessarily pleasant,” declared former president-for-life Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier to the graduating class of Gonaives’ Faculty of Law. “Indeed,” continued the honorary speaker, “I’m referring to Jean-Robert Cius, Michaelson Michel and Daniel Israel, fallen almost at […]
And you thought your biggest social media worry was being defriended. Last week, the New York Times published an interesting piece on the use of social media by terrorist groups. They focused on a recent Twitter battle instigated by the Somalia-based, loosely al-Qaeda linked, al-Shabab. Their target…African Union peacekeeping forces and the Kenyan army. The […]
FPA Russia Blog Studios presents……Russia’s top box office hits of 2011 GOODBYE BREZHNEV As the traumatic events of the 90s send Mother Russia into a coma from which she takes a decade to recover, dutiful son Vova worries that any further shocks to her system might trigger a catastrophic relapse. Thus, he decides to dupe […]
The Hindu Cartoonscope and Amul butter cartoons continue to be a great way to capture news in India with humor and satire. This Year in Review presents a montage of cartoons from the two sources to present highlights of what happened in India in 2011. Reports of political scams and corruption continued to surface throughout 2011. 2G allocation, hoarding […]
As iconic personalities Oprah Winfrey and Robert Deniro traveled to Haiti on parallel humanitarian and business missions, growing insecurity stole the headlines, threatening to crush the spine of Martelly’s administration, and the spirit of Christmas with it. Merely 15 days into December, two officers of the Haitian National Police (PNH French acronym) succumbed to assassins’ […]
The Russian oil rig Kolskaya sunk 200 miles off the east coast of Sakhalin late Saturday night in stormy weather with 67 crewmembers were on board. So far, four people have been found dead and 14 people rescued, while 49 people still remain lost. The Kolskaya sunk in twenty minutes in fifteen-foot, 32 degree seas. In […]
The year was filled with missed opportunities but also promising developments in U.S.-India relations. 2012 is shaping up to be the same. President Obama’s state visit to India in early November 2010 appeared to impart new dynamism to a bilateral relationship that had been listless since his inauguration. The trip offered an effective tonic for […]
Off the east coast of Chukotka’s peninsula, winter has come hard and fast, freezing parts of the Bering Strait. Fifteen miles south of the village of Yanrakynnot in the Sinyavinsky Strait, 100 beluga whales are trapped in the ice. Hunters have reported that they are in two polynyas and are currently able to breathe freely. However, food and clean water […]
Yet another euro crisis summit is over, and yet another deal has been struck. This time, the deal has taken the shape of an intergovernmental agreement. If I am not mistaken, and I may very well have lost count by now, that makes nine summits and five deals in the past 19 months. Although it […]
Brazil 2011-2012: Vamos Lá! Summary of the past year: Well, in summary, from soaring to just plain growing. Economists surveyed by the Central Bank expect GDP to grow 3.0% in 2011 (adjusted real terms) versus 7.5% in 2010. As a recent Reuters report on Brazil puts it: “…corporate leaders, investors and government officials already express […]
Last Saturday Russia witnessed one of the biggest anti-government rallies of the past two decades. Just a few months ago the possibility of a protest this large seemed very unlikely. Putin’s confidence ratings remained high holding steadfast belief in the efficiency of a strong ruling hand over the country, although the support for his United Russia […]
Long live His Majesty King Bhumibol! I felt that this post is going to need such a qualifier. I previously lived in Thailand in 2008 as a volunteer worker with an NGO. I love Thailand: the people, the culture, the food. I hope to return there one day, and it would not do me any […]
Dear followers of the FPA blog, I recently participated in a panel discussion on Turkey’s ‘new’ foreign policy in the Middle East and the Arab Spring, for ‘The Agenda with Steve Paikin’. Also featuring Henri Barkey, Janice Stein, Atif Kuburski and Howard Eissenstat, the full video (55 minutes) of the program can be accessed via […]