The Mo Ibrahim Foundation has just released its 2011 Index of African Governance. I’d encourage you to follow the link and download to your heart’s content. For most of you the Summary will be more than sufficient. On the whole Ibrahim himself argues, “The findings of the 2011 Index present a complex yet hopeful picture […]
In a thoughtful and nuanced analysis of the internet’s role in Russian civil society (which just happened to include a few thoughtful and nuanced reflections from your humble blogger:), Radio Liberty’s Daisy Sindelar writes: “The Russian Internet, or RuNet, is the first medium in the country to come without a built-in ideological bent. And along […]
Relationships between President Michel Martelly and the Haitian press took another nosedive on October 3, 2011 as the president launched his free education program for disadvantaged children at the National School of Tabarre, located 10 miles north of Port-au-Prince. “Don’t do that,” Martelly told Germain Etienne, a young reporter of Radio Scoop FM. “If you […]
It was a strange sight at the National War College in Washington D.C. last week: A Vietnamese military officer giving a speech about his country’s national defense. Lieutenant-General Vo Tien Trung, the first member of the Vietnamese military to speak in the United States since the end of the war between the two countries in […]
Morally bankrupt movie star Hilary Swank attended the festive birthday party of dictator Ramzan Kadyrov in the Chechen capital of Grozny on Wednesday, accompanied by a number of other celebrities including pop culture oddity Jean-Claude Van Damme and British violinist Vanessa Mae. Reportedly, Ms Mae was paid half a million dollars to attend the party […]
Mexico Today, an outfit I’m proud to write for, just launched a great new interactive magazine for anyone looking to share experiences about Mexico. Right now the Mexico Today Social Magazine on Facebook is dominated by content from leading Mexico bloggers, covering such diverse topics as tortillas, infrastructure projects, and architecture. So if you’d like […]
“We have nothing against Mr. Conille, but we must respect the Constitution,” argued Senator Jean Hector Anacacis disputing the constitutionality of his candidacy. “He did not have his identification card, he has not voted, has not paid his taxes and is only someone seizing the moment to access the post of prime minister, overlooking conditions […]
According to an article by NASA scientists published in the journal Nature, the ozone layer over the Arctic reached unprecedentedly low levels during the winter of 2010-2011 and for the first time a significant ozone hole was recorded. Ozone is a molecule consisting of three oxygen atoms and is responsible for absorbing the vast majority […]
The European model of social welfare has long been accused of being unsustainable. The related but often ignored phenomena of low birth rates and aging populations have led analysts to wonder how an ever smaller proportion of workers could continue to pay for an increasing population of elderly dependents. With Europe in the throes of […]
Yesterday, the U.S. Department of the Interior upheld the sale of 487 leases to drill for oil in the Chukchi Sea. The leases were initially sold in February 2008 to companies like Shell and Statoil for billions of dollars, but a group of environmentalists and Alaska Native sued, claiming that Sale 193 violated the National […]
Compared to other revolutions in the region, Yemen has so far proven to be the most restrained nation of all. Despite the deadly violence used by the government against its people, protesters have always refused to bear arms, choosing to meet the regime’s bullets bare-chested and defiant. But after weathering its bloodiest week yet, Yemen […]
In keeping with other dictatorships in the region, Yemen’s regime decided from the very beginning of the uprising to emulate its Egyptian counterpart in the use of “thugs”, to not only create terror amongst the protesters but also to play the all-important card of denial. Although nothing in Yemen was as flagrant as the Egyptian […]
If you did not get a chance to see the gruesome images from Pakistan when lawyers and educated youths showered rose petals on the murderer of a prominent governor, you are not too late. Thousands of Pakistanis are back on the roads supporting the assassination of Salmaan Taseer, the liberal governor of the country’s most […]
Recent accusations that millions of dollars were funneled from Azerbaijan in exchange for assurances that Azerbaijani boxers would win gold medals at the London Olympic Games in 2012 have led to denials from the world’s Olympic boxing organization, indignation from Baku, and an ad hoc committee that will investigate the claims. Since the the airing […]
Julius Malema, the firebrand leader of South Africa’s ANC Youth League and lightning rod for controversy may find that his wave has crested too early. Recent polls indicate that his popularity is waning, particularly in the cities that provide so much of his support. This news should not come as a surprise. Of late when […]