The UN here says that the “war in Cote D’ivoire is over”, and apparently Gbagbo is hiding in the basement, negotiating his terms of surrender. What this political exist entail remains to be seen. But it is clear that Gbagbo would probably want a political pact that would protect him and his cronies from being […]
Blame for the outrageous protests, terrible acts and needless, heedless deaths over the last few days in Afghanistan rest in at least three quarters. There’s the individual explanation, the sociological explanation, in short the mob mentality, spurred on by this partisan and that, and finally the political explanation, which I fear is the strongest one, […]
NYU’s Center for Global Affairs will be hosting the second panel in its series on the Arctic tomorrow, Wednesday, April 6th from 6:30 – 7:45 pm at the Woolworth Building in downtown Manhattan. Entitled “Going North: Economic Development and Sustainable Livelihoods,” this panel will focus on how economic development and sustainable livelihoods can be balanced […]
Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara, a constant source of material for this blog, has asked citizens to avoid holding cherry blossom viewing parties, known as hanami, such as the one I mentioned in Sunday’s post. Amidst the rolling blackouts in Tokyo caused by power shortages resulting from the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Dai-ichi power plant, […]
It was a question Washington had been struggling with since the George W. Bush administration: How can America strengthen the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) without simultaneously aiding Hizballah? This week, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates decided that it was impossible. Since Hizballah began participating in Lebanese elections in the 1990’s, the group has steadily risen […]
The following piece was written by Ms. Donna Hakimian, a researcher and historian focusing on modern Iran and human rights. Ms. Hakimian obtained her MA in Women’s Studies from the University of Toronto. She also holds a BA in Religious and Middle Eastern Studies from McGill University. As many in the Middle East clamor for […]
It seems like the Southern African Development Committee is finally getting it as the regional body toughens with Zimbabwe’s Mugabe! In an unusual move, the Southern African leaders issued a communiqué late Thursday, scolding the ZANU-PF government for political violence and the failure to adhere to the 2008 Global Political Agreement for power sharing. One […]
Judge Richard Goldstone issued an unexpected apology, years after his biased and one-sided report indicted Israel for human rights violations after the attack on Gaza Strip two years ago. While expressing remorse for his condemnation of Israel after admittedly only knowing some of the facts, Goldstone’s apology is largely irrelevant, as the anti-Israel bias inherent […]
The Japanese Red Cross Society and the Central Community Chest of Japan have received 115.5 billion yen ($1.37 billion) in relief funds for the victims of the Mar. 11 earthquake and tsunami as of Saturday. While the central government has no say in how the funds are to be distributed, the government is drawing up […]
Readers of this blog will find there is little new to be discussed in the much anticipated China Military Policy White Paper [Full English Text here.] The paper was released 2 months late because military experts in Beijing wanted to take the time to add additional nationalist spin to give additional consideration to specific issues […]
The Following piece is written by a Yemeni-based journalist who writes for Foreign Policy Association (FPA) and, due to serious security concerns, remains anonymous. As anti-government protesters gathered up on the main square of their city, Taiz, for another day of demonstration they were met by the Security Forces. In scenes similar to those witnessed in […]
I recently watched two relatively old Soviet/Russian movies back to back, Taxi Blues and Luna Park, made by the famous Russian director Pavel Lungin, both produced in the early 1990s. Taxi Blues (1990) and Luna Park (1991) are critically acclaimed films from the late Soviet or early post-Soviet period, depending on how one chooses to […]
Before the close of the congressional lame duck session, President Barack Obama made favorable headlines for himself by obtaining the requisite Senate approval for New START—a bilateral treaty on nuclear arms between Russia and the United States. Although New START may foreshadow future cooperation between Russia and the United States (which could have an important […]
My small town of Seto in the suburbs of Okayama held a cherry blossom viewing festival today. In Japan’s collective society, even viewing the ethereal cherry blossoms is a community activity. For one week in the early spring, the scraggly trees littering the hillsides burst to life in bright tints before their blossoms fall away […]
Dr. Md. Yunus has friends in high places. Everyone knows that. Under scrutiny following a Norwegian documentary that alleged financial malfeasance, Dr. Yunus was cleared of any accusations but remains squarely a target for the Awami League’s recrimination. Under the aegis of an ad hoc rule that Grameen Bank needed the central bank’s permission to […]