Early this month, in one of my blog entries, I bemoaned the African Union being led by dictators and autocrats. Well, AU is not alone, Libya (of course under Gadhafi) made it to the chairmanship of the United Nations Human Rights Commission. Now discussions are underway to expel Libya from the the UN’s top human […]
Presaging the apparently-imminent departure of Michele Alliot-Marie from the Quai d’Orsay, a recent op-ed in LeMonde written anonymously by current and former French diplomats is sounding the death knell of France’s diplomatic influence. “Africa is drifting away, the Mediterranean region wants nothing to do with us, we’ve been tamed by China and Washington ignores us!” […]
The government of Bangladesh is working with its counterparts in Russia to put in a 2000 megawatt power plant in the district of Pabna. The joint move was put into play yesterday after having been accepted as a feasible policy last May. The final deal will be signed by Sheikh Hasina during a state visit to […]
Several rockets launched from the Gaza Strip landed in southern Israel this week, as extremists continue to attack civilians even though a substantive IDF reaction will likely eviscerate terrorist infrastructure and go well beyond the destruction and casualties from Operation Cast Lead. Immediately following Christmas 2008, Israel launched a military campaign to stop attacks on […]
In Lenin’s birthplace of Ulyanovsk recently, a squad of United Russia officials barged into a school and broke into the kitchen. Throwing the lids of pots and manhandling the cooks, they proclaimed the food to be not healthy enough, and warned the school to change its catering company immediately. Hot on the heels of classifying […]
Bangladesh, like other regional developing economies, has over the years taken steps to open up its doors to foreign investment. The Board of Investment (BoI) recently announced the following changes to its policy: Simpler rules and regulations for foreign companies seeking to open offices in Bangladesh Foreign workers must receive a work permit from BoI […]
Zainab Jeewanjee discusses CNN coverage of Libya’s Gaddafi and recent uprisings. She weaves that story into a larger discussion of enemy, but rational world figures operating against American interests and how understanding their political objectives is key to an effective counterterrorism strategy post 9/11, specifically in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
A former Miss World Canada and Miss World 1st runner up, Nazanin Afshin-Jam is an internationally acclaimed human rights activist and the recipient of “Human Rights Hero Award” from UN Watch in 2009. In 2008, Nazanin was appointed by the Prime Minister of Canada‘s office to the Board of Directors of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation. Born in Tehran, […]
There is no denying about Colonel Gadhafi’s support for Namibia’s fight for independence! But Honorable Theo-Ben Gurirab’s, the Speaker of Parliament, failure to forcefully denounce Ghadafi’s murderous campaign against protesters leaves much to be desired. The career diplomat and Namibia’s first Foreign Affairs Minister told the Namibian newspaper that “Namibia’s relationship with Libya will remain […]
Overshadowed by unrest in the Middle East, violent border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia flared up again this month in the region surrounding the Preah Vihear temple. Thailand and Cambodia have been fighting over the temple for more than a century. Commissioned by Kings in the Khmer Empire (based in what is now Cambodia), Preah […]
Afghanistan’s democratic gamble seems to have paid off handsomely for Hamid Karzai and all those who play private politics with him. For he must think politics in Afghanistan is a game; why else would he and his friends take the money and run? In the past year President Karzai has threatened to leave the safety […]
Is Zimbabwe ready for its Tunisia, Egypt, or (hopefully not) Libya moment? Trevor Ncube, the proprietor of M&G Media, owner of the Mail & Guardian, and publisher of Zimbabwean newspapers The Standard, The Zimbabwe Independent, and NewsDay thinks the time might just be right. A Zimbabwean, understandably writing under the cloak of anonymity in The […]
Recent weeks have seen a flurry of diplomatic activity surrounding the African Union, as the body seeks to establish itself as a major player in resolving challenges facing the continent. Earlier this month, the United States inaugurated its largest embassy in Sub-Saharan Africa in Addis Ababa, which will host both the U.S. mission to Ethiopia […]
As was universally expected Yoweri Museveni won Uganda’s election handily. With 68% of the vote Museveni easily outpaced his nearest challenger, Kizza Besigye, who won 26% in polling that Besigye (and many others) maintain was corrupt to the core. The fact that Museveni’s support in recent elections had been waning but this time around that […]
The Canadian Budget 2010 sets aside CAN $34.8 million over the next five years for enhancements to the country’s Arctic weather and navigation information systems. As part of Canada’s commitment to the International Maritime Organization, the government provides data on two regions of the Arctic largely within Canadian Arctic waters: the Northwest Passage and the […]