The New York Times’ journalism on Afghanistan is nothing short of a heroic record. Consider Dexter Filkin’s investigative journalism and then, think no more. But today, the series of photographs and story it published on the endemic incidence of self-immolation among women in Afghanistan is something beyond note, and approbation. It is revelatory and within […]
A proposition for major cuts on the uniformed and civilian division of the German army has been suggested to the German Defense minister, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg by an expert commission. The plan would be to downgrade the Bundeswehr from 250.000 to 180.000. Mr. zu Guttenberg has been calling for cutting military spending by professionalizing the […]
I was honoured to have had my Khodorkovsky = Kurils post savaged by no less a man than Anatoly Karlin at Sublime Oblivion, and no snark intended! While Anatoly may be a more incisive and high profile blogger than I, we both come from the broadly defined ‘left’ with a desire to correct the various […]
The IMF delegation led by Mr. Adnan Mazerei met Pakistani authorities to discuss IMF’s Stand-by-Arrangement to patch together economic aid and assistance to Pakistan as it builds out of the recent summer floods. A press release was put out by the mission. It reads, in part: “Progress has been made regarding the measures to be […]
This is nothing new per se of course, it has been argued before that European integration proceeds only when faced with an important obstacle. In that sense once again the financial crises have led to a number of heretofore unimaginable cooperative steps of governments giving up national sovereignty. The French President Sarkozy has proposed an […]
In recent days there’s been a lot of chatter in the Arab world and around the Middle East about Iran as an agressor and general havoc-wreaker in the region. Yesterday, Mahmoud Abbas accused Iran of stalling the peace process and using local Islamic Elements, i.e. Hamas, Islamic Jihad of accomplishing its goals. Today, Saudi Prince Turki […]
Update: Hat tip to Michael Turton… “The Japanese coastguard video of the encounter with the Chinese fishing boat and the two minor collisions has now been leaked to Youtube. It’s 46 minutes in all – not the 7 minute edited version shown to the 30 members of the Diet. The Government (or someone) had the […]
This is a fine thing: Rushanara Ali, the Labour MP from Bethnal Green and Bow (and the Shadow Minister for international development) met the two opposing leaders of the two major parties in Bangladesh. She declared that the ruling Conservative government would not cut its financial assistance to Bangladesh. Ms. Ali and the Prime Minister […]
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu ranked 24th on Forbes most powerful person list released yesterday. The magazine wrote: “Second-term hawk insists he’s committed to permanent Palestinian peace treaty, but prospects for peace diminishing. Between a rock and a hard place: Losing political capital abroad after snubbing Obama’s recent call to freeze Jewish settlements. Facing rebellion […]
The latest World Bank economic data are now available and they indicate a strong, growing economy for a stronger, more prosperous Bangladesh. The politics seem to be catching up, though some dark clouds yet remain on the horizon. At 5.8% annual growth, the Bangladeshi economy outpaced the U.S economy’s growth, itself at a startlingly weak […]
The EU is none too fond of referendums. As most will recall, it was the pesky public and its fear of all things Brussels that sunk the EU Constitution Treaty, which, after considerable wrangling, was adopted in a revised version as the Treaty of Lisbon. Following the announcement by European leaders of the European Council’s […]
I am pleased to announce that I have begun a new regular gig writing about African affairs for the Zurich-based International Relations and Security Network (ISN). I will be contributing to their ISN Insights. My first piece for them, which is on the state of the African National Congress, has been posted. [Crossposted at dcat.]
I’m working on a piece on the elections across Africa but here is a quick roundup: After a turning out in record numbers in Ivory Coast’s presidential elections voters will return to the polls on November 28 for a second round of polling after no candidate successfully reached the 50% threshold. The country’s election commission […]
Yesterday’s results in the U.S. midterm elections have several implications relevant to India and bilateral relations.
This may be news; some report worthy of attention. Or not. But let’s take note, anyway. The news at hand: Hansen Hashem CLarke, the son of a Sylheti man and African American woman has been elected from the 13th Congressional District in Michigan. An accomplished politico, he served as Chief of Staff to noted Michigan […]