Just days before President Obama begins his India visit, the U.S.-Pakistan strategic dialogue is underway in Washington D.C. The talks would focus on the “strategic” relationship between the two countries, a euphemism for more aid money to Pakistan to fight extremists within its borders and help out the U.S. in Afghanistan. Even with almost no […]
There are most certainly valid criticisms of Israel that have no roots in anti-Jewish sentiments. Unfortunately, many criticisms against Israel are simply veiled anti-Semitic remarks, and they are often times fairly direct. Israel was created in large part in response to the Holocaust, where anti-Semitism gripped Europe and led to the death of six million […]
Finally, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has come to its own sense, and reversed all-together its earlier decision taken in 2008 to establish an award of US$3 million endowment from Equatorial Guinea’s president Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, whose government is widely accused of corruption and gross human rights violations. UNESCO’s decision […]
On October 20, 2010 Center for a New American Security (CNAS) released a report titled Natural Allies: A Blueprint for the Future of U.S.- India Relations. The report discusses vital aspects of U.S. – India relations in the run up to President Obama’s visit to India in November. The report, endorsed by a nonpartisan group […]
Guinea’s runoff Presidential election, scheduled for October 24, has now been moved to October 31 after skirmishes between police and protesters resulted in two deaths and the replacement of the head of the country’s election commission, Louceny Camara, who had been accused of bias, with Malian official Siaka Toumany Sangare. Or maybe not. My favorite […]
Many of the players in Sudan’s pending South Sudan referendum that most suspect will lead to a vote for independence. South Sudanese political parties are getting their ducks in a row for the anticipated secession. From Khartoum Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir promises that there will not be a return to civil war after January’s vote. […]
I don’t understand the FIFA world rankings. And I doubt you understand the FIFA world rankings. Largely because the FIFA world rankings make little sense. But the latest FIFA world rankings are nonetheless available for us all not to understand. Ten African teams make the top 50, with Egypt (11), Ghana (17), and Ivory Coast […]
Skepticism is in order whenever casual estimates about the scope and impact of the middle class are thrown about. The transition from aam aadmi to bourgeoisie is certainly underway in India, though its exact contours, particularly in the political arena, remain debatable and subject to continual examination.
The Past Indo – Sino Border In this second installment of our three part series on the Indo-Sino border conflict, we examine the origin of the 190 years old dispute, in order to fleshing-out the historical twist and turns that have brought these two rising powers to their present situation. This conflict was engendered by […]
Really? The Namibian newspaper is reporting that Sam Nujoma, the founding President of Namibia, is condemning attempts to legalize prostitution in the country. Nujoma claims that prostitution never has been part of the the African people’s culture, but was brought to the continent by Africa’s colonial powers. He is quoted saying, “we have destroyed colonialism, […]
Crosspost from the Media and Foreign Affairs Blog Some heavy hitters will be in New York City from all over the world on Tuesday, October 19 to discuss the crisis for journalists in Mexico: When: Tueday, October 19 Where: The Great Hall Cooper Union, 7 East 7th Street, New York City What time: 7 p.m. With readings […]
Aboard a Lockheed C-130 Hercules on a flight to the Arctic, the Associated Press interviewed Coast Guard Rear Admiral Christopher C. Colvin, Commander of Coast Guard District Seventeen based in Juneau. He is charged with covering all of Alaska’s coastline, which is longer than the coastline of the rest of the 49 states combined. As […]
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has, to say the least, been criticized fairly heavily in this blog, and I think it’s about to time to show the other side of this debate. Most recently, you likely remember dear reader, I said Lieberman is irrelevant and repeatedly circumvented by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. And that […]
My hometown paper, the San Diego Union Tribune, has been running a series of reports about the US war effort in Afghanistan that have provided a real service to our community. The weekly reports may not be groundbreaking, but they have provided its readers with a more in depth view of the situation, especially in […]
Robert Mugabe is rattling sabers about ending Zimbabwe’s coalition government, in which he and his ZANU-PF party has reluctantly shared power with Morgan Tsvangirai and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Mugabe recently appointed some senior government officials without Tsvangirai’s input and naturally the MDC leader and Prime Minister finds such unilateralism unacceptable. Tsvangirai sees […]