The AP reported over the weekend past that more than 200 supporters of the BNP were arrested during a day long protest strike that the BNP had called to speak out against political moves it has challenged as Awami League misrule. As the AP piece observes, the return of hte hartaal (protest strike) is a […]
Thousand of people rallied in Beirut this weekend in support of Lebanon’s Palestinian refugee population. The demonstrators demanded equal rights for the Palestinians, many of which have lived in Lebanon for generations. Currently, Lebanese Palestinians are restricted in what jobs they can hold, get paid less than Lebanese citizens for doing the same jobs, and […]
The World’s South Asia blog had recent post on the background facts behind my recent piece on the central government’s takeover of migrant recruitment and management. Zahid Hussain’s post fills in the numbers gap between the latest news on international migrant workers and the government’s latest move to own a larger share of the remittances […]
Someone recently asked me if the Naxalites could be considered a threat to India’s nuclear arsenal. My answer was a potential threat, but a highly remote one. The Naxalite problem in India has grown exponentially over the last few years, and they have become one of India’s biggest security risks. The recent attacks on security […]
I have made mention a few times now of the increasingly authoritarian hints coming from the Office of the President (DO NOT PHOTOGRAPH!!!) here in Botswana. Seretse Khama Ian Khama (commonly referred to simply as Ian Khama) has a long and distinguished lineage extending from when his father helped usher the country from the colonial […]
… A mouthful of a bill (also known as H.R. 4645) that we’ve discussed before. The bill was introduced in February of this year by the House Agriculture Committee Chairman, Rep. Collin Peterson (Democrat-MN), and it includes a provision to open up travel to Cuba for all Americans. So four months later, what’s new? On Friday, […]
With the elections of President Barack Obama and the Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, speculation on the future of the U.S.-Israel relationship swirled and captivated diplomatic circles throughout the world. Top officials said the relationship is strong, rooted in shared values and mutual interests that can transcend beyond changes in leadership. Leaders said the two countries […]
This blog has been posted in FPA’s European Union Blog and Latin America Blog. The G20 started off where everyone expected, getting the fiscal houses in order of the United States and European Union with inputs from multinational financial institutions, the UK and as a mediator and G20 and between the BRICs, advanced economies, […]
A few observations about Botswana after a day of wandering both the city center and the University of Botswana campus: Gabarone is lovely. It is small, to be sure. There are really two main access roads, one leading in from one direction and heading out, one heading in from the other direction. The center of […]
Just a couple items and recommendations: First, I highly recommend checking out this the first part of the New York Times coverage of the deployment of the First Battalion, 87th Infantry. The Times will follow this battalion for the next year as they head to the increasingly restive provinces of Kunduz and Baghlan in Afghanistan’s […]
Radio Free Europe reports that the Iranian ambassador to Armenia has warned publicly against the insertion of US peacekeeping forces in Nagorno-Karabakh in the event of a comprehensive settlement of the 1992-94 war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In a Yerevan news conference on June 23, Seyed Ali Saghaeyan claimed that the United States is eager to […]
I am writing this from my friend’s office in a rather unlovely part (the locals call it “Siberia” of the otherwise lovely University of Botswana, where I will be based for the next week or so. I am staying with my friend and his family (he and I met after a conference in Pretoria four […]
This blog has been posted in FPA’s European Union Blog and Latin America Blog. Yesterday we discussed the opening of the G8 Summit in Huntsville, Ontario and some initial policy announcements and opening talks between the G8 leaders and invited diplomatic guests. Friday and Saturday morning saw the completion of the G8 talks and […]
I am in the Kruger-Nelspruit International Airport, which is built to resemble a game lodge, waiting to fly to Gabarone, Botswana. I will be working on a project as a fellow with University of the North-West (and possibly the university of Botswana) on resource allocation and the World Cup. I will also be able to […]
Well, the Ivorians gave it their best shot. Needing to make up a virtually insurmountable goal differential of 9 on Portugal (which they had tied, remember) Cote d’Ivoire came out and dominated the game from the outset. They won comfortably, and had two goals disallowed that could have made things interesting. The African side was […]