Thailand: Since the weekend, 120,000 to 250,000 Red Shirts have concentrated on Bangkok, demanding that Thai PM Abhisit dissolve Parliament and call for new elections, which they believe will usher the opposition into a majority, and hopefully signal the return of ousted and exiled Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra. By Monday, the Red Shirts had succeeded […]
Over the weekend Hamas declared a Day of Rage for Tuesday because of an Israeli dedication of the Hurva Synagogue which was restored over the past five years and which was destroyed by the Arab Legion in 1948. The Hurva Synagogue is located in the Jewish Quarter. Ostensibly the Muslim community should have had no […]
One commentator likened what happened to vice-president Joe Biden in Israel to what president Bush endured during his visit to Iraq. This was the shoe moment for Mr. Biden, only this time, a “strategic ally” perpetrated the attack. We have had few days to contemplate and assess the damage of the “ insult” (as described […]
Image: Shahidul Alam, NY Times Lens Blog Bangladesh has the disreputable distinction of being a democracy that supports a killing squad. The Rapid Action Battalion, an “anti-crime” paramilitary group that has killed more that 550 people, under circumstances that are, at best, suspicious. The smarter bet is that this group has been engaging in extra-judicial […]
The good folks at Coca-Cola insist their product taste the same no matter if it is consumed from a soda fountain, can, plastic or glass bottle. That’s a saccharine claim, according to my palette. I’m not alone in my preference for the glass-bottled variety, a Popular Science study has concluded it the “most inert” of […]
Given the milestones that have marked the recent history of the overwhelmingly successful microfinance institution (MFI) business model, it is only appropriate that there be some consideration of retrenching and maintaining some sustainability in the MFI market. Surely none of us are so secure in the obvious beneficences of micro-finance that we cannot fathom that […]
As if the actual invasion had not blown up in his face enough already, Saakashvili decided to score another own goal – this time with a virtual one. On Saturday evening, countless Georgians saw what they believed to be news reports of a Russian invasion. What happened then resembled the aftermath of the original broadcast […]
12Petals Media Group is an Iranian-American organization based in San Francisco. 12 Petals strives to be a union of creators and social entrepreneurs of media and visual arts working together to promote and encourage respect for those rights protected by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This is 12 Petals’ first major production in its […]
In the past few months, China’s senior-most officials have all identified structural economic reform as one of the nation’s most important priorities. Hu Jintao, Wen Jiabao, premier-in-waiting Li Keqiang, and Minister for Industry and Information Technology Li Yizhong have each publicly stressed the need for domestic demand to supplant exports as China’s main engine of […]
This week, President Lula kicked off his tour of the Middle East, the first time a Brazilian head of state has been to Israel. His visit began on Sunday in Israel, and Lula will continue on to the West Bank to meet with Palestinian leaders and to Jordan to conclude his trip. In Israel, President […]
This post can also been seen in FPA’s Latin America Blog. No greater nightmare would have been imagined by the technocrats in Brussels when forming the guidelines for expanding the EU than one of the new and relatively unprepared nations joining the EU becoming a candidate for removal from the Union. All nations in applying […]
Government, After collapse of Taliban regime, Afghanistan first democratic presidential election took place in October 2004. Hamid Karzai has been elected as president of Afghanistan. Ten million Afghans, more than a third of the country, registered to vote, including more than 40% of eligible women. Karzai was declared the winner in November, taking 55% of […]
Border skirmishes around Jaintapur and Padua threaten to destabilize the hard won amity that Bangladesh now shares with India. The Daily Star reports: “Indian Border Security Force dug 25 bunkers following an overnight intrusion into Bangladesh territory through Padua-Protappur border in Gowainghat upazila of Sylhet and retreated yesterday afternoon after 19 hours.” “The BSF’s retreat […]
There are two new Economist articles that highlight the impact and consequence of micro-credit, or more generally micro finance institutions, that in Bangladesh moved millions of families away from the gaping jaws of extreme poverty, toward a vision of more sustainable, capability oriented lives. The first article deals with innovations that have empowered women. Though […]
Long time observers of the Middle East were not surprised by the events that transpired during Vice President Biden’s visit to Israel earlier this week. It is well known that Israeli politics is a multifaceted conglomerate of opinions ranging from the far- right supporters of armed conflict with the Palestinians to the Far- Left supporters […]