The State of Israel is the fourth most non-peaceful country, dropping one rank from last year due to Operation Cast Lead in Gaza, according to the 2009 Global Peace Index. The new study makes Israel more dangerous than Pakistan, Lebanon, and even Sudan. The only countries ranking lower on the peace index are Iraq, Afghanistan, […]
Members of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) have claimed responsibility for murdering a British hostage in Mali. Edwin Dyer was one member of a group of European tourists kidnapped after attending the African music “Festival in the Desert” near Timbuktu. Radical Islamic groups have been attempting to extend their reach south across the Sahara […]
The army did wonders in Swat and proved that few militants, even if they are determined to die, but inflict tremendous harm to others are no match for a disciplined army, thank God. At this point, it seems obvious that the situation in Swat is getting better in terms of the defeat of the Taliban. […]
Now that the shock of General Motors’ bankruptcy has passed, it may be a good time to examine the role played by several governments — including Russia’s — in shaping the outcome. As befits a multinational industrial corporation, General Motors impacted the economies (as well as the consumers) of nations around the world. When GM […]
Middle East Progress, a division of the left-leaning think tank Center for American Progress founded by staffers from the Clinton White, hosts a forum on the future of Jerusalem tomorrow from 1pm-230pm. Watch the live webcast here that’s sure to be informative as the news cycle remains dominated by the potential rift between the Obama […]
The drug trade embodies a ruthless logic. In a world where governments have limited resources, and the financial incentives for trafficking are great (90% of a cocaine shipment can be “lost” and the endeavor is still profitable), slaying the industry can seem impossible. If demand remains strong, successful governmental action— arrests, seizures and eradication—pushes the […]
President Barack Obama expressed the need for the United States to “follow through” on any mandates it imposes on Israel, he said in an interview with National Public Radio. Even though Obama remained vague, the current administration repeatedly expressed opposition to the expansion of settlements of any kind as the Israeli government attempts to find […]
Manufacturing sector leads recovery China’s official purchaser managers’ index (PMI) for May again reached a reading above 50, signalling a third month of expansion for the country’s manufacturing sector. While the index dropped slightly to 53.1 from April’s 53.3, it remained clearly above the contraction threshold of 50. Analysts see the positive PMI indicator as […]
Taliban kidnap over 500 Cadet College students UN chief warns of severe crisis due to funding shortage Pakistan cooperating with Iran against rebel group US Forces on standby to catch ‘big three’: report Mastermind of Islamabad suicide attacks arrested Fighting rages to secure Charbagh Girls’ school blown up in Mohmand What we’re up against in […]
The latest issue of The Atlantic has a titanic feature on South African President Jacob Zuma. Douglas Foster’s piece is as extensive as anything I have seen in either the United States or the UK.
The Israeli government will continue assessing its response to an attack on the entire country tomorrow at 11AM, with sirens blasting and local officials assessing the effectiveness of plans. The air-raid sirens mark the middle of a 5-day exercise that simulates an assault on Israel from all sides. On Sunday, the ministers participated in a […]
Israel remains plagued by the global economic crisis even though the Israeli Shekel continues to strengthen against the U.S. Dollar. In April, unemployment rose 3-percent to make the unemployment rate 7.6-percent of the workforce. The total number of Israelis declaring unemployment reached 235,600, although holidays in April probably stymied the loss which will likely skyrocket […]
The issue of internally displaces people (IDP) is a serious one. United Nations has estimated the number of displaced people to be about 2.4 million and has asked the world community for about $ 543 million to help these folks. The situation is too bad for people to sit idle and not do anything. Regretfully, […]
Religion and politics Iran shuts its border with Pakistan Humanitarian situation grave in Mingora; residents flee Energy crisis (in Pakistan) From much sought after to ‘most wanted’ Subsidy on petrol, gas and electricity to end Military seeks ‘hardcore’ Taliban Pakistanis uniting against Taliban Jamaat-e-Islami proposes 4-nation bloc against US and NATO Sami, Fazl say army […]
Welcome to the India blog, the latest addition to the Foreign Policy Blogs network. New posts available in upcoming weeks.