A scientist at the Centre for Northern Studies at Laval University in Quebec has reported that the Arctic could be free of summer sea ice by 2013 (Reuters). In 2004, scientists from eight Arctic nations working on the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, a study commissioned by the Arctic Council, found that the sea ice could […]
Kazakhstan has been living it up the last decade, maintaining nearly 10% growth due to high LNG and oil prices. The government built an insane new capital, as seen above, while migrants from the other Central Asian countries came to work in Kazakhstan. Now the economy has been hit hard hard by the worldwide drop […]
Ciudad Juarez is right on the border between the United States and Mexico, and since it was founded in the 17th century it has been a coveted price for guerrilla fighters, catholic congregations, revolutionary armies, as well as drug traffickers and the modern federal armed forces. Although the number of drug cartel members is not […]
in the March/April Foreign Affairs, by Bernard Lewis. The title is “Free at Last?” (You’ll have to pay/go to the library to read it … I’m sorry). Since it’s Bernard Lewis, a desire to avoid that awkward moment at a cocktail party with other politics nerds where this article is referenced and you look blank […]
Speaking yesterday in Brussels, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reaffirmed that climate change will be a major are of investment for the US and that it would be an area of co-operation internationally & with the EU: “We are committed to a cap-and-trade system, but also to a number of other things. We are […]
NEW DELHI: Flames of terrorism from Pakistan are leaping across the borders and, unless checked with a sense of urgency, could engulf the world, more so India, Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee said here on Friday. Inaugurating an international conclave that will be addressed on Saturday by former president Gen Pervez Musharraf, Mr Mukherjee urged international […]
LONDON/LAHORE: Pakistan is facing a “mortal threat” from its internal enemies amid worsening security in the country, Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Miliband said on Friday. It is now vital that rival democratic forces unite to combat the “very grave” security situation, he told BBC radio in the wake of the attack on the Sri Lanka […]
PAKISTANIS have become so accustomed to terrorist attacks that they are almost incapable of shock when fresh horror strikes. But the attempted massacre of the Sri Lankan cricket team penetrated even the thickest skin, and brought home to us yet again what a murderous place Pakistan has become. However, despite the familiar nature of the […]
The weak link in global supply chains A report by Reuters (Hong Kong) Analyst Susan Fenton highlights the threat that bankruptcies among China’s small and medium-sized manufacturers pose to global supply chains. Chinese export manufacturers have been hit particularly hard by the global drop in demand, with a large numbers of them facing bankruptcy. A […]
With coalition talks continuing and Kadima likely to lead the opposition, right-wing hardliner Avigdor Lieberman seeks the foreign minister post to add his party, Yisrael Bieteinu, to the Likud-led government. In demanding the post, Lieberman requested ‘full autonomy’ to prevent portions of his portfolio to fall under the jurisdiction of another cabinet position. Aside from […]
Many situations have jinxed Pakistan since its birth nearly 62 years ago. Yet the forbearance and endurance of its people is admirable. Neither decades of military rule nor obsequious politicians have disheartened the nation. It has faced a long ordeal with very little respite. Still the people’s eyes remain fixed on a democratic setup which […]
Turkmenistan has agreed to allow non-lethal NATO supplies to be transported through its air space. This is a big deal because Turkmenistan is officially neutral and has been very cautious about getting mixed up into any other state’s affairs. The Turkmen president, Berdymukhamedov, announced the new agreements on his visit to Tashkent February 24-25th. According […]
The New York Times has reported that the Obama administration has widened the scope of missile attacks inside of Pakistan. The report details two specific drone attacks inside of Pakistani territory that directly targeted Baitullah Mehsud, an insurgent leader who mainly targets Pakistani forces, not the US/NATO/Afghan forces across the border, and his camps. The […]
The Congress of the People’s (COPE’s) newly chosen presidential candidate Mvume Dandala on Wednesday made his first public speech since receiving the party’s nomination. And already one of the biggest issues he has had to address is whether he is a compromise candidate who was picked because of a leadership struggle between the party’s president, […]
So the International Criminal Court has come down with an indictment of Sudan’s President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for human rights violations. He is the first sitting head of state ever to be so charged. Now what? Will the indictment help Darfur’s suffering masses or those overlooked victims of Khartoum stretching across the vastness of Sudan? […]