The Zimbabwean negotiations continue to provide a constant source of suspense and drama. The recent reports that Mugabe had brokered a deal excluding Morgan Tsvangirai from a new unity government appear to have been the result of confusion (or perhaps represented a trial balloon that lost air quickly upon release). The talks continued through last […]
The international community might not be thrilled with the recent coup in Mauritania, but the country's parliament has given the new military junta its overwhelming support and has asked the rest of the world to recognize the country's new direction. The fact that the military resorted to a coup is still disquieting, but perhaps this […]
Nigeria and Cameroon have come to an agreement in which Nigeria will cede to the former the possibly oil-rich (and long disputed) Bakassi peninsula. Nigeria is not exactly acting merely out of largesse. The international community has engaged in more than its share or arm twisting over the Bakassi dispute, and Nigeria appears to be […]
Who's got a craving for some diplomacy?! I know I do. Here are a couple items of interest. Senate Majority leader Harry Reid and four other US senators are near the end of a diplomatic trip to Germany, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. This trip did not have quite the fan fare as Obama's recent overseas visit, […]
A glance at today's coverage of the Georgian crisis in the Washington Post and the NYT reveals the two different ways the Bush Administration's latest moves may be understood. President Bush's announcement yesterday of a “vigorous” program of humanitarian aid was either “modest action,” or the “strongest warning yet of potential [U.S.] retaliation.” There is […]
Lebanese President Michel Sleiman, along with his wife and Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh arrived in Syria at 5 p.m. They were greeted at the Syrian International Airport by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his wife Asma, before traveling together to the People's Palace in Damascus, where an official reception welcomed the Lebanese leader. [NOW Lebanon] […]
In a hundred and eight years, Mexico has won, so far, 12 gold medals. Up to August 14th, the insignificant number of these medals has not changed for Mexico. On August 12th, however, two young women added their names to the list of Mexican medalists. The two women, Paola Espinoza and Tatiana Ortiz, won a […]
At The New Republic Richard Just has a long and important review essay on the Darfur crisis. He uses ten books to explore western inaction in the face of what he argues might be the most well-covered ongoing genocide in history. The West is not alone in its inaction, of course. African leaders could have […]
Catch this post by R. Basas on the Latin America blog, which explores emigration patterns and Asian settlements in the Americas. Truly a timely piece with the steady streams of media infiltrating our inboxes, television sets, newspapers, and ipods – covering all things China.
US: 10 Gold, 8 Silver, 11 Bronze = 27 Medals PRC: 17 Gold, 5 Silver, 5 Bronze = 29 Medals Last night, China clinched the gymnastics gold from US in an unprecedented upset. US coach Bela Karolyi and Chinese coach Lu Shanzen went head-to-head in an unimpressive round of PR blows. US media outlets are […]
If the Georgian-Russian ceasefire takes hold — and CNN, WSJ and others are reporting right now that Russian troops continue to advance within Georgia proper — resolving who actually keeps the peace will be a challenging issue. Barack Obama called yesterday for “a genuine international peacekeeping force.” This would clearly be a step in the […]
Thankfully, a cease-fire in the Russian-Georgian conflict over the South Ossetia and Abkhazia territories has been agreed upon by both states, unfortunately fighting still seems to be occurring in the Georgian city of Gori. The conflict in Georgia has ramifications in Central Asia and for its nations’ governments in many important ways. As former Soviet […]
After parliament granting the cabinet confidence by exactly 100 votes on Tuesday, Prime Minister Fouad Siniora told reporters at the Grand Serail that he had been expecting an even higher margin.[NOW Lebanon] After four days of debate, only five members of parliament voted against the government, with two MPs abstaining. Not often did I see […]
Now that the artillery smoke has lifted and Sarkozy and Medvedev's 6 point ceasefire plan is imposed on Georgia, it's time to figure out: what the hell happened between last Thursday and now? Gary Brecher has the most elegant, if undeniably sociopathic, explanation: 1. The Georgians started it. 2. They lost. 3. What a beautiful […]
So much for optimism. In a move that embodies the man's hubris, Mugabe and his ZANU-PF party has negotiated a deal with the Movement for Democratic Change. The catch is that he brokered the agreement not with Morgan Tsvangirai's wing of the MDC, which represents the vast majority of the party (and thus at minimum […]