Tajikistan, already one of the world's poorest nations, has suffered much this year with a harsh winter, continuing health concerns, and with rising food prices. But the worse could be yet to come as its President Rahmon's rule appears to be showing some cracks and news reports about the country have titles such as ‘Who's […]
UNRWA estimated the costs to rebuild Nahr el Bared, and 15 villages around it, at 445 million US dollars. Almost half of this amount will be put forward by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. The rest will be covered by Western and European countries. The Palestinians need a place to stay, […]
Whether he intended such a result or not, is it possible that Morgan Tsvangirai's withdrawal from the runoff election in Zimbabwe has finally forced the outside world to contemplate real action against Robert Mugabe and his regime? And could that action include the use of force? There are rumblings from Britain that military action could […]
Despite the fact that South African farmers produced high yielding maize crops this year, a confluence of global factors means that this staple food for millions of South Africans may be unavailable or prohibitively expensive for the foreseeable future. The poor, of course, will be the hardest hit: They rely the most on the crop and are […]
Lebanese troops on Monday moved into north Lebanon where two days of fierce sectarian battles killed are said to have killed 10 people, threatening to derail an accord to end the country's political crisis. The army threatened to use force to end the fighting that erupted on Sunday in the densely populated Bab al-Tebbaneh and […]
Crises tend to escalate quickly in South Africa. Just weeks ago there were precious few South Africans who could have identified John Hlophe, the Cape Judge President. Now he is at the center of a row over his alleged involvement in the ongoing arms scandal that some are calling “the greatest showdown in South Africa's […]
In its Daily News Brief today the Council on Foreign Relations has placed the Zimbabwe crisis at the “Top of the Agenda.” CFR provides lots of links about the ongoing crisis. UPDATE: Andrew Sullivan also posts about Zim today, with a handful of links, including to some powerful pictures.
Only a week after the resounding Irish ‘No’, EU leaders faced the difficult task of formulating a response at a weekend summit that was slated to address the rather mundane issues of governing an almost unwieldy Union of 27. Instead, EU heads of state and government faced yet another “crisis,” likened by some to the […]
When US President George W. Bush made what will likely be his last visit to Europe for the EU-US Summit two weeks ago, Iran was one of the only points both sides could still sink their teeth into. While Europe and the US have had diametrically opposed methods of dealing with the country, with the […]
How bout some early Monday morning polygamy talk? Radio Free Europe reports that the Kazak parliament has been debating a new draft law that would allow any man who is able to meet his second and third wife's financial needs and obtain their consent can have multiple marriages. The parliament has debated this issue before […]
Responses to the escalating crisis in Zimbabwe have accelerated, especially after Morgan Tsvangirai's withdrawal from the campaign today. Here is a roundup: Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos has sent a message to Mugabe asking him to make sure the election is free and fair and to eliminate the violence besieging his country. Zim's independent […]
Mexico City's International Airport is a good representative of the current trends in the fight against drugs in Mexico. Indeed, the airport is a window to the escalating conflict that involves the federal government and its allies‚ including the US government‚ as well as drug trafficking organizations that dare to smuggle thousands of cocaine doses […]
I'm not the nationalistic sort. I count in my head in English, I think Ukrainians are alright, at heart. Even the Georgians, when they behave. I quietly enjoy the good news from back home and decry the bad, with the equal dose of ironic detachment and self-referential mockery demanded of my generation. Yet I'd just […]
Morgan Tsvangirai, the Movement for Democratic Change leader who has challenged Robert Mugabe has withdrawn from the runoff election. Tsvangirai, who is widely believed to have won the 29 March elections, and who would likely have won in the 27 June runoff were they free and fair, has cited the widespread violence aimed at MDC supporters […]
This week The Washington Post “Book World” profiles Africanist Alex de Waal, who contributes a piece in Book World's “The Writing Life” feature. De Waal is best known for his work on the Sudan and the Darfur crisis. I met de Waal at this year's Sudan Studies Association meeting. He has a fierce intellect and an […]