Well, I didn't post as much last week as I normally do, and that's because I went to New York to talk to the Foreign Policy Association's Teacher Training Institute about Central Asia. What a great group of teachers! We are used to thinking that politics is something that happens on the world stage, but anyone […]
President Felipe Calderon criticized the U.S. Senate's failure to pass the Bush-backed immigration bill, saying that the lack of reform “worsens illegal immigration.” An El Universal editorial stated, “It's obvious that the politicians in (the U.S.) want laborers, but they are not willing to legalize the labor that they need,” and thus, “migrants will continue […]
One does not usually look to Vanity Fair for gravitas, much less for edifying coverage of Africa. Nonetheless, the July issue, including the VF website, invited U2's Bono to be guest editor of a special issue devoted to Africa. There is more than enough pop ephemera contained within this special edition, to be sure, but there […]
In a previous short post, I noted that Mr. Niyazov's successor, President Berdymukhammedov, had eschewed the country-wide birthday party that had become customary for Turkmenbashi in favor of more private celebrations. I was particularly pleased that he had separated the public from the private realm. However, it appears that some gaudy and celebratory moves were made […]
The ANC Policy Conference in Midrand wraps up today after three days of political dialogue that the Mail & Guardian has described as “robust.” Despite Thabo Mbeki's protests that things have not been too robust, certain issues that we have discussed here before — succession, the linkage between the party leadership and the national presidency — […]
Your faithful scribe is almost but not quite back home and thus to something resembling normalcy. Full-scale blogging should resume next week. In the meantime, here are some Africa-related links: In Zimbabwe the Interception of Communications Bill only awaits Robert Mugabe's signature. My guess is he's thrilled to do so, helping seal Zimbabwe's totalitarian status. Meanwhile MacDonald Dzirutwe avers […]
Peak of a ten-to-twelve year cycle: Moroccan locusts. Earlier this month, IWPR reported that Tajikistan's efforts against the current anti-locust plague was proving to be only partly successful. 55,000 hectares of grainland has been treated with pesticide, but lacks of equipment have made the effort less than what is needed. The locusts migrate from Afghanistan and […]
The United Nations Population Fund speculates that the urban population of Africa will more than double in the next quarter century. Obviously the ripple effects of this would be serious. It's probably worth pointing out that dire population predictions have something of a mixed history, but the UNPF report indicates that 80% of the world's […]
No drugs, no gala pageants, more military reform, and no Trust of Saparmurat Niyazov: This is a thrilling article for those of us who have been watching Turkmenistan over the years. Mr. Berdymuhammedov is making several initiatives that indeed have been crying out to be made: The article says it all and it's short. Check it out!
I received an e-mail from the Eurasian Transition Group that a newpaper interview between Dr. Rakhat Aliev and Vremya newspaper on June 16 is actually a fictional account. Confirmation that the interview was comes from RFE/RL Newsline of June 19. Several of us in the Central Asia blogosphere have reported on this interview, but unfortunately, it's just not good information. […]
Last month, the World Bank approved a USD 2.96 million loan to help Uzbekistan address the problems of Avian Influenza. Though most of the other states of the Caspian region have reported bird flu incidence, Uzbekistan has had no recorded cases. This could either be good luck or a lack of reporting. With this loan, […]
A recent LA Times article examines the alleged judicial activism of the Mexican Supreme Court, which has recently created a committee to investigate the political violence in Oaxaca. The Court made news earlier this month for overturning the anti-competitive “Televisa Law,” impacting Mexico's two leading media conglomerates. Next on the docket is the eagerly-anticipated case […]
The Gods of sport can be cruel; they surely have a well-developed sense of timing. A week after South Africa came from behind to beat a surprisingly game Australia team in their first meeting in this year's rugby Tri-Nations competition, the Springboks succumbed to a resilient New Zealand All Blacks squad, which scored two tries […]
You can collect stamps from all over the world, of course, so why not the stamps of Central Asia? It's a great way to discover aspects of national culture. First, there are national symbols: flags, Great Seals, and historic heroes. There are the nation's significant crops, native animals, and national leaders. Another thing to note: […]
U.S. Foreign Aid News: June 5: According to the Wall Street Journal, The House Appropriations Committee is planning to reduce Bush's Foreign aid budget by about USD 700 million. The bill would still be an increase over last year. Congressional changes that might impact Central Asia: reduction of restrictions of family planning aid; less money […]