A couple of stories worth following as your faithful scribe continues his honeymoon on the west coast of British Columbia: A recent UN report indicates that human trafficking is on the rise in East Africa. Hopes for peace in Sudan ebb and flow, wax and wane. Right now they flow and wax. Not to be pessimistic, […]
First South African workers become embroiled in a general strike the end of which is not in sight. Now it appears that Nigerian workers are set to embark on their own general strike. The Nigerian strikes will be the result of rising fuel costs, an increase in Value Added Taxes, and the sale of government-owned […]
South African rugby coach Jake White leads South African optimism about this weekend's Tri-Nations clash with their biggest rivals, the All Blacks of New Zealand, arguing that his team respects but does not fear their haka-dancing foes. In terms of their preparations the Springboks are treating this weekend like the World Cup Finals. As a […]
This week BP released the new annual report: The Statistical Review of World Energy 2007. This report is considered the standard for those who work in the energy field and those who write about it. Since BP has international connections and relationships, its finding are much less politically biased than say, country reports from domestic […]
Well, Mark Seidenfeld's trial did indeed begin (at last) on Friday June 15th. The judge ordered that the initial complainant, Mr. Zhunssov, be present on Monday, June 18th, the second day of the new trial. On Monday, Mr. Zhunussov, the complainant, was nowhere in court. Instead, he was in China, running in a Marathon. Marathon No. […]
On June 12, Lukoil cemented a contract with Turkmenistan to develop three offshore fields . LUKOil joins the UAE's Dragon Oil PLC and Malaysia's Petronas as foreign direct investors in Turkmenistan's petrochemical industry. LUKoil currently produces 19% of Russia's crude oil, and operates in 25 other states besides the Russian Federation. Last month, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Russia developed a […]
Kazakhstan’s President has announced a new phase of pipeline construction for oil shipments to China. The previously-constructed Atasu-Alashankou pipeline will be extended to the Caspian. Atasu is in Central Kazakhstan. The existing phase of transit was certified in July of last year, and shipped 1.1 million tons of oil to China in the first quarter of this year. (88,000 […]
Alan Greenspan, former Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, said recently that Mexico should privatize its oil industry to raise production through increased capacity for exploration. Greenspan stated that Mexico's declining oil production could lead to a major fiscal crisis in the country. Mexico is the world's 9th largest exporter of crude oil and a […]
Somehow the confluence of my pleasure reading seems to bear directly on events that we explore repeatedly in international politics. Recently, I have read two books that portray Western attitudes about corruption, lack of transparency, election abuses, and the relationships between politicians and their consituencies. I am not going to do a full book review here–just a few quotes from […]
1. On Saturday, a bomb exploded close to Tajikistan's highest court in Dushanbe. No person was hurt, and the bomb only damaged windows. It could have been so much worse. The city's chief prosecutor, Kurbanali Mukhammetov, said that the motive for the bombing was not clear, but he suspects IMU activity. However, it might also have to do […]
Here is a quick roundup of news stories this morning: For three different perspectives on the general strike in South Africa see this story in the Mail & Guardian, this from Green Left, and this from The Sowetan. (Hat tip to Peter Limb at H-SAfrica.) See also this story from All Africa. And for concerns […]
Often referred to as “banking for the poor,” microcredit programs provide collateral-free small loans to those too poor to qualify for traditional bank loans. Originating in developing countries, microcredit has provided a successful model for enabling impoverished individuals to engage in self-employment projects to generate income. It is part of the larger microfinance movement, and often […]
Just some quick headlines from today: The Springboks defeated Australia today in a nailbiter, 22-19, in the first leg of this year's Tri-Nations. The Wallabies led 16-10 at the half and put up a more spirited front than most experts anticipated. Author Ronald Suresh Roberts has published his long-awaited bography of Thabo Mbeki. The Star has […]
Zimbabwe's lower house of Parliament on Wednesday passed the Interception of Communications Bill, which would allow the government to monitor phones, the internet, and the mail in the interests of “public security.” Opposition leaders, such as those from the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), have mouthed platitudes about protecting the country from terrorist threats (as […]
Dwight Garner reports in his blog on books for The New York Times, “Paper Cuts,” that Chinua Achebe has been honored with the Man Booker Prize. The recognition is long overdue.