Senator Obama's clinching the Democratic nomination for President made headlines not only in the US, but around the world. It's fair to say that in most parts of the world the reaction is overwhelmingly positive. But the world is a complicated place, so for the next couple of blog posts we’ll try to capture different reactions to […]
We have speculated before — along with many others — about Obama's impact on foreign attitudes toward the United States. But with the Democratic nomination now safely in his hands, this is no longer an academic question. As many foreigners as Americans seem to have celebrated the milestone that Obama's victory represents, encouraged by worldwide […]
A report by the Hamas-affiliated Palestinian Information Center (PIC) voiced the group's firm disapproval of statements made by Sen. Barack Obama during his speech at AIPAC's annual policy conference on Wednesday. While some suggest that the Arab world was 'shocked’ by his comments, Hamas took particular offense to how the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee stated […]
One doesn't have to think long and hard to realize that children who are born into conflict ridden countries are at a disadvantage to those children born into peaceful nations, however the disparity between the two when it comes to education may very well surprise you. Some 500 times more funding goes into the education […]
Khalid Sheik Mohammed faces the U.S. military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Thursday. The Pentagon charged KSM, along with several other co-conspirators, with terrorism and one count of murder for every victim of the Sept. 11 attacks on New York, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. If convicted, each faces the death penalty. KSM claims, among other […]
To follow-up with yesterdays post, From Child Laborer to President, on Alejandro Toledo, who is now working with his organization Global Center for Development and Democracy, to combat inequality and poverty, especially among the countries child labors. The Committee for Prevention and Eradication of Child Labor in Peru has estimated that 2.5 million children, most […]
On the heels of the International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor's report released earlier this week, which implicated the Sudanese government in the ongoing genocide in Darfur, a coalition of human rights groups released this video fleshing out the charges against Harun and Kushayb with testimony from victims and calling on the UN Security Council to […]
The Jordanian AmmonNews.net – a relatively new and independent online news source – reported today that the Iraqi government has, by signing deals with Jordan, agreed to export crude oil to its neighbor at a reduced rate of $18 less than the international price. Citing statements given by Iraqi officials to the Iraqi press, AmmonNews […]
In a column in the Suddeutschen Zeitung, one of Germany's leading dailies, the German Marshall Fund's Constanze Stelzenmuller discusses Barack Obama's popularity among German politicians and the German population in general. She writes that Obama's popularity in Germany has reached levels that domestic politicians can only dream of and is comparable only to that of […]
Andy Semmel of the Paternship for a Secure America gives some suggestions on how the U.S. Government could ramp up its global efforts to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction. His suggestions are entirely focused on improvements that could be made at the State Department. This is not surprising, considering Semmel served for more […]
Jack Leonard, for the Los Angeles Times, has written about the upcoming "political showdown" in California over gay marriage. Yesterday, the California secretary of state said that the gay marriage initiate would be on the November 4 ballot. Voters will have to decide whether there should be a state constitutional amendment to define marriage as […]
A razor blade, circumstance, and forced isolation are the only tools the US military tribunal need to charge 29-year old British national Binyam Mohamed with an alleged al-Qaida dirty bomb plot. Whether or not Mr. Mohamed is actually guilty can not excuse the US from engaging in medieval practices dating back to the 13th century. […]
Syria's state-run SANA news agency reported today on some of the comments made by Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmedinejad at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) summit in Rome. The president allegedly proclaimed that Iran, in light of the current crisis, has clear solutions for the fair production and distribution of food supplies to the […]
In the face of adversity makes many crumble and it makes others stronger. It was strength and determination in the face of adversity that took one young Peruvian boy from a childhood working on the streets to become the leader of the nation that once look at him with hopeless eyes. In 2001, Alejandro Toledo […]
Senate on Climate Change , In the US, the Senate began debate yesterday on legislation to address climate change. The "SF Chronicle" reports here that the opponents and proponents were so eager to start bare knuckling over the bill that they voted 74-14 to proceed to debate. The bill "would require about 2,100 major U.S. […]