A Canadian-born citizen captured in Afghanistan during the U.S.-led counterterrorism effort there at the age of 15 can be tried for murder, a judge said. U.S. Army Col. Peter Brownback denied an argument presented by lawyers for Omar Khadr, now 21, the he was illegally conscripted to fight for al-Qaida militants in Afghanistan and should […]
“Bear in mind that the wonderful things you learn in your schools are the work of many generations. All this is put in your hands as your inheritance in order that you may receive it, honor it, add to it, and one day faithfully hand it on to your children.” -Albert Einstein Children inherit our […]
Quarter of kids don't meet vaccine schedule, as more than a quarter of American children do not meet the U.S. government's recommendations for childhood vaccinations, according to researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers. Viral outbreak hits China province, as the deaths of 19 children and the infection of more than 900 […]
Deanne Upson, a consultant on climate change in Washington, posed a great question at my post below on soot and solar cookers. In a nutshell, she asked how would you design an energy-efficient home for low and middle-income people in the developing world or in economically distressed areas. I thought a reply rated a post […]
Diplomacy isn't just an activity civil servants engage in. the average American (gasp!) can be a diplomat too. Whether it's going th extra mile to be nice to foreigners you meet on the street, or trying your hardest to be a well-behaved international tourist, Americans themselves can together help to polish the US tarnished image abroad. One […]
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Monday the country should be ashamed of its frequent abortions of female fetuses, a practice that is widespread because of the country's deep-seated cultural preference for boys. Every year, an estimated 500,000 female fetuses are aborted because of their gender, due in part to the traditional belief that sons […]
In my post from March 29 on the "State of the Planet "08" conference, sponsored by The Earth Institute and "The Economist," I talked about a close encounter I had with the gentle Chairlady of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. We talked about nuclear power and I said, among other things, that societies needed […]
The outspoken "NY Times" columnist, Tom Friedman, takes some serious shots here, Dumb as We Wanna Be, at two of the three Presidential candidates for their recommendation on suspending the 18.4¢ a gallon federal excise tax on gasoline during the heavy summer driving season coming up. "The McCain-Clinton gas holiday proposal is a perfect example […]
In what can only be seen as a move by Pentagon lawyers to get ahead of the issue before the Supreme Court weighs in this summer, the war crimes tribunal at Guantanamo Bay gave permission to the former driver for Osama bin Laden to communicate with his fellow inmates asking them to describe the nature […]
Every year some 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders and some 27 million people remain enslaved across the globe, over half of which are children. Romania is in no way an exception from the scourge of modern slavery, as children, are trafficked internally for sexual exploitation and forced begging. Roma girls are especially vulnerable […]
According to Robin Wright and Glenn Kessler, the release of intelligence on the Syrian nuclear site at al-Kibar, has had adverse effects on the negotiations with North Korea. Unfortunately, this development came at time when significant progress was being made. Blake Hounshell of FP Passport rightly points out evidence of North Korea actively aiding Syria […]
The British government has set up a new research center between six different colleges associated with the University of London. They’re going to be studying a broad range of international development subjects based in both the natural and social sciences including: Climate change Agriculture Growth Health Governance in challenging environment and Longer term development opportunities
These days, the two connected concerns of this blog — foreign opinion of the U.S. and how U.S. Presidential candidates would deal with it — are in the background while America struggles at home. The economy overshadows Iraq as America's chief concern. The dead-heat race for the Democratic nomination is in turmoil over the inflammatory […]
Former Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz faced the Iraqi High Tribunal Tuesday on war crimes charges for the execution of 42 business men who protested rising food prices in the wake of U.N. sanctions on the former regime. Aziz, widely recognized by his coke-bottle glasses and bombastic English, surrendered to U.S. forces shortly after […]
This week UNICEF has launched "Unite for Child Survival: Advocacy Week" , a full week dedicated to raising awareness to all of the issues facing children around the globe. Part of the campaign is focused on encouraging citizens to use their voice to influence lawmakers and make an impact in saving children's lives. The U.S. […]