Beirut, the Paris of the Middle East and the region’s capital for assassinations and attempted political slayings. The latest of which in this bloody saga targeted Brigadier General Wissam al-Hassan, the head of the Information Branch of the Internal Security Forces. Hassan, who was tapped to become the Head of the ISF at the […]
I have been reflecting on the unrealized but ever-expanding influence that Hispanics will have on our entire electoral process. The Economist recently published an article called “Throwing votes away.” It criticizes the Republican Party for losing steam with Hispanic voters since leaders such as George W. Bush made significant inroads with this group.[1] […]
Long-term policy goals by America’s neighbors have made them some of the best performing economies worldwide. Unfortunately, America’s backyard has received little attention from the Obama Administration and even less attention during the Bush years. During the recent electoral debates there have been some mention of Canada and Mexico, but an overarching emphasis on security […]
By K. Riva Levinson With the presidential debate on foreign policy around the corner, there is one topic that likely won’t get much attention, even though it should: American aid and investment in sub-Saharan Africa. As Todd Moss, vice president and senior fellow at the Center for Global Development, pointed out in a recent […]
A small domestic market and stiff bankruptcy penalties make Chile an unlikely hotspot for aspiring entrepreneurs. Yet “Chilicon Valley” has swelled to more than 500 tech start-ups since 2010, including Kwelia.com, which makes software for landlords, and Kedzoh, which allows employers to send out instructional videos to workers via mobile phones. Two factors are behind […]
At this point, the plight of Venezuelan prisons is internationally known. Jails are severely overcrowded, conditions are horrendous and members of armed gangs kill each other with such frequency that the government actually created a new Prison Ministry to oversee the rights of prisoners. But the most perplexing aspect of the penitentiary system is […]
Last week, a pharmaceutical company made a novel and potentially groundbreaking decision: GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), announced that it would release the data from all of its clinical trials to researchers, who could use the information from GSK’s successes and failures in drug development to independently make new medical and pharmaceutical discoveries. This is the first time a […]
In their sole debate before the election, Vice President Joe Biden and GOP challenger Congressman Paul Ryan sparred for 90 minutes on the direction of U.S. policy, both for foreign and domestic. Last night’s debate was a stark contrast to last week’s meeting between the two men at the top of the tickets, with Biden […]
By Nathan William Meyer It was an important day for Angola, June 20th, 2006. Amid the diplomatic pomp and handshakes of an official visit, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao opened the Luanda General Hospital and had his picture taken peering into a microscope surrounded by officials in suits and medics in white smocks. The capital’s General […]
Three days ago Adulateef Al-Mulhim, a writer at ArabNews.com and a former Royal Saudi Naval officer, wrote a ground breaking op-ed called the “Arab Spring and the Israel Enemy.” In it he calls for the Arab population and their governments to stop demonizing and blaming Israel as the source of their problems. “The Arab world […]
I’m currently in Alabama helping out my 85-years-young mom so I haven’t had time to blog, but the following paragraph in a recent New York Times article caught my eye: The United States military has secretly sent a task force of more than 150 planners and other specialists to Jordan to help the armed forces there handle […]
This week’s election in Venezuela was important for reasons outside of Venezuela itself. The victory of Hugo Chavez with over 80% of the electorate voting and a sizable minority voting against the current President showed that Hugo Chavez does have a great deal of support as well as a strong opposition to his economic model. Outside of […]
Polls closed in Caracas, Venezuela at 1800 October 7. Months of anticipation came down to the following four hours as the National Electoral Commission (CNE) counted ballots. Current president Hugo Chavez won the election with over 7.4 million votes, some 54 percent of the vote. Opposition candidate and first runner up Henrique Capriles Radonski obtained […]
Abortion is a polarizing issue wherever you go, and that includes Latin America. On September 26, in the midst of vociferous protests from proponents and opponents, Uruguay’s Cámara de Diputados (lower house of the General Assembly) approved a law that would legalize abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. In studying this development, I […]
Early October will see an election in one of the most politically influential states in Latin America, Venezuela. Since Hugo Chavez was elected he has become the face of leftists in Latin America and populists worldwide. This upcoming election against rival Capriles is likely to be the closest race in Chavez’s career with polls contradicting […]