We now have a deal from France, Germany and the ECB: bending European Financial Stability Facility rules to allow recapitalization of banks and create easier credit terms for Euro countries; and debt rollover into longer-term (some might argue “indefinitely long” given Greek debt of 140 percent of GDP) maturities. Most chillingly, the plan bakes in […]
The Japanese prime minister has caused something of a stir with his recent remark that perhaps Japan should end its reliance on nuclear power altogether, as Germany and Italy are in the process of doing. The obvious implications are in energy and climate policy, both national and global. But there’s also a more subtle military […]
Perhaps one should not read too much into the wave of strikes that seems to have taken over South Africa in recent weeks and led to what at least one observer has called “strike fever.” After all, one of the signs of South Africa’s vibrant civil society is the strength of its unions, especially given […]
With the help of development aid Sierra Leone has joined the ranks of sub-Saharan African countries offering free medical care for women with a particular emphasis on women and children. Even if it is too early to glean whether or not these programs are a success, suggestive evidence indicates that more women are being helped […]
We’re all very well aware of the political predicament Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is currently facing. In a “damned if does, and damned if he doesn’t” scenario, Iraq’s political boss is stuck between the presumed necessity of US military support to secure his fragile government and the obvious friction a continued troop presence would create […]
Dan Drezner imagines the lead paragraphs of prominent world affairs pundits if they covered the Women’s World Cup.
Well, I’ve made the big time. As a result of my role in Freedom Riders, I now have an IMDB page. A barren, consequenceless IMDB page, but an IMDB page nonetheless. But I’ve buried the lede. Freedom Riders has been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards, including “Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking,” “Writing for Nonfiction […]
Two Afghanistan items in the media grabbed my attention today for two different but related reasons. First, a Reuter’s article on the first Afghan women to qualify as pilots arriving in the U.S. for training reminded me of the continuing progress that has been made by NATO as part of their training mission of the […]
No, it was not a bunga bunga party (not this time at least). Rather, the bond vigilante feeding frenzy recently let loose upon Rome was triggered — depressingly — by the resolution of the (immediate) crisis in Greece. Basically, investors are playing whack-a-mole with Europe sovereigns. This July 6 piece from Bloomberg explains it all: […]
Over at The Economist's Africa-related blog, Baobob, correspondent "D.G." travels in Zimbabwe, going by vehicle from the country's capital, Harare, to Bulawayo, a trip that in good times once took about three hours but that can now take twice as long due to deteriorating road conditions and the ubiquitous reality of cops with outstretched hands […]
The 18 day protests that ousted the once thought unmovable Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak have been heralded as a model for thousands struggling across the Middle East. Yet how is Egypt faring four months after those fateful days? Months after reporters left, where does Egypt stand? From the recent reports of protesters’ return to Tahrir […]
British-American Security Information Council (BASIC) Executive Director Paul Ingram, who also does a program on Iranian telly, recently attended the second International Conference on Disarmament and Non-proliferation, which was held at the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS) from June 12 to 13. Laughable as it may seem, Paul’s participation provides […]
“Change Square” in Sana’a has become like Tahrir in Cairo, the epicenter of the Yemeni Revolution in the capital. For over 5 months now, Yemenis from all walks of lives have demonstrated day after day against a Regime they abhor, determined to bring about the fall of the House of Saleh. In recent weeks […]
The IMF has put forward a new paper on new International Evidence on Expansionary Austerity (which Krugman as well as Herdentrieb linked to). From the abstract: This paper investigates the short-term effects of fiscal consolidation on economic activity in OECD economies. We examine the historical record, including Budget Speeches and IMF documents, to identify changes […]
In a historic ceremony Saturday, South Sudan became Africa’s 54th nation. Independence from North Sudan came after a U.S.-backed referendum in January, and represents the culmination of over 50 years of conflict. New York Times columnist Jeffrey Gettleman raises an interesting question over America’s fixation on Sudan. The large country found a place at the […]