Summer is the season for scientific expeditions in the Arctic, as the ice is finally thin and sparse enough that light icebreakers can ply the circumpolar waters. Yet while both of America’s heavy icebreakers are sidelined and Canada laments its lack of icebreakers, China will soon be sending an icebreaker to the Arctic and constructing […]
Hot Russian spies having sexy spy sex! Hijacking the identities of dead Canadians! Using social networking sites! Burying caches of cash in NY! Praising Fidel Castro! Being all-American! And posting inane and ridiculous status updates on facebook! In fact, the 11 accused of being ‘deep cover’ Russian spies did pretty much anything but acquire any […]
The former dictator and President of Bangladesh, Hussain Muhammad Ershad, pledged his loyalty to the ruling Awami League, the very party that once stood in opposition to his rule. His Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), though a member of the left leaning AL Grand Coalition has been something of a flighty beast. Once the clearing house […]
As the world and multi-national corporations come to predict a not so bright future for the regime in Tehran, there are very important factors that need great attention. These factors can play a role in bringing about a wholesale change in Iran’s political system with far-reaching geopolitical implications for the Middle East and beyond: Economic […]
The AP reported over the weekend past that more than 200 supporters of the BNP were arrested during a day long protest strike that the BNP had called to speak out against political moves it has challenged as Awami League misrule. As the AP piece observes, the return of hte hartaal (protest strike) is a […]
Thousand of people rallied in Beirut this weekend in support of Lebanon’s Palestinian refugee population. The demonstrators demanded equal rights for the Palestinians, many of which have lived in Lebanon for generations. Currently, Lebanese Palestinians are restricted in what jobs they can hold, get paid less than Lebanese citizens for doing the same jobs, and […]
The World’s South Asia blog had recent post on the background facts behind my recent piece on the central government’s takeover of migrant recruitment and management. Zahid Hussain’s post fills in the numbers gap between the latest news on international migrant workers and the government’s latest move to own a larger share of the remittances […]
Someone recently asked me if the Naxalites could be considered a threat to India’s nuclear arsenal. My answer was a potential threat, but a highly remote one. The Naxalite problem in India has grown exponentially over the last few years, and they have become one of India’s biggest security risks. The recent attacks on security […]
I have made mention a few times now of the increasingly authoritarian hints coming from the Office of the President (DO NOT PHOTOGRAPH!!!) here in Botswana. Seretse Khama Ian Khama (commonly referred to simply as Ian Khama) has a long and distinguished lineage extending from when his father helped usher the country from the colonial […]
… A mouthful of a bill (also known as H.R. 4645) that we’ve discussed before. The bill was introduced in February of this year by the House Agriculture Committee Chairman, Rep. Collin Peterson (Democrat-MN), and it includes a provision to open up travel to Cuba for all Americans. So four months later, what’s new? On Friday, […]
With the elections of President Barack Obama and the Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, speculation on the future of the U.S.-Israel relationship swirled and captivated diplomatic circles throughout the world. Top officials said the relationship is strong, rooted in shared values and mutual interests that can transcend beyond changes in leadership. Leaders said the two countries […]
A few observations about Botswana after a day of wandering both the city center and the University of Botswana campus: Gabarone is lovely. It is small, to be sure. There are really two main access roads, one leading in from one direction and heading out, one heading in from the other direction. The center of […]
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