Let’s see if I can get caught up after several days without internet: So, what were the odds that my plane from Addis Ababa would be delayed coming to Johannesburg on the morning that the World Cup kicked off? Pretty good as it turned out. The departure lounge was full of a whole lot of […]
I always make the mistake of assuming that internet access will be automatic in South Africa. But of course universal access is not true here any more than it is when I visit my Dad in rural New Hampshire. I am out of contact now, but you can follow my musings on Twitter at @dcatafrica, […]
According to two of Human Rights Watch’s top Latin America experts, the way forward in the largely stalemated US-Cuba relationship is for the Obama administration to drop pursuit of the regime change clauses of Helms-Burton in favor of a one-issue focus on human rights, then team with international partners to push for one simple goal […]
The Economist tends to recount the sordid tale of Bangladeshi politics every so many months. It has done so again. However, the greatest contribution that the piece lies in its nearly lightning quick analysis of the relative strength of the BNP as it is now constituted. So, The Economist: “Demoralised and in disarray, the BNP […]
A handful of Jordanian and Yemeni social workers teamed up this past week to learn supportive techniques for helping people recover from trauma. In Yemen, the trauma(s) that made this training necessary are domestic – Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war of sorts in Saada for the past six years or so. Jordan, […]
And the winner is: “Report: China, Cuba more peaceful than US.” The Associated Press ran the story of the release of the 2010 Global Peace Index this way with a true journalist’s flair: the headline itself would pique the interest of a broad base of browsers—irritated conservatives and eager self-validating liberals alike, the in-betweens and […]
India’s ascent up the great-power ladder is one of the signal developments of the 21st century. But as two new reports make plain, the country is making the climb with its hands restrained.
At least 77 people have died in clashes in the south of Kyrgyzstan, according to Al-Jazeera. It seems that thousands of ethnic Uzbeks, mostly women and children, are fleeing for safety to Uzbekistan. They claim that they have been attacked by militias and by the Kyrgyz military and police. The interim government is appealing to […]
Joost Hiltermann (of the International Crisis Group) has a blog post at the New York Review of Books on the current climate in Iraq. The Supreme Court has certified the election results, but the country remains without a government, and it’s goal of having one by Ramadan (early August) or the planned withdrawal date of […]
Hello all, I’m resuming blogging here at the FPA Middle East blog, after finishing my MA this May. I’m now in Damascus for the next several months, and will be commenting on the news from here. It’s good to be back! Please get in touch (via the information in the Bio section) if you hear […]
Mexico and South Africa played to 1-1 tie in the opening day of the 2010 World Cup. What would’ve been a ho-hum performance is anything but for the kickoff game against the hosting team, affectionately called Bafana Bafana. South Africa drew first blood at the 55-minute mark, when Siphewe Tshabalala scored. Mexico drew even off […]
The Finance Ministry has released the projected budget for the 2010-2011 fiscal year. The budget has been revealed as two counter-vailing currents are flowing in somewhat cross-cutting directions. In the first cut, the budget has been released in the aftermath of encouraging IMF reports on Bangladesh’s macroeconomic health and stability. Remittance inflows have increased. The […]
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