Nabucco, the gas pipeline that will transport energy to Europe without Gazprom, has always been tentative. Turkmenistan, the main supplier, seems to have over-stretched itself, with export promises to China, Russia, and Iran. The other main source, Azerbaijan’s Shah-Deniz field, is under dispute with Turkey over pricing. OMV, an Austrian firm, isn’t sure there is […]
It is heartwarming to see India and Pakistan start talking, again. For years, both sides have realized that they have to deal with each other, but domestic political pressure forces leadership in both countries to instead engage in bravado, which is obviously pleasing the hawks on both sides of the border. However, this hypocritical attitude […]
Bangladesh is a firm contributor to the United Nations Peace Keeping Forces (UNPKF). In Africa and now Haiti, soldiers from the Bangladesh Armed Forces have helped in whatever security and peace keeping issue that looms ahead for the more or less inert United Nations. Perhaps, though Bangladesh’s presence within the UNPKF is a simple move, a […]
Sec. of State Hillary Clinton released a statement today on the Middle East peace process after meeting with Quartet Envoy Tony Blair. Clinton reiterates the long-held U.S. position and outlines Blair’s goals, which lack shock value. The statement reads: “I spoke today with Quartet Representative Blair to discuss developments in the Middle East. This Administration has, […]
The Daily Nite Owl, a live blog from Iran has confirmed violent clashes between police and opposition protestors. 6:40 PM (Tehran Time) I will stop liveblogging now. There are still reports of small protests in Tehran and other cities, but people are largely returning home. Here’s a brief summary of the day’s events in Iran: […]
The Iran Blog has posted some bullet points about the celebrations and protests in Iran today please see here In addition, Ahmadinejad has declared a Iran a nuclear state, stating that Iranian scientists have enriched the first batches of uranium to 20% purity and that Iran has the capacity to enrich to 80% purity. As […]
Twenty years ago, on 11 February 1990, Nelson Mandela left Victor Verster prison in Paarl. Today South Africa and the world celebrates that epoch-shifting event. After twenty-seven years the ANC leader, who had by the 1980s become a symbol of the anti-Apartheid movement and the embodiment of South Africa’s pariah status, was free. Mandela spent […]
I received an email from a reader this morning. The emailer (it was basically anonymous, and so I do not know the writer’s gender) asserted that they like this blog, but believe that I am too negative about Africa, and suggested a website (theirs, I assume) for me to visit that takes a sunny view […]
Two stories from today serve to hint how precarious Nigeria’s political situation might be if Goodlove Jonathan’s Interim Presidency goes awry. In his first day in power after taking over the presidency for Umaru Yar’Adua, who is hospitalized in Saudi Arabia with no indication if he will ever recover well enough to return to power, […]
One reason why Jacob Zuma is likely to weather the storm surrounding his latest controversy is that his popularity ratings were incredibly high before the story broke and had been rising throughout the early months of his presidency. According to polls in November 2009, 77% of South Africans felt that Zuma was doing his job […]
The Latest on the 31st Anniversary of the Iranian Revolution (February 11, 2010) : There are reports of martial law in Tehran to stem the growing anti-government demonstrations Anti-government protesters tear posters of Ayatollah Khamenei and Khomeini, the leader of the Islamic Republic Widespread clashes in different parts of Tehran between pro-democracy demonstrators and security […]
Zainab Jeewanjee continues on drones in Pakistan, with Part 3 in a series of articles on Unmanned CIA aircraft in Pakistan. She discusses the scarcely heard Pakistani perspective that the drones are actually welcome in Waziristan. Skeptical of the argument, Jeewanjee explains the consequences of dismissing valid concerns Pakistani’s have about drones.
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