Jerusalem at the Center
January 6, 2010 2 min. read

U.S. efforts to bolster the peace process have traditionally considered the status of Jerusalem as one of the final pieces of the puzzle. Critics of this approach point out that the holy city’s status remains a critical controversial aspect of negotiations that would risk negating any previous compromises obtained in negotiations. Even though Israel agreed […]

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Background to an Image
January 6, 2010 2 min. read

Mickey Mouse caused quite a stir, particularly in his starring role from a 2006 photograph of the effects of the second Lebanon War. The New York Times revisits this image that previously obtained significant criticism for a perceived one-sided view of the conflict. Without giving any context on the origins of the doll, the photograph […]

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Anyone listening History's Knock?
January 6, 2010 4 min. read

As students of history know, countries don’t come into existence overnight and there is a long and hard struggle behind every political success, especially if it results in carving out independent land for a group of people. Take for example Bangladesh. Bengali as a language was never embraced by the country, Bengalis culture, history, and […]

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Bangladesh Government Population Resettlement Policy Due to Climate Change
January 5, 2010 2 min. read

It’s looking like the Awami League government is turning the refugee crisis consequent to climate climate into a policy issue.   The Daily Star reported today that, “A parliamentary standing committee on Tuesday asked the expatriate welfare ministry to start preparation for rehabilitation of two crore people with jobs abroad, who are feared to be […]

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Asia's Rise, Re-examined
January 5, 2010 1 min. read

The much heralded Asian Century is upon us. Or so at least pundits and scholars would have us thinking. Through numerous books (When China Rules the World: the End of the Western World and the New Global Order), articles (Next Hot Language to Study: Chinese), op-eds (Welcome To The Asian Century By 2050), and strategic […]

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Foreign Funding Approps
January 5, 2010 2 min. read

The 2010 fiscal year omnibus appropriations bill signed into law last month coupled with the supplemental appropriations bill from last summer mark a slight boost in foreign operations funding and imposes some interesting limitations on the use of funds for Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Israel receives $2.78 billion in FY2010  for Foreign Military Financing, […]

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"Sin Nombre"
January 4, 2010 1 min. read

Scanning the FPB site a few days back, I couldn’t help peeking at the Global Film Blog. In his last post Sean Patrick Murphy deemed “Sin Nombre” the best film he has reviewed over the past year. I just happened to watch it over the holidays, and I can’t think of an equal. The flick […]

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Making Sense of Futenma
January 4, 2010 5 min. read

Recent developments regarding the contentious issue of relocating the Marine Corps Air Station in Futenma, Okinawa have elicited a heated exchange of ideas and much speculation on the future of the US-Japan alliance. Indeed, since the recently elected administration of Yukio Hatoyama first announced that it would seek a renegotiation of the treaty guiding the […]

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New York Times Publishes Excellent Piece About Refugee Crisis Consequent to Climate Change
January 4, 2010 2 min. read

It is an odd thing to wish for more positive news coverage of a country’s socio-economics.  On one hand, one is grateful for any coverage whatsover, particularly when the coverage is of an overlooked country like Bangladesh; on the other one wishes bitterly that the news on the ground were such that positive coverage were […]

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Tegucigalpa, Tehran, and a Few Reflections on Brazilian Foreign Policy
January 4, 2010 4 min. read

              It should not surprise anyone that President Lula’s foreign policy would come under greater scrutiny during an election year to determine his successor. What is shocking is the stark contrast between the government’s foreign policy to restore democratic rule in Tegucigalpa while rolling out the red carpet for […]

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Looking Back at 2009
January 4, 2010 1 min. read

As 2010 starts, the same two stories that dominated the headlines in 2009 are in the news already. The post-election protests and the ongoing game of nuclear brinkmanship are still continuing. Here is an AFP video that highlights the major events that took place in Iran in 2009, giving us an insight as to what […]

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