Regions

RAIWIND, Pakistan — In an effort to defuse the Pakistani political crisis, the American ambassador, Anne W. Patterson, traveled to see the opposition leader Nawaz Sharif to urge him to reconcile with Pakistan’s president, Mr. Sharif said. Later on Thursday, the Obama administration’s special envoy to Pakistan, Richard C. Holbrooke, spoke by video conference call […]

KARACHI, Mar 12 (IPS) – Barely a year after being elected, the Pakistan government faces a political storm involving a street agitation spearheaded by lawyers and opposition political parties allied with religious parties. Lurking on the sidelines is an army unused to civilian command even as religious militants create havoc around the country. None of […]

What human rights? Activists say that the ruling regimes in Central Asia deny their citizens basic freedoms, like freedom of the press or assembly. I have always thought that that is beyond the point. Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are considered part of the top 8 most repressive in the world. I believe them. Religious freedom is routinely […]

Today the American Congress held hearings on the drug violence that is increasingly spilling over from Mexico to the US.  The big proposal put forth by the Department of Homeland Security was to deploy the National Guard on the US-Mexico border to stemt the tide of violence.  Read more here. Recently the Woodrow Wilson Center […]

At the “New Chances and New Responsibilities in the Arctic Region” conference currently underway in Berlin, the European Commission’s representative for Fisheries and Maritime Opportunities outlined the EU’s objectives in the Arctic. In his speech (transcript here, in English), entitled “Opportunities and responsibilities in the Arctic Region: the European Union’s perspective,” Joe Borg reiterated the […]

Iran is in the news, this of course is no surprise, but what is worth noting is that it involves US-Iranian cooperation in Afghanistan. After the fall the Taliban, which involved US-Iran partnering up in small, but significant ways, there has not been a healthy or productive relationship between the states regarding the stability and […]

Some unabashedly pro-Israel proponents in Washington successfully orchestrated a multi-pronged defense of their own interests through a 21st century witch hunt while, with the same strike, potentially weakening the security of the United States. Since the publication of President Barack Obama’s intention of appointing Ambassador Charles ‘Chas’ Freeman to head the National Intelligence Council, pro-Israel […]

Jacob Zuma is confident that South Africa will have peaceful elections. I see no reason to doubt him. South Africa has a political culture of liberal democracy and post-Apartheid elections have always gone off largely without a hitch. There is much instability in contemporary South Africa, but I see no reason to fear that this […]

As a general rule, when the military has to intervene in domestic politics, it does not bode well for the country both for the present and for the future. That is the case in Madagascar.

FDI approval process eased In an effort to attract foreign direct investment (FDI), China gave local governments more authority to approve incoming overseas capital. The simplification of the approval process comes after four months of falling FDI to China as U.S., European and Japanese companies cut investments in factories and workers in China. Local governments […]

The Students From Modernage Public School & College Abbottabad, Pakistan wrote a letter to Sri Lanka After The Horrific Attack On Sri Lankan Team In Pakistan. The attack on Sri Lankan Cricket team in Lahore on March 3rd, 2009 has affected almost every peace-loving individual and children are no exception. Therefore, to demonstrate their complete […]

 Even though the United States pledged $900 million for Gaza reconstruction and to assist the Palestinian Authority, Congress may not approve the funding unless its recipients acknowledge Israel’s right to exist, a valid concern if Fatah and Hamas reunite. Palestinian reconcilliation talks are “60-percent” complete and may conclude by next Wednesday. Dr. Yasser Al Wadeya, […]