Regions

Palestinian faction reconciliation talks resumed in Cairo with meetings of five committees to negotiate details between Hamas and Fatah. The talks will continue for ten days and may result in an agreement, the chances of which bolstered following the past weekend’s resignation of pro-Western Palestinian Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad. Turkish officials declared the need to […]

Iraqi women continue to struggle to access basic services despite a drop in violence in their country; Oxfam released a report on their condition yesterday, on International Women’s Day, presumably to underline the irony of the so-called liberation of Iraq. They are not alone in facing gender-based discrimination and other challenges.

Am I the only one who did not know that Barbie’s birthday and International Women’s Day were both on March 8th? It’s so absurd it could only be true. In honor, the Times has a lovely piece on Barbie in Iran. And, dated but still interesting, Katherine Zoepf’s coverage of the doll pictured below, Fulla.

Germany may not have an Arctic coast or Arctic claims, but the country’s Federal Foreign Office will play host to an international conference on the High North from March 11-13. The conference, called “New Chances and New Responsibilities in the Arctic Region,” will be hosted with the cooperation of the Foreign Ministries of Denmark and […]

It is nearly impossible to tell what to make of the mysterious and tragic death of Susan Tsvangirai. The wife of Zimbabwe’s newly installed Prime Minister and leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party that has provided the primary political opposition to Robert Mugabe died in a car crash on Friday. The car in […]

If you are following affairs in Darfur, you would be wise to bookmark the Social Science Research Council’s “Making Sense of Darfur” Blog. Including contributions from Alex de Waal, Julie Flint, and several other important observers of events in Darfur and across Sudan, “Making Sense of Darfur” is really a must-consult reseource. De Waal is far […]

NPC vows close supervision over stimulus plan Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, emphasized the NPC’s important role regarding China’s economic stimulus package. According to Mr. Wu, the NPC will closely supervise the implementation of major stimulus measures. Of China’s RMB 4 trillion stimulus package announced in November last […]

Syrian President Bashir al-Assad declared normal relations with Israel as a distinct possibility in the future and not a pie-in-the-sky dream. He even confirmed his willingness to work with any Israeli government, regardless of its composition. However, he indicated that Israel must first resolve its dispute with the Palestinians and come to a coherent and […]

The independent Egyptian newspaper Al-Dustor is reporting that Egyptian supermarket Al-Kubri has been selling, accidentally of course, boxes of sweets with Stars of David and Menorahs printed on them for Al-Mawlid Al-Nabawi (The Birth of the Prophet), which is today. The supermarket claims it has no idea where the boxes came from (by the way, […]

After reports that Kygyzstan was still waiting for Russia to send money, and Kyrgyz officials attempting to seem ambivalent, the money is in and the US has to leave by August 20th. I hope Kyrgyz officials decide to do something useful with their money, for example, by increasing funding of the Red Crescent, which is […]

People rally behind politicians who stand up for national honor, but in rare cases, phony politicians fail to win support from masses. In the process, heroes lose respect, and turn followers into adversaries. Take for example Imran Khan, a national hero so many of us grew up worshiping, but sadly, now we are witnessing him […]

In an Air Force One interview session, President Obama opened the proverbial door to negotiating with the segments of the Taliban. He was vague about who the ‘Taliban’ was and how to go about it, but its definitely on his Afghan policy workbench. Though he offered few details, Obama was well aware that such a […]