Perhaps —no, undoubtedly — only the World Bank would host an event to discuss the fiscal systems different countries have to divide oil and gas revenue. The conference, held in Washington DC by the Bank’s Oil, Gas and Mining division, concludes today. While some systems are unitary (like, on balance, Indonesia), many today are federal. […]
1. On March 3rd, the Obama Administration announced its support to declare the bluefish tuna endangered and to ban international trade of the fish. Japan is not happy and Europe is divided. Sushi aficionados in Japan and elsewhere have consumed bluefin for decades, causing the fish’s population to plummet. This month, representatives from 175 countries […]
A U.S. Army sergeant is suing the makers of the Oscar-nominated film “The Hurt Locker.” He says he felt betrayed because they stole his story. Master Sergeant Jeffrey S. Sarver, 38, claims in court documents the film makers turned an account of his frightening duties defusing bombs in Iraq into the much lauded action-thriller without […]
The culpability of doctors in the U.S.-run torture program bubbles up every now and then, as it did in the New York Times earlier this week. Here are some highlights: According to Justice Department memos released last year, the medical service opined that sleep deprivation up to 180 hours didn’t qualify as torture. It determined […]
Relations between the U.S. and China have become strained of late. Currency values, climate change, computer hacking, Tibet, arms sales to Taiwan, and debt concerns are just a few of the many challenges burdening the relationship. According to this newswire report, the two countries are working on addressing these issues. Two high level U.S. emissaries […]
This movie is all about desperation. It focuses on a family eking out an existence in post World War II Berlin. The main character, Edmund, is 13 years old and does what he can to help the family get by. It appears the film was shot entirely on location in rubble-strewn Berlin where people wait […]
As you might imagine, I subscribe to a number of feeds on climate, energy and sustainability. Here are a few that I highly recommend to you. Nature Reports Climate Change, from the Nature Publishing Group, is an excellent resource on climate science and related matters. Its companion blog, Climate Feedback, has timely and compelling coverage […]
The Pentagon just opened the floodgates to social networking in the military. (Wired writeup; DOD policy memo.) Given the ubiquity of Facebook today and the average age of active-duty military, this is inevitable. The increase of such technologies goes a long way to make home feel closer. A friend on a Fulbright in Bulgaria has […]
Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo responded this week to the Pre-Trial Chamber II request for clarification of information regarding the situation in Kenya. Ocampo alleged that senior political and business leaders affiliated with the two major political parties involved in the marred 2007 election, the Party of National Unity and the Orange Democratic Movement, were responsible […]
I have often written on gender inequality, especially in regards to education, however I am most often speaking of developing nations. True I have also referred to reports on the United States educational pit falls and low rankings among industrialized nations. Nonetheless when I came across the following article, Single-Sex Classes on Trial Expect Girls […]
We talk a lot about cyberwar – trying to affect real-world outcomes with electronic attacks. Here’s the opposite: America’s Army, a videogame developed by the military over the past few years to serve as a recruiting and training tool, where you use computers to virtually make things go boom. Great writeup in Foreign Policy. Also […]
Secretary Clinton is in Chile and met with President Bachelet today to offer U.S. assistance in dealing with the quake aftermath. What is the U.S. doing to help Chile? We are offering satphones and so much more. Here is a great summary, in Secretary Clinton’s own words: I was planning to be in Chile today […]
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