The Egyptian revolution could best be described as a pivotal moment in the history of the Arab peoples, and the Middle East more broadly. Inspired by events in Tunisia, the liberal minded youth of Egypt took to the streets in a display of mass defiance. Within days a wide strata of the Egyptian polity joined […]
As many of us here at foreignpolicyblogs.com noted during the presidential race, this was an election centered around the economy and not foreign policy. Tuesday night’s State of the Union address continued this dynamic, with foreign policy issues receiving only a passing mention. I expected President Obama to more explicitly build on the “foreign policy […]
Were I looking to invest in sovereign fixed income, say to pay for a house or travel one day, Bolivia is probably not the first place I would look. However, as of last fall, many institutional money managers disagree with me. Last October, the Bolivian government issued $500 million in bonds at the comparatively […]
If They Build It, Will the Kardashians Come? By Peter Savodnik The New York Times Magazine Azerbaijan is rich — oil rich — pushing one million barrels of crude oil through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipepline per day. Perched on the Caspian and with a massive energy sector, it’s no wonder it was the fastest growing economy […]
According to today’s news report, the Pentagon has decided to cancel the deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman two days before it was scheduled to leave and head to the Persian Gulf. Since 2010, the U.S. has tried to maintain a two carrier presence in the Persian Gulf to counter Iran’s threats to […]
Over the course of the last two weeks the African Cup of Nations football tournament has been playing out its myriad dramas across the host nation of South Africa. Historically played every in even numbered years, The Confederation of African Football (CAF) decided to switch to an odd-numbered-year format in no small part so as […]
Yesterday, February 6, 2013, marked the tenth anniversary of the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C), also known as female circumcision or female genital cutting (FGC). The day was established by the United Nations to generate awareness of FGM and to promote its eradication. The day was established ten years ago, […]
Reacting to a United Nations Security Council’s Jan. 28, 2013 press release that cilled on the Haitian government to hold free, fair, inclusive and credible senatorial and municipal elections that are 14-months overdue, Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe reiterated his administration’s determination to organize elections this year, an exercise the note stressed “Is important to maintain […]
Last Friday, Hillary Clinton left her post as Secretary of State as one of the most traveled secretaries of all time. She’s leaving with an approval rating of 70%, higher than any outgoing secretary of state measured since 1948, with the exception of Colin Powell. Clinton has said she’s going to catch up on 20 […]
On January 28, a band playing in the popular Kiss nightclub in Santa Maria, Brazil decided to add some flare to their show — literally. Gurizada Fandangueira, a country music band lit an outdoor use flare, the cheapest available, which in turn ignited flammable soundproofing foam on the ceiling. The cost of this polytechnic performance? […]
Editor’s Note: The following is a guest contributing piece by Adam Hedengren. Mr. Hedengren is co-founder and managing editor of YourMiddleEast.com ____________________________________________________________ Young surfers on the beaches of Gaza, war in Gaza, media censorship in Tunisia, a Libyan boxer and an Algerian painter, youth unemployment, startups in the Emirates, Lebanese pop stars, food crisis in Yemen […]
Since Rafael Correa was elected president of Ecuador in 2006, the country has become a study in new socialism. It is new because it combines the social aspect of socialism while also relying on market forces. Ecuador, like many developing countries, has suffered from the ill effects of “dependencia,” a system that keeps the nation […]
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