No, it was not a bunga bunga party (not this time at least). Rather, the bond vigilante feeding frenzy recently let loose upon Rome was triggered — depressingly — by the resolution of the (immediate) crisis in Greece. Basically, investors are playing whack-a-mole with Europe sovereigns. This July 6 piece from Bloomberg explains it all: […]
Over at The Economist's Africa-related blog, Baobob, correspondent "D.G." travels in Zimbabwe, going by vehicle from the country's capital, Harare, to Bulawayo, a trip that in good times once took about three hours but that can now take twice as long due to deteriorating road conditions and the ubiquitous reality of cops with outstretched hands […]
The 18 day protests that ousted the once thought unmovable Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak have been heralded as a model for thousands struggling across the Middle East. Yet how is Egypt faring four months after those fateful days? Months after reporters left, where does Egypt stand? From the recent reports of protesters’ return to Tahrir […]
British-American Security Information Council (BASIC) Executive Director Paul Ingram, who also does a program on Iranian telly, recently attended the second International Conference on Disarmament and Non-proliferation, which was held at the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS) from June 12 to 13. Laughable as it may seem, Paul’s participation provides […]
“Change Square” in Sana’a has become like Tahrir in Cairo, the epicenter of the Yemeni Revolution in the capital. For over 5 months now, Yemenis from all walks of lives have demonstrated day after day against a Regime they abhor, determined to bring about the fall of the House of Saleh. In recent weeks […]
The IMF has put forward a new paper on new International Evidence on Expansionary Austerity (which Krugman as well as Herdentrieb linked to). From the abstract: This paper investigates the short-term effects of fiscal consolidation on economic activity in OECD economies. We examine the historical record, including Budget Speeches and IMF documents, to identify changes […]
In a historic ceremony Saturday, South Sudan became Africa’s 54th nation. Independence from North Sudan came after a U.S.-backed referendum in January, and represents the culmination of over 50 years of conflict. New York Times columnist Jeffrey Gettleman raises an interesting question over America’s fixation on Sudan. The large country found a place at the […]
Turkey’s foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu visited Benghazi last week, where the Libyan opposition is getting stronger every day. Davutoglu was welcomed, as any other AKP official in a Muslim country, and the crowd cheered for him holding interesting posters with the words, “Thank you Erdogan, Turkey and Islam” written on them. Davutoglu was pleased. This […]
On Thursday evening, embattled and injured Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh made his first TV appearance since the attack on his compound only a few days ago. The speech, which essentially conveyed no specific message other than that he was still very much alive and kicking, ignited an array of feelings amongst his fellow countrymen. […]
Human Rights Watch, which is a leading human rights group, announced that more than a dozen of civilians were killed in the south province of Abyan in Yemen, caught in the fight between alleged al-Qaeda militants and the military. Since a group called “Ansar al Shariah” invaded Zinjibar several weeks ago and advanced on other […]
A month after the attack on his Presidential Palace, embattled Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, addressed his nation in a televised appearance from his hospital room in Saudi Arabia. This is the transcript of his speech: “I would to convey my sincere thanks to all the Yemeni people inside and outside the country, men and […]
With the worst power and fuel crisis of its history, Yemen’s already shaken economy is being pushed towards the edge of a precipice. With the majority of its people living on less than $2 per day, Yemenis are struggling to make do. Over the past few weeks, food prices have skyrocketed, forcing families to […]
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