Is the outraged French response to the shooting death of four of its forces in Afghanistan by a suspected Afghan soldier Friday a sign that Paris may speed the pull out of its troops from the NATO-led operation? Or is the …
Rushdie’s Lit Festival No-Show: A Defeat for Free Expression in India
Salman Rushdie cancelled his scheduled appearance at the Jaipur Literary Festival on Friday with an explanation worthy of one of his own improbable plotlines: “I have now been informed by intelligence sources in Maharashtra and …
Unsafe at Sea: Asia’s History of Deadly Ferry Disasters
The sinking of the Costa Concordia raises critical questions about maritime safety. The issue is particularly important in parts of South and East Asia, where millions of people rely on often poorly maintained ferries to get …
Global Briefing, Jan. 20, 2012: Falklands, France and a Failed Coup
Behind Bangladesh’s Failed Coup Plot: A History of Violence
The Bangladeshi military announced Jan. 19 it had foiled a coup plot to unseat the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Sheik Hasina. An army spokesman pinned the “heinous conspiracy” on mid-ranking officers …
Obama to Brazil: Send Us Your Affluent, Money-Spending Masses
If I were a restaurant owner, I might cut back a bit on Coca-Cola and stock some Guaraná. That’s the favorite soft drink in Brazil, whose tourists, propelled by the emerging giant’s roaring economy, have been spending money …
Republic of Jamaica: Why Ditching the British Queen Isn’t Enough
Jamaicans don’t have a lot to celebrate as they mark their golden anniversary of independence this year. Their unemployment rate is almost twice that of the Caribbean region as a whole; their government is still reeling from a …
Prime Minister’s Supreme Court Appearance Pushes Pakistan Back from the Brink
Of late, Pakistani politicians could best be described as roulette players, betting the bank on singular gambits designed to win big political concessions, or at least the momentary attention of a rabid electronic media. But on …
Global Briefing, Jan. 19, 2012: Asia, Abortion and Afghanistan
Imagining Asia — Foreign Policy uses the case of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrihim to challenge the enduring myth that so-called “Asian values” are a barrier to democratization in the countries of East and Southeast
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Why the World Should Ignore the Presidential Campaign Foreign Policy Debates
As Republican presidential contenders prepare for yet another televised primary debate in South Carolina on Thursday, much of the world may be wondering who’ll be the next victim of some ignorant insult. Already, the GOP primary …
From Darkness to Light: How One Afghan Girl Struggled for a Better Future
Meet Nilab Nusrat, a courageous and talented teenager from Afghanistan with a powerful story to tell
Author Who Fled China Details Abuse by Authorities
Dissident Chinese writer Yu Jie held a press conference Wednesday in Washington, D.C., to describe the abuse that drove him to flee to the U.S. with his family last week. Yu, the author of more than a dozen books including the …
Sarkozy Hopes To Lift Grim Re-Election Odds with Unexpected Reform Drive
For readers following the up-hill re-election efforts ofFrench President Nicolas Sarkozy, I’d like to point out a couple of good pieces on the “social summit” the Elysée is hosting Wednesday in its attempts to push through …