April 2013 - Foreign Policy Public Health Blog

North Korean aggression: the soundtrack

"Leader, Just Give Us Your Order" KCNA North Korea's threats have dominated international news over the past month. But a quick scan of North Korea's state-run news agency KCNA suggests we've been missing something: Pyongyang's...

Published Wed, Apr 10 2013 12:20 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: North Korea, East Asia, Culture, Media

Fewer than 2 percent of drone-strike victims in Pakistan are senior al Qaeda leaders

Despite White House assurances that its lethal drone policy merely targets "senior operational leaders " of al Qaeda and its associates, a new McClatchy report finds that the majority of drone targets in Pakistan include a mix of unidentified...

Published Wed, Apr 10 2013 10:45 AM by FP Passport

Literal skeletons found in deposed president's closet (OK, garage)

Looters ransacking one of the deserted homes of former Central African Republic President François Bozizé apparently made an extremely unpleasant discovery last month after rebels overthrew the government : two human skeletons stashed in two holes beneath...

Published Wed, Apr 10 2013 9:35 AM by FP Passport

Morning Brief: Korean armed forces raise alert level

Korean armed forces raise alert level Top news: U.S. and South Korean troops increased their military alert level amid indications that North Korea is on the verge of a missile launch that would deliver on weeks of bellicose rhetoric from Pyongyang. "Based...

Published Wed, Apr 10 2013 5:40 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Morning Brief

America's flawed Cuba policy: Bey and Jay edition

Last week, Beyonce and Jay-Z, the royal couple of American pop music, made a surprise visit to Cuba to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary. Strolling through the streets of Havana, the celebrities were greeted by huge crowds, and Cuban authorities...

Published Tue, Apr 09 2013 4:30 PM by FP Passport

10 years after Saddam, is Iraq a U.S. ally?

Is Iraq a U.S. ally? Judging by his Washington Post op-ed this morning, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki seems to think so: Iraq is not a protectorate of the United States; it is a sovereign partner. Partners do not always agree, but they consider...

Published Tue, Apr 09 2013 2:55 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Middle East, U.S. Foreign Policy, Iraq, International Relations, Democracy

Madonna had a really bad trip to Malawi

The Material Girl made a trip to Malawi over the past week. Suffice it to say it did not go well. Among the slights the one-name-only star endured: Though she was given VIP status in the airport upon arrival, on her way out of the country her special...

Published Tue, Apr 09 2013 2:40 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Africa, Celebs, Education

Margaret Thatcher's legacy -- in political cartoons

Margaret Thatcher's death on Monday has prompted a great deal of reflection on the Iron Lady's many legacies. But one in particular has been less explored: the former British prime minister's recurring appearance in political cartoons. "She...

Published Tue, Apr 09 2013 2:10 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Europe, Britain, Culture, Media

Scotland's independence leader on how Margaret Thatcher helped Scottish nationalism

Scotland is currently gearing up for an independence referendum scheduled for Sept. 18, 2014. If it passes, independence advocates hope the country could become the world's newest nation as soon as 2016. First Minister Alex Salmond, leader of the...

Published Tue, Apr 09 2013 12:20 PM by FP Passport

Syrian Alawites in their own words

Most Western coverage of Syria understandably focuses on places and people journalists can access. There have been many articles from opposition-held areas, interviews with rebel fighters and anti-regime activists, and reports on the humanitarian crisis...

Published Tue, Apr 09 2013 6:03 AM by FP Passport

Morning Brief: Japan deploys interceptor missiles to Tokyo in anticipation of North Korean test

Japan deploys interceptor missiles to Tokyo in anticipation of North Korean test Top news: In anticipation of a possible missile test by North Korea, Japan deployed a Patriot antimissile battery to central Tokyo and moved warships equipped with Aegis...

Published Tue, Apr 09 2013 5:50 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Morning Brief

Britain debates: Is it OK to celebrate the death of Margaret Thatcher?

Perhaps nothing speaks to how polarizing a figure Margaret Thatcher was (and continues to be) than the varied reactions to her passing. As the day comes to a close, many in Britain have mourned the former prime minister's death, including current...

Published Mon, Apr 08 2013 4:20 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Europe

Was Margaret Thatcher Britain's greatest post-war prime minister?

The rare public figure as beloved by some as she was reviled by others, Margaret Thatcher, who died today at 87, was the first female prime minister in British history and a world leader who arguably did more than anyone else to usher in today's free...

Published Mon, Apr 08 2013 4:00 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Europe, Britain, History

The next big thing in Japanese technology: coat-girlfriends

From the country that brought you the virtual-girlfriend game Love Plus comes the latest breakthrough in dating simulation: Japanese students at the University of Tsukuba have apparently invented the Riajyuu Coat , a jacket that hugs you and comes with...

Published Mon, Apr 08 2013 3:20 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Science & Technology, Fun Stuff, Southeast Asia

Exiled Chinese dissident suggests exiling Bo Xilai

At a conference at Duke University this weekend, I met Han Dongfang, a Hong Kong-based dissident imprisoned after the June 4, 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. Han, who runs the labor rights organization China Labour Bulletin, hasn't been back in mainland...

Published Mon, Apr 08 2013 11:59 AM by FP Passport