Foreign Policy Public Health Blog

Your least shocking news of the day...

Saudi Arabia is very concerned about "Climategate": As 15,000 delegates from 192 nations began what was billed as the "last, best chance" to avert a catastrophic rise in sea and air temperatures, Saudi Arabia's chief climate negotiator...

Published Mon, Dec 07 2009 10:38 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Environment

Afghanistan hearing day

Today marks the start of a grueling set of four congressional hearings for U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry and Gen. Stanley McChrystal: Tuesday 9:30 a.m., House Armed Services Committee ( HASC ), Chaired by Rep. Ike Skelton Tuesday 1:30...

Published Tue, Dec 08 2009 6:28 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Afghanistan, Central Asia, Obama Administration, U.S. Foreign Policy, Military, U.S. Congress

John Kerry: End the Cuba travel ban

In a St. Petersburg Times op-ed today, Sen. John Kerry criticizes the U.S. embargo on Cuba, saying it has "manifestly failed for over 50 years" and announces his support for a bil that would lift the ban on U.S. citizens traveling to Cuba: I...

Published Tue, Dec 08 2009 10:49 AM by FP Passport

A sneak peak at the State Department's campaign to take out two American jihadists

On Wednesday, the State Department posted a multimillion-dollar bounty on the heads of two Americans suspected of joining al-Shabab, an al Qaeda affiliate in Somalia. The two men, Alabama native Omar Shafik Hammami and California native Jehad Serwan Mostafa...

Published Thu, Mar 21 2013 3:55 PM by FP Passport

The problem with Obama's appeal to Israeli youth: they're the least likely to believe in peace

In his forceful speech before a youthful, applause-happy crowd in Jerusalem on Thursday, President Obama directed his remarks on the moribund peace process at young Israelis . "You have the opportunity to be the generation that permanently secures...

Published Fri, Mar 22 2013 11:40 AM by FP Passport

This Belgian politician is accused of conspiring to overthrow Congo's government

He's got a winning smile, but the Democratic Republic of Congo isn't laughing. Belgian member of parliament Laurent Louis, pictured above, was accused of conspiring to overthrow the Congolese government on Friday in an alleged plot that included...

Published Fri, Mar 22 2013 3:50 PM by FP Passport

This is the secret airline that's reportedly flooding Syria with weapons

Today's New York Times uncovers the clandestine effort by the CIA and Arab governments to deliver military aid to rebel fighters in Syria through an airlift involving more than 160 flights of military-style cargo planes owned by Arab governments....

Published Mon, Mar 25 2013 9:40 AM by FP Passport

North Korea turns volume of missile systems up to 11

North Korea issued a new threat to the United States on Tuesday saying its long-range field artillery units are now on the "highest alert" possible. Like turning an amplifier " up to eleven " -- a concept that doesn't actually...

Published Tue, Mar 26 2013 11:19 AM by FP Passport

Esquire stands by its Osama bin Laden story amid storm of criticism

Esquire's bombshell cover story about the "the man who killed Osama bin Laden" is being pulled apart at the seams, but in a statement to Foreign Policy , the magazine says "We stand by our story." On Tuesday, CNN's national...

Published Wed, Mar 27 2013 7:35 AM by FP Passport

Morning Brief: North Korea severs military hotline with South

North Korea severs military hotline with South Top news: North Korea severed its only line of communication with the South Korean military on Wednesday, saying that north-south military communication is unnecessary when "a war may break out at any...

Published Thu, Mar 28 2013 5:42 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Morning Brief

Latest Israeli-Palestinian land dispute centers on shrinking Dead Sea

In a country where land is such a precious commodity, you might think that suddenly having more acreage would be a blessing. Instead, it's sparked yet another political fight. As it has for decades, the water level of the Dead Sea is dropping at a...

Published Thu, Mar 28 2013 3:00 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Environment, Middle East, Israel/Palestine, Business

For a lesson on marriage equality, look to Mexico (which looked to the U.S.)

In 2005 , Canada became the first country in the Americas and the third in the world to legalize gay marriage nationwide. Since then, it has been held up as a counterpoint in discussions about the United States' own lack of progress on the issue....

Published Fri, Mar 29 2013 11:00 AM by FP Passport

Morning Brief: Tensions increase on the Korean peninsula

Tensions increase on the Korean peninsula Top news: Tensions on the Korean peninsula were further ratcheted up over the weekend, as North Korea announced that it is in a "state of war" with the South, leading the United States to deploy stealth...

Published Mon, Apr 01 2013 7:12 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Morning Brief

White House: All quiet on the 38th parallel -- still

Pushing back against reporting in an article by the Washington Free Beacon , the White House reiterated on Monday that North Korea has not altered its military posture since its steep uptick in belligerent rhetoric last week. In a Monday press briefing...

Published Mon, Apr 01 2013 3:50 PM by FP Passport

Iran gains upper hand in ice cream cold war with United States

Iran may have just scored a massive, albeit largely symbolic, victory in its cold war with the United States. And it is a very cold war -- because the battle being waged is over ice cream. On Monday, the Iranian ice cream company Choopan appeared to unseat...

Published Tue, Apr 02 2013 10:50 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Politics, Middle East, Food/Agriculture, Iran, Cool