Foreign Policy Public Health Blog

Dennis Rodman explains his North Korea visit on Twitter

Wondering what in the world former NBA star Dennis Rodman is doing conducting " basketball diplomacy " in North Korea today? Look no further than his Twitter feed , where the always-controversial "Worm" has been responding to his critics...

Published Tue, Feb 26 2013 9:06 AM by FP Passport

Berlusconi defends Mussolini at Holocaust memorial event

As I noted earlier this month, it's not particularly unusual for mainstream Italian politicians to defend Benito Mussolini these days, but a Holocaust Remembrance Day event was probably not the most appropriate forum for it: "It's difficult...

Published Mon, Jan 28 2013 10:46 AM by FP Passport

Bloggingheads: North Korea's black box of bluster

Since North Korea conducted its third nuclear test on Tuesday, Feb. 12, it's published several incendiary propaganda videos -- including one featuring President Barack Obama bursting literally into flame. For this installment of Bloggingheads, I spoke...

Published Wed, Feb 20 2013 3:10 PM by FP Passport

The feminine mystique of Kim Jong Un

On Monday, Park Geun-hye, South Korea's first female president and the daughter of the dictator who ruled the country in the 1960s and 1970s, was sworn into office. "Consider her roles: daughter, first lady, mother" writes novelist Suki...

Published Tue, Feb 26 2013 9:03 AM by FP Passport

Morning Brief: Amanda Knox freed

Amanda Knox freed Top story: An Italian court overturned the murder conviction of Amanda Knox, an American student accused of killing her roommate, Meredith Kercher. The court also reversed the conviction of Raffaele Sollecito, Knox's boyfriend at...

Published Tue, Oct 04 2011 5:02 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Morning Brief

Catalonia moves closer to independence referendum

While it doesn't seem to be quite as dramatic as some headlines are suggesting, Catalonian separatists have taken a major step t oward a potential split from Spain: The non-binding and largely symbolic resolution - which states that the people of...

Published Wed, Jan 23 2013 11:51 AM by FP Passport

KCNA keeps it succinct on Google visit

Aside from some interesting syntax, there's not much to be gleaned form the Korean Central News Agency 's report on Eric Schmidt and Bill Richardson's arrival in the country: Delegation of Google Corp. of U.S. Arrives Pyongyang, January 7...

Published Tue, Jan 08 2013 1:01 PM by FP Passport

Wait, so John Brennan is soft on terror now?

Having done some reading on John Brennan yesterday, I'm not surprised to see criticism from the left of his appointment as CIA director. After all, back in 2008, the former Bush-era CIA official was forced to withdraw his name from consideration for...

Published Tue, Jan 08 2013 7:39 AM by FP Passport

Murdoch attacked with a foam pie during testimony

Today's proceedings were interrupted for ten minutes after a man who was sitting in the fourth row of the audience " calmly walked up " to Rupert Murdoch and splattered him with a foam pie, yelling "Greedy." Murdoch's wife...

Published Tue, Jul 19 2011 9:25 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Europe, Media, Flash Points

Reactor reaction: 5 countries joining Japan in rethinking nuclear energy

It can hardly come as a surprise that embattled Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan announced today his country would move away from nuclear fuel and toward renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and biomass. After all, the March 11 earthquake and tsunami...

Published Wed, Jul 13 2011 11:18 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Japan

Paris Hilton takes Mecca

Paris Hilton, darling of tabloid papers and the star of a notorious sex tape, has opened a new store in the most bizarre of locales: the Islamic holy city of Mecca. What could go wrong? "Loving my beautiful new store that just opened at Mecca Mall...

Published Mon, Nov 19 2012 11:42 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Middle East, Fun Stuff, Saudi Arabia

December 2012

Cover Image: Link: http://www.foreignpolicy.com/node/1411012 Preview Link: http://www.zinio.com/express3?issn=0015-7228 Story1 Section: Cover Story Story1 Title: The 2012 Global Thinkers List Story1 Link: http://www.foreignpolicy.com/2012globalthinkers...

Published Sun, Nov 25 2012 6:41 PM by FP Passport

Decline Watch: New York's cocaine come down

Thanks to a sluggish economy, and slightly less astronomical Wall Street bonuses , New Yorkers apparently no longer move snowflakes by the OZ. The New York Post reports : Cocaine-related emergency-room admissions, overdoses and requests for rehab have...

Published Mon, Sep 26 2011 7:33 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Decline Watch

The end of the Al Jazeera decade?

The sudden resignation this morning of Al Jazeera director-general Wadah Khanfar sent shockwaves through the Arab media world, leading to intense speculation about whether the relative freedom the satellite network had enjoyed is about to come to an end...

Published Tue, Sep 20 2011 10:05 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Media, Arab World

Morning Brief: Syrian forces kill 'hundreds' near Damascus

Syrian forces kill 'hundreds' near Damascus Top news: Six consecutive days of fighting in Damascus's Jdaidet Artouz and Jdaidet al-Fadel suburbs have left as many as several hundred dead, according to anti-regime activists. The increased violence...

Published Mon, Apr 22 2013 5:36 AM by FP Passport