Foreign Policy Public Health Blog

What the international press is saying about the U.S. debt debacle

With just five days remaining for Congress and the White House to agree on a deal to solve the U.S. debt limit crisis, it's not just Americans who are frustrated and concerned about the prospects of a government default. The most strident commentary...

Published Fri, Jul 29 2011 1:29 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Media

Morning Brief: Libyan military chief killed

Libyan military chief killed Top story: Abdel Fatah Younis, the military chief for Libya's rebel forces, was assassinated along with two aides in the de facto rebel capital of Benghazi yesterday. Mustafa Abdul Jalil, the head of the rebel Transitional...

Published Fri, Jul 29 2011 5:09 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Morning Brief

The strange, unexplained death of the Libyan rebels’ military chief

A tumultuous day for the Libyan rebels culminated with the announcement that Gen. Abdel Fateh Younis, the chief of staff of the Libyan Transitional Council's (TNC) armed forces, has been assassinated. Rumors had been swirling on Thursday, July 28...

Published Thu, Jul 28 2011 6:04 PM by FP Passport

Europe to Washington: Hurry it up already

Europeans know a thing or two about down-to-the-wire debt deals , but with time running out in Washington to reach an agreement before a catastrophic default that could have devastating spillover effects around the globe, European leaders are sweating...

Published Thu, Jul 28 2011 3:30 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Europe, Politics, Economics

Rumor Mill on the Nile

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Only six months ago in Egypt, speculating about President Mubarak's health could land you in prison. Now it is a national pastime...

Published Thu, Jul 28 2011 1:29 PM by FP Passport

Medvedev eyes a career in rap?

Do you like the news? Do you like rap music? Then how about news … in the form of rap music! That's the airtight logic behind RIA Novosti's Rap Info , which features rappers delivering the news in Russian. Among its fans is none other than Russian...

Published Thu, Jul 28 2011 1:01 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Russia, Fun Stuff

The Wenzhou debacle gets even weirder

The furor over the Saturday night train crash last weekend in eastern China that killed at least 39 people and injured at least 192 has left the Chinese government scrambling to control public reaction. But its efforts may be doing the ruling Communist...

Published Thu, Jul 28 2011 12:57 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Disasters, Science & Technology, China, Media

Is Iran working with al Qaeda? And is there a Qatari connection?

The Treasury Department today named six alleged al Qaeda operatives that it said were members of a network that worked to facilitate the moving of "money, facilitators and operatives from across the Middle East to South Asia" in cooperation...

Published Thu, Jul 28 2011 11:58 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: al Qaeda

South Korean floods carry a new threat

A deep freight train rumble struck South Korea's capital as a series of landslides engulfed entire villages. Screams resounded from buildings as they were dragged down mud rivers. Drivers scrambled to their car roofs as entire portions of the highway...

Published Thu, Jul 28 2011 11:51 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Disasters, East Asia

Israel and South Sudan announce full diplomatic ties

The world's newest state -- South Sudan -- and Israel today established full diplomatic relations , and will soon exchange ambassadors. The move was not a surprise. South Sudan's Vice President Riek Machar said two weeks ago that his country would...

Published Thu, Jul 28 2011 9:30 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Africa, Middle East, Sudan

Morning Brief: Chinese officials blame design flaws for deadly crash

Chinese officials blame design flaws for deadly crash Top story: A high-speed train crash that resulted in the deaths of 39 people in eastern China was the result of a faulty signaling device, according to Chinese railway officials. The device reportedly...

Published Thu, Jul 28 2011 5:01 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Morning Brief

Bikini car washes for Putin

He drives sweet cars . He tranquilizes tigers . He rides horses bare-chested . Yes, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is a man's man, and it's driving the ladies crazy, if two pro-Putin stunts from the last week are any guide. The first came...

Published Wed, Jul 27 2011 3:14 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Russia

Pakistan’s glamorous new foreign minister wows India

She's young , stylish, sharp and pretty, and Indians are falling for her. Yep, it seems that Pakistan's new 34-year-old foreign minister, Hina Rabbani Khar, has accomplished what years of tense diplomacy haven't been able to -- create some...

Published Wed, Jul 27 2011 2:07 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Pakistan, South Asia, India

Al-Shabab: Samosas are too Christian

In al-Shabab-controlled regions of Somalia, anything deemed un-Islamic is outlawed. This includes mustaches, the World Cup, wearing bras, and dancing at weddings. The militant Islamist group recently added something new to that list: Samosas . How can...

Published Wed, Jul 27 2011 11:18 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Security, Africa, Human Rights, Somalia

Going green in China's coastal waters

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Beachgoers in China looking to kick back at the shores of the country's beer capital might want to think twice. An algae bloom off the eastern coast of Qingdao, in Shandong...

Published Wed, Jul 27 2011 11:07 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Environment, China