Foreign Policy Public Health Blog

So, Apple, You're Now the World's Top Brand: Here's the Fate That Awaits You

On Monday, Apple (and, in second place, Google) surpassed Coca-Cola as the most valuable brand in the world according to an annual report by the consultancy Interbrand -- a title the beverage behemoth has claimed since the start of the report's run...

Published Tue, Oct 01 2013 2:00 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: North America, France, Diplomacy, Fun Stuff, South America, U.S. Foreign Policy, South Asia, Food/Agriculture, Caucasus, India, Business, Trade, Venezuela

The World Isn't Sure What to Make of Ted Cruz: the 'Man Who Blocked America'

As the world has turned its gaze to the U.S. government shutdown -- what the Russian news service RT has called "the harebrained antics of Congress," and Germany's Der Spiegel has attributed to the actions of "Die Kamikaze Partei,"...

Published Wed, Oct 02 2013 2:30 PM by FP Passport

Google Imperialism: Mapping the World's Most Popular Websites

Sure, it's not all that surprising that Google and Facebook are the most visited websites in almost every country. But what's more interesting is where they're not . Using public data from the web traffic service Alexa, the Oxford Internet...

Published Thu, Oct 03 2013 10:50 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Science & Technology, China, Internet, Business

Morning Brief: GOP Pivots Toward Broader Budget Deal As Obama Cancels Asia Trip Over Shutdown

GOP Pivots Toward Broader Budget Deal As Obama Cancels Asia Trip Over Shutdown Top news: With the federal government shutdown in its fourth day, senior congressional Republicans appeared to back off their plan to undercut Barack Obama's landmark health...

Published Fri, Oct 04 2013 6:19 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Morning Brief

Libyans Rail Against American Raid on Facebook and IRL

CAIRO, Egypt - "We will begin kidnapping Americans wherever they are found in Libya, God willing." For the United States, the capture of al Qaeda leader Nazih al-Ruqai, a longtime operative of the terror organization, was an unvarnished victory...

Published Mon, Oct 07 2013 9:26 AM by FP Passport

Shutdown Watch: America's Trade Agenda Flounders

Trade talks between the United States and the European Union are on hold , China is promoting a rival Asian trade bloc in President Obama's absence, and Jason Furman, the chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, is apparently answering...

Published Mon, Oct 07 2013 4:30 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: U.S. Foreign Policy, U.S. Congress, Trade

They Love Twerking in Tunisia: Mapping the World's Most Popular YouTube Videos

After watching the world's most popular YouTube videos, I've reached one conclusion: Everyone loves Miley Cyrus. Well, almost everyone. The map above is a rough guide to the popularity of the singer's controversial music video "Wrecking...

Published Tue, Oct 08 2013 3:00 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Culture, Media

Obama's Fed Nominee Was Pivoting to Asia Long Before He Was

Asian markets seemed pleased by the news, which broke Tuesday evening (or Wednesday morning, Asia time) that President Obama would nominate Janet Yellen for the position of Fed chair this afternoon. Policymakers in the region, who'd been cheering...

Published Wed, Oct 09 2013 2:00 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: East Asia, Obama Administration, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Economics, Finance, Business

Morning Brief: All Smiles at Obama-Karzai Meeting; Thai Protests Pressured

All Smiles at Obama-Karzai Meeting; Thai Protests Pressured In a show of unity, the joint news conference held by U.S. President Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai in the White House East Room avoided the issues that had strained relations between...

Published Thu, May 13 2010 4:37 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Morning Brief

Will this ugly shirt be Hatoyama's downfall?

Japan's fashionistas are not happy with the shirt Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama is wearing in the above photo: The sartorial decision provoked a fierce attack from the fashion critic Don Konishi. He said: "This shirt comes from the '80s or...

Published Thu, May 13 2010 2:39 PM by FP Passport

Live: The False Religion of Middle East Peace

Webcam chat at Ustream Video --> Please join the New America Foundation's Middle East Task Force, Foreign Policy Magazine , and the Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS) in hosting a discussion for the official launch of the Middle...

Published Fri, May 14 2010 1:43 PM by FP Passport

North Korean ships enter Southern waters as Seoul prepares sinking report

This didn't get much attention yesterday, but there's been more tension along the Korean sea border: South Korean Navy vessels fired warning shots, turning back two North Korean patrol boats that had entered South Korean territory, military officials...

Published Mon, May 17 2010 11:34 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: North Korea

Obama's aunt granted asylum

After a decade-long legal battle, President Barack Obama's Kenyan aunt, Zeituni Onyango -- remembered as "Auntie Zeituni" in Obama's Dreams From My Father , has won the right to remain in the United States. The basis for Onyango's...

Published Mon, May 17 2010 2:43 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Migration/Immigration

Nuking the Gulf spill

Navy submarine vet and Columbia University nuclear policy scholar Christopher Brownfield has an odd post over at the Daily Beast on a potential solution for the Gulf oil spill. He begins: On Day 1 of the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico, my gut instinct...

Published Tue, May 18 2010 9:01 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Nukes

Pakistan bans Facebook over "Everybody Draw Mohammed" page

Pakistan's government has ordered Internet service providers to block Facebook after protests against a page that encourages users to draw the Prophet Mohammed. The "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day" page was set up in response to Comedy Central's...

Published Wed, May 19 2010 8:38 AM by FP Passport