Foreign Policy Public Health Blog

Where in the world is Maksim Bakiyev?

While his father's regime was being overthrown back in Kyrgyzstan, Maksim Bakiyev -- who was the head of the country's Agency for Investment and Economic Development -- was on his way to the U.S. for a series of meetings in Washington. The new...

Published Mon, Apr 19 2010 9:55 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Politics, Central Asia

Summoning Syria

The U.S. State Department summoned Syria's top diplomat in Washington, Zouheir Jabbour, to rebuke his government for transferring arms to Hezbollah. This was apparently the fourth time in recent weeks that the United States had raised these concerns...

Published Tue, Apr 20 2010 7:39 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Terrorism, Middle East, Israel/Palestine, Intelligence, U.S. Foreign Policy, Syria

Morning Brief: Europe's ash crisis coming to an end

Europe's ash crisis coming to an end Top news: Britain's Heathrow airport became the last major European hub to reopen on Tuesday night, ending -- for now -- an unprecedented six-day closure of the continent's airspace by ash from Iceland...

Published Wed, Apr 21 2010 6:06 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Morning Brief

Chinese Netizens on U.S. Government Shutdown: We Want One of Our Own

This is a guest post from Liz Carter, a senior contributor to FP 's Tea Leaf Nation. As the U.S. federal government hurtles into shutdown mode, many in the United States have responded with anger or shame; here at FP , for instance, Gordon Adams compares...

Published Tue, Oct 01 2013 3:08 PM by FP Passport

Good News: The United States Still Isn't a Failed State

Yes, the U.S. government shutdown is equal parts embarrassing and infuriating. Yes, it is putting the kibosh on services as basic as food programs and flu shots . But no, the United States is still not a failed state, much as many people seem to be enjoying...

Published Wed, Oct 02 2013 3:20 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Security, Politics, U.S. Congress

This is the Fifth 'Attack' at the Capitol in 40 Years

The U.S. Capitol complex is no stranger to violence. The latest evidence of that came on Thursday afternoon, when a woman was shot after leading police on a car chase from the White House to the Capitol. But the car chase and shooting wasn't an isolated...

Published Thu, Oct 03 2013 1:20 PM by FP Passport

Just How Free Is Shanghai's New Free Trade Zone?

This is a guest post from Lotus Yuen, a China-based writer and a regular contributor to FP 's Tea Leaf Nation. Two weeks after taking office in March 2013, China's Premier Li Keqiang announced that Shanghai, the country's financial capital...

Published Fri, Oct 04 2013 9:30 AM by FP Passport

Banksy Spoofs Syrian Rebels, Al Jazeera, and Disney

The British graffiti artist who goes by the pseudonym Banksy has delved into the world of Middle Eastern politics, posting a video on his website that spoofs both the Syrian rebels and a beloved animated Disney character. The fabricated video, which features...

Published Mon, Oct 07 2013 9:46 AM by FP Passport

Morning Brief: Raid on al Qaeda Suspect Brings Controversy in Libya as al-Libi Held at Sea

Raid on al Qaeda Suspect Brings Controversy in Libya as al-Libi Held at Sea Top News: The raid on Saturday in Tripoli that captured Nazih Abdul-Hamed al-Ruqai, better known by his al Qaeda alias, Abu Anas al-Libi, is generating controversy in Libya. Jihadists...

Published Tue, Oct 08 2013 4:30 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Morning Brief

World Markets to Congress: You're Not Being Serious, Right?!

There's no end in sight to the standoff on Capitol Hill, and that had markets reacting with something of a nervous laugh on Tuesday. If market graphs could speak, they might be asking lawmakers in Washington something like the following: "You...

Published Tue, Oct 08 2013 5:34 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: U.S. Congress, Economics

Why the Bestselling Chinese Book of All Time Is Out of Print

During the disastrous decade-long Cultural Revolution, The Quotations of Chairman Mao , a slender volume of the leader's sayings, replaced literature and learning. People would sometimes greet each other using quotes from the book, or give the books...

Published Wed, Oct 09 2013 2:30 PM by FP Passport

Rogue Thai general shot in the head

I'd say the simmering situation in Thailand is about to boil over : A renegade Thai general was shot in Bangkok on Thursday as the military planned to encircle the barricaded encampment of antigovernment demonstrators. Gen. Khattiya Sawatdiphol, 59...

Published Thu, May 13 2010 6:33 AM by FP Passport

The world's most dangerous banknote

The Independent has a fascinating piece on British authorities' efforts to stamp out the €500 bill (about $627), a denomination apparently favored by organized crime: This is why a little-remarked-upon development in official policy on the denominations...

Published Thu, May 13 2010 4:12 PM by FP Passport

Mixed signals from Medvedev

It's ben an interesting week for Russian foreign policy watchers. First, a leaked paper out of Russia's foreign ministry, called for the country to seek better relations with the U.S. and European Union in order to spur foreign investment: The...

Published Fri, May 14 2010 1:25 PM by FP Passport

Iraq to World Cup: FYI, we saved you from al Qaeda

The timing and tone of this announcement do seem just a tad suspicious: Iraqi security forces have arrested a Saudi al-Qaeda member who an official said on Monday was involved in a plot to attack next month's World Cup soccer tournament in South Africa...

Published Mon, May 17 2010 11:04 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Iraq, World Cup