Foreign Policy Public Health Blog

It's winter again for Chinese dissidents

Earlier this evening eight police raided the home of prominent Chinese dissident Hu Jia, confiscated two computers, and told him to report to a police station for further questioning on Thursday , in a move that potentially presages a further crackdown...

Published Wed, Jan 11 2012 8:54 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: East Asia

Playmates, Tweeters, and Yetis: Meet the Duma's class of 2012

A boxer, a nude model, a tennis star, and a reindeer expert walk into parliament. It's not the set-up for a bad joke, it's Russian politics. Despite receiving a lower-than-expected share of the vote in this year's elections, the ruling United...

Published Wed, Dec 14 2011 12:46 PM by FP Passport

Who you calling persuaded?

Close readers of this New York Times article -- in which a top U.S. official goes on the record to push back against reports suggesting that Israel is about to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities -- noticed right away that the original title, " U...

Published Fri, Aug 20 2010 8:31 AM by FP Passport

Where would people live in a borderless world?

Gallup has just released its 2010 Potential Net Migration Index , an interesting survey that estimates what would happen to countries' populations if everyone in the world who wanted to migrate were able to. The biggest gainer percentage-wise would...

Published Fri, Aug 20 2010 8:29 AM by FP Passport

The Indispensable Axis

Time magazine's cover current package is the third of their annual “10 Ideas” issues; this time it’s forward-oriented, focused on " 10 Ideas That Will Shape the Next Ten Years. " One of those is a piece on the U.S.-China relationship by...

Published Mon, Mar 15 2010 9:45 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: East Asia, China

Morning Brief: Aid from flotilla makes its way to Gaza

Aid from flotilla makes its way to Gaza Top story: Humanitarian aid from the Gaza-bound flotilla, which the Israel Defense Forces raided when it attempted to breach its blockade on May 31, killing nine, began arriving in Gaza by land. The cargo had been...

Published Thu, Jul 01 2010 5:00 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Morning Brief

Colombian court: U.S. base agreement unconstitutional

Colombia's top court may have just put new President Juan Manuel Santos in something of a tough spot : The Colombian constitutional court ruled yesterday that last year's agreement giving the US military access to more bases in the country is...

Published Wed, Aug 18 2010 8:10 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Latin America, Military

Friday Photo: Summertime in Lahore

LAHORE, PAKISTAN - JULY 9: Children play on the scaffolding of the the Wazir Khan Mosque in the walled city of Old Lahore on July 9, 2010 in Lahore, Pakistan. The Mosque was built in 1634-35 during the reign of Mughal Emperor Shahjehan by Ilam-Ud_Dinansari...

Published Fri, Jul 09 2010 1:34 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Friday Photo

The other Google-China beef - By Brian Fung

Ever since the Great Sino-Google Meltdown of 2010 began in January with a massive Chinese cyberattack on Google's e-mail service -- to which Google retaliated by lifting the filter on its mainland search results -- international observers have framed...

Published Fri, Jul 09 2010 12:41 PM by FP Passport

Brazilian presidential candidates promise lack of change we can believe in

The two most prominent presidential hopefuls in the upcoming Brazilian elections have launched their campaigns. Now each is fighting tooth and nail to prove one thing: that he or she is the most cautious, the most predictable, the most moderate candidate...

Published Fri, Jul 09 2010 12:04 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Politics, South America

Just what is a European Socialist these days?

Last night, Greece's parliament approved a controversial pension reform plan which would raise the retirement age to 65 -- many Greeks currently retire around 50 -- reduce payouts, and make it easier for companies to fire workers. Just how upset are...

Published Thu, Jul 08 2010 10:46 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Europe, Economics

Morning Brief: Homs assault persists as Russia pursues diplomacy

Homs assault persists as Russia pursues diplomacy Top story: Syrian forces are bombarding the city of Homs for a fifth straight day, not long after President Bashar al-Assad met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to discuss the conflict. Lavrov...

Published Wed, Feb 08 2012 5:20 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Morning Brief

Cuba embargo turns 50

50 years ago this week, President John F. Kennedy signed an executive order embargoing all trade with Fidel Castro's Cuba: Whereas the Eighth Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Serving as Organ of Consultation in Application...

Published Wed, Feb 08 2012 8:13 AM by FP Passport

Even death won't stop prosecution of Russian lawyer

In a move straight out of Kafka, Russian police are taking the unusual step of filing new tax evasion charges against lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who died in their custody two years ago: The trial of the defendant, Sergei L. Magnitsky, would be the first...

Published Wed, Feb 08 2012 8:55 AM by FP Passport

Friday photo: Christmas trees that confirm national stereotypes

An Emirati man walks past an 11-million-dollar Christmas tree at the Emirates Palace hotel in the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi on December 15, 2010. Christmas came in extravagant fashion to the Muslim desert emirate of Abu Dhabi as a glitzy hotel unveiled...

Published Fri, Dec 17 2010 3:55 PM by FP Passport