Foreign Policy Public Health Blog

Say it ain't so, sumo!

Apparently, gambling and organized crime have become as entrenched in sumo wrestling culture as topknots and obesity. Taking a page from the Gambino crime family , dozens of sumo wrestlers and their managers have admitted to betting on baseball games...

Published Thu, Jul 15 2010 7:30 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Corruption, East Asia

Will necktie fatwas unravel Iran's leadership?

There's conflict brewing between President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the ayatollahs in Iran -- and this time, the battleground is fashion. It's hardly the first time the leaders of the Islamic Republic have embarked on a fatwa tirade against the...

Published Thu, Jul 15 2010 6:43 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Freedom, Middle East

Morning Brief: Afghan government agrees to new local defense force

Afghan government agrees to new local defense force Top story: The Afghan government on Wednesday announced the formation of a new local defense force, aimed at undercutting the Taliban insurgency's presence in remote areas of the country. The launch...

Published Thu, Jul 15 2010 5:43 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Morning Brief

Survey Charts Darfur Opinion for First Time - By Bec Hamilton

Those most affected by the crisis say they want Sudan's President Omar Hassan al Bashir prosecuted, are skeptical of chances for peace, and insist on reparations for crimes. Read More...

Published Wed, Jul 14 2010 4:08 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Africa, Human Rights, Diplomacy, Race/Ethnicity, Development, Bush Administration, Borders, Sudan, Default, Free, Document, Web Exclusive, Democracy

Quiz: The world's deepest offshore oil-drilling platform sits in how many feet of water?

This week's quiz question: The world's deepest offshore oil-drilling platform sits in how many feet of water? Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE a) 5,280 feet (1mile) b) 6,600 feet (1.25 miles) c) 8,000 feet (1.5 miles) Answer after...

Published Wed, Jul 14 2010 3:21 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Disasters, Environment, Energy, Oil, Oil / Energy Disaster / Problem / Shennanigans

Great moments in North Korean subtlety

North Korea continues to vehemently deny responsibility for the sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan and hailed a U.N. resolution on the attack that noticably mentioned nothing about North Korean involvement as a "great diplomatic victory...

Published Wed, Jul 14 2010 11:14 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: North Korea

Est-ce que c'elle vive encore, la Francafrique?

Today in an FP "debate" of sorts, we asked if France is still messing up Africa. Boubacar Boris Diop , a contributor to our Failed States issue, says a resounding Yes. Yves Gounin says No. And today, on Bastille Day, France has it's own...

Published Wed, Jul 14 2010 9:57 AM by FP Passport

Does Obama’s new HIV/AIDS plan apply to the rest of the world too?

Well goodness. I wish I had been able to see the new White House National HIV/AIDS Strategy a few weeks back, while writing about Barack Obama's international approach to the disease. Unveiled yesterday, the strategy calls for a new emphasis on prevention...

Published Wed, Jul 14 2010 9:41 AM by FP Passport

The U.S.-funded power plant that's funding the Taliban

For the last nine years, the U.S. has funded a major hydropower plant in Kajaki, Afghanistan. Why? To boost economic growth and bolster electrical infrastructure, in the hope of generating support for President Karzai's government among Taliban sympathizers...

Published Wed, Jul 14 2010 9:13 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Middle East, Afghanistan, Energy

Morning Brief: Iranian nuclear scientist returns home

Iranian nuclear scientist returns home Top news: The Iranian nuclear scientist who U.S. officials say defected to the United States last year and provided information on Iran's nuclear program is on his way home after taking refuge in the Iranian...

Published Wed, Jul 14 2010 5:35 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Morning Brief

Israeli Cabinet showdown: Braverman vs. Lieberman

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 The Knesset voted today to revoke the parliamentary privileges of MK Hanin Zoabi, an Arab deputy who participated in the ill-fated flotilla that attempted to break the Israeli siege...

Published Tue, Jul 13 2010 2:12 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Israel/Palestine, U.S. Foreign Policy, Democracy

You won't have to eat bland food after the apocalypse

If you're someone who's kept up at night by apocalyptic fears, there are certain obvious questions you might worry over as you toss and turn: for example, will Armageddon be the work of malevolent extraterrestrials (think Independence Day ) or...

Published Tue, Jul 13 2010 9:17 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: North America, Global Warming, Food/Agriculture, U.S. Congress

Is McCain really a perma-hawk?

Responding to Jacob Weisberg's mournful re-evaluation of Sen. John McCain, Matthew Yglesias writes : I feel like some of the media’s John McCain fanboys should give more consideration to the idea that less here has changed than they think, and they...

Published Tue, Jul 13 2010 9:11 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Military, U.S. Congress

Chinese media scoop: The Taliban's deadly monkey soldiers - by Brian Fung

Wake up, Washington. The biggest challenge facing Afghanistan today isn't corruption or political deadlock. It's an army of bloodthirsty, Kalashnikov-toting monkeys. That's right -- according to the ever-credible Chinese state media, who are...

Published Tue, Jul 13 2010 6:58 AM by FP Passport

Can Hindu gods invest in the stock market?

A court case in India might could give a whole new meaning to the phrase "masters of the universe": Can Hindu deities have demat accounts to enable them transact in shares and debentures on the stock market? The Bombay High Court will decide...

Published Tue, Jul 13 2010 6:56 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Religion, Finance, India