Foreign Policy Public Health Blog

How worried should we be about Kim Jong Un's youth?

We may not know much about the man currently plowing full speed ahead toward international nuclear crisis, but one thing we do know for sure is that he is young -- 29 or 30. And this, most news outlets seem to agree, is an important factor in understanding...

Published Fri, Apr 05 2013 11:00 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Security, North Korea, East Asia, Politics, Military

Bollywood's strategy for attracting a younger crowd? More zombie movies

India's Bollywood has been known for many things over time: the singing, the dancing, the ten costume changes as characters are miraculously transported to rolling hills in some New Zealand-esque setting. And then, of course, there is the beloved...

Published Fri, Apr 05 2013 5:00 PM by FP Passport

The less-than-fantastic adventures of Hitler's food taster

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Amid the devastation of World War II, a time when even the most basic food was hard to come by, Margot Wölk lived out her days amid plenty. As part of a group of women forced by...

Published Sat, Apr 06 2013 8:30 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Europe, History

Black magic: The key to fighting corruption in Indonesia?

Indonesia has a witchcraft problem. Belief in the supernatural is widespread in the Southeast Asian archipelago -- and not just among the underclasses. But like many post-colonial societies, its inherited legal system leaves victims of sorcery unable...

Published Mon, Apr 08 2013 11:00 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Corruption, Human Rights, Law, Southeast Asia

Was Margaret Thatcher Britain's greatest post-war prime minister?

The rare public figure as beloved by some as she was reviled by others, Margaret Thatcher, who died today at 87, was the first female prime minister in British history and a world leader who arguably did more than anyone else to usher in today's free...

Published Mon, Apr 08 2013 4:00 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Europe, Britain, History

Madonna had a really bad trip to Malawi

The Material Girl made a trip to Malawi over the past week. Suffice it to say it did not go well. Among the slights the one-name-only star endured: Though she was given VIP status in the airport upon arrival, on her way out of the country her special...

Published Tue, Apr 09 2013 2:40 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Africa, Celebs, Education

Morning Brief: Korean armed forces raise alert level

Korean armed forces raise alert level Top news: U.S. and South Korean troops increased their military alert level amid indications that North Korea is on the verge of a missile launch that would deliver on weeks of bellicose rhetoric from Pyongyang. "Based...

Published Wed, Apr 10 2013 5:40 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Morning Brief

In Hollywood, U.S. and Chinese hackers are friends

Michael Mann -- director of the venerable Al Pacino/Robert De Niro movie Heat and The Last of the Mohicans -- is working on a new film, and its plotline sounds, well, unrealistic. According to the Hollywood Reporter , the still-untitled movie will feature...

Published Wed, Apr 10 2013 12:50 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Science & Technology, Security, China, Culture, Celebs

Syrian rebels want to protect the US from North Korea

The Syrian uprising is serious business, but people still have time for some levity now and then. In this video, for instance, a group of Syrians announce the formation of the "Eagles of Washington" brigade, which they say will protect the United...

Published Thu, Apr 11 2013 3:40 AM by FP Passport

Jay-Z raps back at Cuba trip critics: 'Boy from the hood but got White House clearance'

Jay-Z and Beyonce came under fire this week for a trip they took to Cuba -- a vacation that, as I wrote on Tuesday, underscores the rather silly nature of the restrictions imposed on Americans' ability to visit the island nation. The visit has several...

Published Thu, Apr 11 2013 10:20 AM by FP Passport

The strangest thing about Putin's appearance on Finland's secret criminal blacklist

On Wednesday we received the bizarre news that Russian President Vladimir Putin's name had mistakenly ended up on a secret criminal blacklist compiled by Finnish police. Those placed on the list face automatic detainment at the Finnish border and...

Published Thu, Apr 11 2013 3:45 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Russia, Politics, Eastern Europe, International Relations

Morning Brief: North Korea may have capacity to build nuclear missile

North Korea may have capacity to build nuclear missile Top news: A report issued last month by the Defense Intelligence Agency found, with "moderate confidence," that "North [Korea] currently has nuclear weapons capable of delivery by ballistic...

Published Fri, Apr 12 2013 5:46 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Morning Brief

The toilet paper theory of Chinese international development

In January 2012, Guo Shuqing, then head of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, employed an unusual segue to discuss the internationalization of China's securities. Guo's powerful organization, roughly similar to the U.S. Securities and...

Published Fri, Apr 12 2013 11:45 AM by FP Passport

A guide to the Russian officials on the U.S. Magnitsky list

On Friday, the State Department announced the names of Russian officials who will face travel bans and asset freezes under the Magnitsky Act, a law Congress passed last year that tasks the government with identifying Russian human rights abusers. The...

Published Fri, Apr 12 2013 5:00 PM by FP Passport

In Syria, al Qaeda-linked terrorists get credit for American aid

Doing a thankless job is one thing. But doing a thankless job that benefits your sworn enemy is another. In Syria, where the United States has contributed a total of $385 million in humanitarian aid, almost none of the Syrians receiving aid know it's...

Published Mon, Apr 15 2013 10:00 AM by FP Passport