Foreign Policy Public Health Blog

Food for thought

Percentage of Americans who believe in angels: 55 Percentage of Americans who believe in evolution: 39 Percentage of Americans who believe in anthropogenic global warming: 36 Percentage of Americans who believe in ghosts: 34 Percentage of Americans who...

Published Mon, Dec 07 2009 6:41 PM by FP Passport

Holy awesome musical taste, Pope

The Holy See apparently has no barriers to the types of jams it rocks. The Vatican's MySpace playlist includes artists such as the rock band Muse , the folksy Fleet Foxes and the thuggish ruggish beats of the late, great Tupac Shakur . The Vatican...

Published Mon, Dec 07 2009 1:29 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Europe, Culture

Is Brussels to blame for the minaret moment?

In yesterday's New York Times, Ross Douthat argued that the populist backlash that led to Switzerland's minaret ban is the result of the European Union's increasingly undemocratic style of governance, notwithstanding the fact, as he acknowledges...

Published Mon, Dec 07 2009 12:22 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Europe, Islam

Your least shocking news of the day...

Saudi Arabia is very concerned about "Climategate": As 15,000 delegates from 192 nations began what was billed as the "last, best chance" to avert a catastrophic rise in sea and air temperatures, Saudi Arabia's chief climate negotiator...

Published Mon, Dec 07 2009 10:38 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Environment

Hezbollah's got a brand new bag

Last week, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah announced his party's new political program -- the first manifesto Hezbollah has released since its infamous Open Letter of 1985. The new document gained attention for its toned down Islamist rhetoric and...

Published Mon, Dec 07 2009 9:10 AM by FP Passport

Berlusconi's alleged Mafia ties

Sicilian Mafioso turned snitch Gaspare Spatuzza needs to re-watch a pivotal scene from Goodfellas . While testifying against Marcello Dell'Utri, an Italian politican, Spatuzza dropped a dime on Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi for having ties...

Published Mon, Dec 07 2009 7:03 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Europe, Corruption

Morning Brief: Copenhagen kicks off

Copenhagen kicks off Top story: Around 15,000 delegates from 192 nations have gathered in Copenhagen to attempt to reach an international agreement to curb greenhouse gas emissions. "The clock has ticked down to zero. After two years of negotiations...

Published Mon, Dec 07 2009 6:03 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Morning Brief

On deadlines

One of the most contentious, and apparently confusing, issues to emerge after Barack Obama's speech Tuesday is the U.S. president's public call for a drawdown of U.S. troops to begin in July 2011. Sen. John McCain, Obama's campaign rival,...

Published Sun, Dec 06 2009 1:27 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Afghanistan

Friday Photo: The World's Highest Political Body

Nepal may have outdone the Maldives (words I never thought I would type) in the stunt cabinet meeting department: Nepalese politicians take part in a cabinet meeting at Kalapattar Plateau near Mount Everest on December 4, 2009, at an altitude of 5,262...

Published Fri, Dec 04 2009 4:13 PM by FP Passport

World Cup draw... meh

I know this is a terrible thing for an internationalist-type American such as myself to admit, but I don't actually like watching soccer all that much. I like my sports fast-paced, high-scoring and frequently interrupted by beer and truck commercials...

Published Fri, Dec 04 2009 3:01 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Africa, Sports

Jeans from North Korea

Today, Sweden's Noko Jeans is launching a line of designer denim manufactured in North Korea. The company claims that these are the first 1100 pairs of jeans to ever be produced in North Korea. One of the founding partners, Rauden Kallstigen, explains...

Published Fri, Dec 04 2009 1:36 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: East Asia

Shooting threatens India-Kashmir talks

Fazal Haque Qureshi, the senior-most Kashmiri separatist leader and an executive member of the moderate separatist Hurriyat Conference, has been shot in the head today by guerrillas and is in "very critical" condition. The shooting comes just...

Published Fri, Dec 04 2009 11:32 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Terrorism, Pakistan, Diplomacy, South Asia, India, Borders

Copenhagen prostitutes offer freebies to climate change delegates

Der Spiegel reports that Copenhagen's mayor has sent postcards to local hotels asking delegates to the upcoming climate conference not to patronize prostitues during their stay in the city. But the city's sex workers are not taking this...er....

Published Fri, Dec 04 2009 11:09 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Europe

Georgia to the rescue... again

World Politics Review 's Judah Grunstein casts a skeptical eye at NATO's 7,000 troops pledge, noting that it will consist largely of European troops are already stationed in the country and will have their deployments extended. A big chunk of...

Published Fri, Dec 04 2009 10:51 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Afghanistan, Georgia

Morning Brief: Settlers tell Netanyahu they will defy construction freeze

Settlers tell Netanyahu they will defy construction freeze Top story: West Bank settler leaders have rejected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's pleas for order and have vowed to continue to resist his 10-month moratorium on construction. In an effort...

Published Fri, Dec 04 2009 5:55 AM by FP Passport