Foreign Policy Public Health Blog

Is Kiva really that controversial?

On Sunday, the New York Times published an article exposing problems with the wildly popular microfinance organization Kiva , a person-to-person lending site whose virtues Oprah Winfrey and Nicholas Kristof have extolled. Most people thought Kiva works...

Published Tue, Nov 10 2009 1:34 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Development, globalization

How Russian nukes power America

"And they shall beat their swords into plowshares," could easily be turned into, "And they shall dismantle their nuclear warheads into enriched uranium for nuclear power plants." The New York Times reports 10 percent of electricity...

Published Tue, Nov 10 2009 12:06 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Europe, North America, Nukes, Energy

Obama might head to Copenhagen?

The headline on this story reads: "Obama will go to Copenhagen to clinch deal." That's a touch misleading. What the headline on this story should really read is: "Obama will go to Copenhagen if and only if his appearance is necessary...

Published Tue, Nov 10 2009 10:36 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Environment, Obama Administration, Energy

Ex-KGB predictor of doom finds friends in U.S. Tea Party Movement

Russian analyst and ex-KGB operative Igor Panarin wants the U.S. to enjoy its last eight months. Because after that, the world's sole superpower will be embroiled in a civil war that will destroy it. This message has found an audience in the radical...

Published Tue, Nov 10 2009 10:34 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: North America, Migration/Immigration

No Miliband for Europe

Yesterday, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced not just that Foreign Secretary David Miliband was not in contention for the job of EU high representative for foreign policy -- a powerful new post created by the Lisbon Treaty -- but that he never...

Published Tue, Nov 10 2009 8:55 AM by FP Passport

Risk to aid workers goes up in 2009

The world is less safer for aid workers, access to needy communities in conflict is on the decline, and aid is increasingly tied to military or other strategic objectives. These are among the gloomy conclusions of Development Assistance Research Associates...

Published Tue, Nov 10 2009 8:48 AM by FP Passport

The Wall Street Journal and the case of the not-so-mysterious mosque

This Wall Street Journal article is trying really hard to find something sinister in the story of a recently constructed mosque in Nicaragua. The piece leads by reporting that the "ever-present Managua rumor mill" is suggesting that the Iranian...

Published Tue, Nov 10 2009 8:38 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Latin America

Saudi Arabia cracks down on Houthis, magicians

Saudi Arabia's assault on the Yemeni Houthi rebels along its southern border appears to be reaching a conclusion , according to anonymous Saudi officials. According to the invaluable Yemen blog Waq al-Waq, however, we should expect a tactical pause...

Published Tue, Nov 10 2009 8:06 AM by FP Passport

Morning Brief: North and South Korean navies exchange fire

North and South Korean navies exchange fire North and South Korean vessels exchanged fire for several minutes on the countries' disputed sea border, today. The South Korean ship was lightly damaged with no casualties, but reports indicate that the...

Published Tue, Nov 10 2009 6:04 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Morning Brief

Educate boys, or they'll go to war

A World Bank research paper posted today finds that countries with a high proportion of young males with low levels of secondary education are significantly more conflict-prone. The combination of these "youth bulges" and low rates of secondary...

Published Mon, Nov 09 2009 2:23 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Africa, Foreign Aid, Education, Development, Economics

The Andes arms race

The Berlin Wall fell twenty years ago, and the Cold War itself ended soon after, but if you're feeling nostalgic, tune into the Cold War of the Andes : somewhat more farcical and definitely less likely to end in nuclear annihilation, but riveting...

Published Mon, Nov 09 2009 2:05 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Latin America, Military

Gingrich's overblown Berlin Wall argument

On first glance, New Gingrich's editorial describing Obama's decision not to attend the anniversary of the Berlin Wall a "tragedy" (more here ) seems like simple concern-trolling: The message of human dignity that led to the toppling...

Published Mon, Nov 09 2009 1:20 PM by FP Passport

How the Senate filibusters the world

Like many in Washington, I spent Saturday night at home watching C-SPAN as the House debated and ultimately passed a major healthcare reform bill. It was about as exciting as the legislative process gets: a special weekend session, with heated debate...

Published Mon, Nov 09 2009 11:59 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: North America, Global Warming, U.S. Foreign Policy, U.S. Congress

Caijing editor resigns

The editor of China's most influential financial muckraking journal, Hu Shuli, has resigned . For several months, Hu had been under pressure to tone down the aggressive, investigative tone of the magazine from Caijing 's business partners, who...

Published Mon, Nov 09 2009 10:04 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Pacific

BNP copies Obama Web design

This could very well be the most ironic act of hopejacking yet. Some British bloggers have noticed a striking similarity between the Websites of the xenophobic British National Party , which banned nonwhites from joining until a court order this year...

Published Mon, Nov 09 2009 7:49 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Britain, Internet