Foreign Policy Public Health Blog

The trouble with "amnesty"

If you've been following Nigeria for the past few weeks, you know that -- after years of foot-dragging -- the government finally pulled together an amnesty plan for fighters. You probably also heard that, just hours after the program began, rebel...

Published Thu, Oct 08 2009 9:00 AM by FP Passport

A guy Polanski probably doesn't want on his side

It's not very smart (or legal, or moral) to patronize underage prostitutes. If you do engage in such behavior, it's not very smart to write about it in your memoir. If you do write about it, it's not very smart to then seek political office...

Published Thu, Oct 08 2009 8:59 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: France

Is Medvedev finding his voice?

There's some interesting Kremlinology in Charles Clover's Financial Times piece today about President Medvedev's decision to hire two new speechwriters: Mr Medvedev’s new head speechwriter, Eva Vasilevskaya, previously worked with him when...

Published Thu, Oct 08 2009 8:30 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Russia

Morning Brief: Berlusconi says he's ready for a fight

Berlusconi says he's ready for a fight Top story: Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi says he feels "invigorated" by yesterday's ruling stripping him of immunity from prosecution and has vowed to serve his full term in office and...

Published Thu, Oct 08 2009 6:03 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Morning Brief

Pakistan's new crisis of democracy

Think Stanley McChrystal's comments in London crossed a line generals should not cross? Try Pakistan, where the military has just shown a bald-faced willingness to dictate political outcomes when its core interests are threatened. The story: After...

Published Wed, Oct 07 2009 8:48 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Pakistan

Russia's Blackwater

Josh Kucera flags a Russia Today report on Oryol, a Russian defense contractor training ex-military officers for security work in Iraq: And to avoid such trouble is the chief responsibility of this group. These men are from the anti-terror group Oryol...

Published Wed, Oct 07 2009 3:51 PM by FP Passport

Does Pervez Musharraf know anything about al Qaeda?

Noted terrorism expert and FP contributor Jarret Brachman had dinner with former Pakistani dictator President Pervez Musharraf last Friday, and wrote about it here (welcome to the world of new media, Pervez). For the record, Brachman describes Musharraf...

Published Wed, Oct 07 2009 2:45 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: al Qaeda, Pakistan

Berlusconi loses immunity

After Silvio Berlusconi's lawyers broke out the "Animal Farm" defense that the prime minister should be first above equals, the Constitutional Court had heard enough, and today they stripped Berlusconi of his immunity. The prime minister's...

Published Wed, Oct 07 2009 10:12 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Europe, Corruption, Justice

Spy on your neighbors for fun and profit

Say goodbye to your Wii, say hello to Internet Eyes , the novel new game which will allow you to spot crime in real life, and win up to 1,000 pounds in prize money. Vigilantism has never been easier. It's run by a private company, which will stream...

Published Wed, Oct 07 2009 8:39 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Europe, Science & Technology, Britain, Drugs & Crime

The tantalizing riches of North Korea

In a somewhat garbled story in today's Financial Times , Christian Oliver speculates that one key motive for Chinese premier Wen Jiabao's recent visit to Pyongyang might be to get his paws on North Korea's vast mineral wealth. Oliver cites...

Published Wed, Oct 07 2009 7:08 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: North Korea

Morning Brief: Obama rules out troop reduction

Obama rules out troop reduction Top story: At a bipartisan meeting with congressional leaders on Tuesday, President Barack Obama indicated that he has ruled out substantial troop reductions in Afghanistan but remains undecided on Gen. Stanley McChyrstal's...

Published Wed, Oct 07 2009 6:00 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Morning Brief

Government backers pull out of Marquez film over depiction of child prostitution

Last week, the debate was whether a great artist should be forgiven for his great sins. This week the question is whether or not to allow artists to portray sin. Plans for a film version of Nobel Laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez 's book "Memories...

Published Tue, Oct 06 2009 2:55 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Human Rights, Latin America

Will Berlusconi lose his "Get out of Jail Free" card?

Italy's highest court may be able to strip Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's Teflon coating. In July 2008, Italian lawmakers " freed " Berlusconi with an immunity law that freezes criminal cases against the prime minister, president...

Published Tue, Oct 06 2009 2:00 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Europe, Corruption, Drugs & Crime, Law

Europe vs. Vaclav Klaus

One of Europe's most unusual leaders has now become one of its most powerful. With the Irish public finally voting to ratify the Lisbon Treaty last weekend, pretty much the only thing standing in the way of the measure to increase European integration...

Published Tue, Oct 06 2009 12:13 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Europe

One Great Recession benefit: a decrease in global carbon emissions.

Today, the International Energy Agency said that global carbon emissions shrank 3 percent in 2009, due to the Great Recession. The Guardian reports that for only the fourth time in the past 50 years, the world emitted less of the greenhouse gas than it...

Published Tue, Oct 06 2009 10:50 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Financial crisis, Environment