Foreign Policy Public Health Blog

Cuba embargo turns 50

50 years ago this week, President John F. Kennedy signed an executive order embargoing all trade with Fidel Castro's Cuba: Whereas the Eighth Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Serving as Organ of Consultation in Application...

Published Wed, Feb 08 2012 8:13 AM by FP Passport

Can North Korea be Fictionalized?

Little is known about life in Pyongyang. Adam Johnson, a professor of creative writing at Stanford University, tried to create an account of the mental life of the capital's citizens with his new novel, The Orphan Master's Son , the story of the...

Published Thu, Feb 09 2012 7:42 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: North Korea, East Asia

The Election 2012 Weekly Report: Santorumentum?

Santorum's big night It ain't over yet. Rick Santorum pulled off an unlikely hat-trick on Tuesday night, winning caucuses in Minnesota and Colorado as well as a non-binding primary in Missouri -- a troubling development for frontrunner Mitt Romney...

Published Fri, Feb 10 2012 9:01 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Election 2012, 2012 Report, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Barack Obama

Morning Brief: Julian Assange arrested in Britain

Julian Assange arrested in Britain Top story: British police arrested WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange today, after he showed up at a police station in London. His appearance had been previously arranged with authorities. He will appear in front of a...

Published Tue, Dec 07 2010 5:58 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Morning Brief

China hearts Google - By Christina Larson

Proving once again that the Chinese government does not always speak with one voice, Hu Qiheng, president of the Internet Society of China -- which is governed by China's information technology ministry -- had this to say about Google on Tuesday at...

Published Wed, Dec 08 2010 12:13 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: East Asia, China

Prime Minister's Questions turns into Smiths reference contest

In keeping with his image as a younger, hipper kind of Tory leader, British Prime Minister David Cameron has often expressed his appreciation for the music of legendary '80s band, The Smiths. The indie rock pioneers aren't all that appreciative...

Published Thu, Dec 09 2010 8:29 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Britain

Al-Akhbar hacked - David Kenner

If you visit the website of al-Akhbar , the leftist Lebanese daily that published dozens of classified State Department cables related to the Middle East before they appeared on WikiLeaks, you'll be greeted by the image above. The site has been hacked...

Published Thu, Dec 09 2010 12:31 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Middle East, WikiLeaks

Friday photo: Hell or high water

A Greenpeace activist holds a figure of the US Statue of Liberty, during their symbolic 'Sinking Icons' activity, by submerging icons of world famous buildings, in Cancun, Mexico, on December 8, 2010 during the United Nations Framework Convention...

Published Fri, Dec 10 2010 2:45 PM by FP Passport

You can't avoid settlements

Critics of the Obama administration's approach to Middle East peace, a group that includes just about everyone who is paying attention, say that focusing on Israeli settlements for the last 2 years -- as opposed to "core issues" -- was the...

Published Mon, Dec 13 2010 4:17 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Middle East, Israel/Palestine, Obama Administration

WikiFakes watch: Russia

Pakistan isn't the only country where the media is playing fast and loose with WikiLeaks "scoops," Radio Free Europe's Claire Bigg reports: According to the magazine "Russky Reporter," for example, the famous walkout by Western...

Published Mon, Dec 13 2010 6:33 AM by FP Passport

Berlusconi parties on...

With students rioting on the streets, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has (barely) survived a no-confidence vote in Italy's parliament today: Mr. Berlusconi won by three votes in the lower house, with 314 in favor, 311 against and 2 abstentions...

Published Tue, Dec 14 2010 8:18 AM by FP Passport

FIFA President: Gay fans should 'refrain from sexual activities' in Qatar

FIFA President Sepp Blatter isn't the most-respected sporting figure around, and he seemingly doesn't know when to shut up. Just as the furor in the United States at the decision to award Qatar the 2022 World Cup was dying down, Blatter happened...

Published Tue, Dec 14 2010 1:37 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Middle East, Sports, World Cup

DeMint: 'Sacreligious' to vote on START before Christmas

This is a new one : Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) called Democrats' push to force through an arms control treaty and an omnibus spending bill right before Christmas "sacrilegious," and warned he'd draw the process out to wage his objections...

Published Wed, Dec 15 2010 11:22 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Russia, Politics, Obama Administration, U.S. Foreign Policy, Nukes, U.S. Congress

Glass half full dept: FP's optimist has one of the year's top ideas

The New York Times Magazine 's Year in Ideas issue and all of it is fascinating and well worth a read. But we were particularly happy to see that our colleague Charles Kenny's notion that 2000-2010 was the greatest decade in human history made...

Published Thu, Dec 16 2010 11:02 AM by FP Passport

Around the world economy in 80 minutes

Last week, I had the opportunity to moderate a panel titled "The World Economy in the Next Ten Years," sponsored by the Chazen Institute at Columbia Business School. The discussion, a whirlwind tour of the world economic system, was great fun...

Published Fri, Dec 17 2010 1:39 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: China, Middle East, Economics, India