tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53355212011-10-11T04:10:32.477-04:00The byproduct of my arbitrary thoughts and concerns on a range of issuesCPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comBlogger3591100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-11194812417473585822011-06-06T08:45:00.002-04:002011-06-06T08:51:23.505-04:00

With all the surprising people's revolutions that broke out in the Middle East and North Africa this year, will Africa follow soon? Not likely, which this Toronto Star tries to explain why. Poverty, a lack of a strong middle class, ethnic divides, and a lack of strong united heritage are the reasons cited. It's not surprising but it's a good little description of how complex sub-Saharan Africa is.

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-80880292208508332202011-05-15T08:34:00.001-04:002011-05-15T08:35:11.757-04:00

Get a glimpse into one of the few real remaining monarchies in the world, Swaziland, here. Swaziland, not Switzerland, is a little round country that is nestled snugly between the Northeast of South Africa and Mozambique. The article nicely describes this country ruled by a king and a charming little place that is actually a bit better off than much of South Africa, especially crime-wise, but

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-30407161433595231892011-05-01T01:40:00.002-04:002011-05-01T01:48:43.045-04:00

Economist Amartya Sen compares India to China, showing how India seriously lags China, and even poorer neighbor Bangladesh, in health, education and poverty. It's hard to see that other than democracy, and even then this is dubious, India has nothing over China. On the other hand, it's also a good example of why democracy is useless without other factors like economic growth, stability and low

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-27936203808088983352011-04-16T07:49:00.003-04:002011-04-16T07:59:05.647-04:00

Things looking up in Africa's potential powerhouse? This Time Magazine article suggests they are as Nigeria prepares for presidential, parliamentary and regional elections later this month. Bedeviled by massive corruption, conflict and regional, religious and ethnic divisions, Africa's most populous nation and oil giant has never risen to its potential. The article makes the case that a turn in

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-89255089524651304792011-03-26T06:09:00.005-04:002011-03-26T07:38:59.952-04:00

The world has changed a lot in the past 100 days, with Japan being somewhat brought to its knees by a freak combination of natural and nuclear disasters, and the Arab world being thrown into upheaval. While Japan has managed to control its ongoing nuclear problems (which may or may not have been seriously blown out of proportion by Western media), the Arab world, specifically Libya, is still

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-27931786221180818952011-03-12T00:09:00.002-05:002011-03-12T00:27:46.985-05:00

The deck of this article below the headline says it all. As Japan recovers from its devastating natural disasters and civil war continues in Libya, West Africa, specifically the Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire) is on the brink of civil war itself. The tensions stem from the results of last November's presidential elections, in which the incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo declared his victory despite

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-18277940720414850452011-02-23T08:32:00.004-05:002011-02-23T08:44:30.136-05:00

The Celtic Tiger is no more, brought down stunningly by the 2008 global crisis. All those years of strong economic growth and sky-high housing and building prices and new construction was halted and ended, resulting in a crisis that many of Ireland's people still seem to be having difficulties understanding and getting over. Michael Lewis, Vanity Fair writer and author of The Big Short: Inside

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-47129906733680491432011-02-19T21:57:00.004-05:002011-02-20T00:47:39.079-05:00

The upheavals in the Arab world have spread to Libya, with little signs of slowing down. Libya's Muammar Gaddhafi has lived up to his previously fading mad dictator reputation by having his forces gun down almost 100 protesters, the most violent state reaction in all the countries that have seen people protests against their leaders. It seems fitting that Libya should have mass protests because

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-39567243819885453392011-02-05T09:12:00.003-05:002011-02-05T09:18:44.189-05:00

See who else is in trouble in the Arab region here. The full article takes a good look at the problems and challenges with the possible overthrow of Egypt's Hosni Mubarak for the US. One of the main points is that revolutions aren't often predictable and that sometimes what comes after is worse, no matter how bad the existing regime/dictator was, with the Iranian Revolution in 1979 being a key

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-65676236432276106592011-02-05T05:35:00.006-05:002011-02-05T09:18:02.525-05:00

What's up with China's relationship and role in Africa? Well, it's growing and going beyond just business, as this post and its assorted links have a more nuanced take on this issue. Going beyond the usual cries of China as a new colonizer, the linked articles, specifically a detailed report by an NGO, emphasize African nations must take more responsibility on their own part to be more

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-32611837380399110682011-02-02T22:34:00.003-05:002011-02-02T22:49:06.699-05:00

Sometime soon, Egypt's longtime leader Hosni Mubarak is probably going to step down. Things have escalated after over a week of anti-Mubarak protests in Egypt despite Mubarak trying to appease the protesters, though only in offering small, gradual steps as opposed to just stepping down right away. After revamping his Cabinet last week, Mubarak has offered to leave power in September but this is

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-87103405568874133812011-01-28T23:56:00.004-05:002011-01-29T00:38:39.094-05:00

First Tunisia, now Egypt and Jordan. The Arab world seems to be going through a really tumultuous moment as a wave of public protests have broken out in those countries against the respective rulers. Egypt has taken the protests, in which 26 have died so far, so seriously that it actually "shut down" the Internet, something that has never been done before.Egypt's PM Hosni Mubarak, the very person

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-39641668461209511572011-01-20T04:03:00.003-05:002011-01-20T04:07:47.559-05:00

No surprise happened with the South Sudan secession vote. The South is poised to break away from Sudan as most of the votes counted overwhelmingly indicate a desire for independence. There will be a lot of challenges and while euphoria might be felt now, one wonders how most people in that region will feel later on down the line, after formal independence begins in July.

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-50045125175082380432011-01-16T00:17:00.003-05:002011-01-16T00:28:55.888-05:00

In a first, an Arab strongman was toppled by his people. Tunisia's longtime leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali hightailed it out of his country earlier this week after thousands of Tunisians marched demanding his ouster. He had earlier said he would continue his term but promised to step down in 2014. It is surprising because Tunisia is a rather stable country and Ben Ali's reign was kind of benign

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-18797902505088474392011-01-11T02:33:00.004-05:002011-01-11T02:37:44.157-05:00

The Southern Sudan referendum has gotten underway and it is highly likely that the world will see a new nation this year. There may have been a few hiccups but that doesn't seem to be hindering many people in this war-weary and undeveloped, not even underdeveloped, region.

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-68687703151824629642011-01-09T04:23:00.002-05:002011-01-09T04:29:05.494-05:00

Shocking news today from the US as a congresswoman was shot in plain sight in an Arizona supermarket while 6 others were killed. She was shot in the head while she was holding a public meet at the supermarket. This is really crazy stuff, shocking and sad. That it happened in Arizona is striking, given the tense and controversial recent politics in that state concerning immigration laws. It also

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-89230858961304548202011-01-08T02:34:00.002-05:002011-01-08T02:37:14.895-05:00

Another revealing look into how microlending got out of hand in India. Still, the idea itself still seems sound, it looks more that some lenders got too greedy and their intentions were mainly self-enrichment and profit rather than helping the poor.An interesting excerpt:Overlending in Andhra Pradesh calls to mind the U.S. subprime crisis, says Lakshmi Shyam-Sunder, director of corporate risk at

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-55668434056566535102011-01-08T00:05:00.003-05:002011-01-08T00:12:24.203-05:00

China's recently announced first-ever stealth fighter has stirred up some alarm in the West. However, the opinions are mixed on how truly effective or worrying this development is supposed to be. It's a good development for China, as long as it's not for any offensive means. Why should only the US and Russia have stealth fighters?

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-2005091655666829872011-01-06T09:10:00.003-05:002011-01-06T09:14:40.250-05:00

A new nation may be born soon in Africa. The Southern part of Sudan will vote in a referendum between Jan 9 and 15 whether to split from Sudan and form a new nation or stay with Sudan. CNN has an extensive article that details the current situation, the historical background, and challenges.If the area chooses independence, it will be a precarious state of affairs.

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-84334418813226602512011-01-06T00:01:00.003-05:002011-01-06T00:09:32.850-05:00

Microlending is going through some tough times as it's been the subject of harsh criticism from politicians and activists. Grameen Bank, the institution that won its founder Mohammed Yunus a Nobel Prize, is even under investigation for alleged tax evasion regarding US$100 million. In other areas like India, microlending institutions have been said to be trapping borrowers into a cycle of debt as

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-11831103140203395992010-12-20T11:30:00.003-05:002010-12-20T11:36:50.877-05:00

To prove that there's always no shortage of interesting little conflicts around the world that most of us don't really know about, here's a good description of the problem in Western Sahara, a territory in North Africa that has been occupied by neighboring Morocco since 1975. While the main focus is on yet another revelation by WikiLeaks about US international affairs, this post gives a decent

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-4059129958057982062010-12-16T07:17:00.002-05:002010-12-16T07:27:36.162-05:00

Former NY Times foreign correspondent Howard French writes a sad commentary on the decline of the Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire). The beleaguered West African country, known for being Dider Drogba's homeland, cocoa and a civil war that raged through the 90s, was in the news recently for its electoral problems. Defeated incumbent Laurent Gbagbo refused to accept his loss in the presidential election

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-35437477257815071752010-12-15T01:32:00.003-05:002010-12-15T01:42:46.365-05:00

The Prime Minister of an actual country, albeit a tiny and recent one (independent since 2008), is the head of a "mafia-like" smuggling and human organ ring, according to a Guardian story citing a Council of Europe report on organized crime. That's right, Kosovo's Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi is "identified as the boss of a network that began operating criminal rackets in the runup to the 1999

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-23574185340594525072010-11-25T09:02:00.003-05:002010-11-25T09:04:38.128-05:00

Here's an interesting story of a Russian self-styled militia group who waged war against police in a remote region near China. They did this because of alleged brutality and corruption amongst police, including against the members of the group. It's quite a crazy and tragic story but they had the support of many members of the public.

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-78387722209642799092010-11-24T05:29:00.003-05:002010-11-24T05:39:56.536-05:00

In a startling attack yesterday, North Korea bombarded a South Korean island, killing 2 Marines and 2 civilians, raising significant fears of a war. Unlike their previous provocations, this was a direct attack on South Korean soil, and may cause the South to retaliate directly. On the other hand, the sinking of a South Korean warship with the death of 46 crewmen by most presumably, North Korea

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-6147569222926174182010-10-22T08:25:00.002-04:002010-10-22T08:32:28.392-04:00

UNESCO seems to have come to its sense with this move, but they shouldn't have had a prize named after this dictator in the first place. Equatorial Guinea's leader Obiang has had a lot of human rights abuses happen under his reign, as quite a few non-fiction books on Africa have mentioned him in detail. Would they let Saddam Hussein or Robert Mugabe fund prizes?The Democratic Republic of Congo

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-13126811786717704612010-10-16T08:09:00.003-04:002010-10-16T08:19:47.558-04:00

In a bold gesture, the Nobel Committee awarded Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo the Nobel Peace Prize. Liu, who helped draft Charter 08, a manifesto which advocates political reform and human rights that was signed by thousands of Chinese intellectuals and activists, is currently imprisoned as part of an 11-year term while his wife is under house arrest. Understadably this infuriated China, but it's

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-70343359608022107592010-09-25T04:26:00.003-04:002010-09-25T04:32:05.461-04:00

The notorious Lord's Resistance Army, the rebel group run by a crazed "Christian" lunatic who kidnaps children as soldiers and sex slaves in Uganda, may be down but it's not out. Unfortunately its dispersed forces have spread to surrounding countries, including Southern Sudan. This area will go to the polls in a referendum to determine whether they'll secede from Sudan and form a new nation.

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-78221785497858980192010-09-09T10:22:00.006-04:002010-09-09T10:50:49.370-04:00

There's a storm brewing within India and it's been getting stronger in recent years. No, not Kashmir, but a rejuvenated Maoist Communist insurgency that has seen over 10,000 killed in the past 10 years and compelled the PM Manmohan Singh to send in 2009 "almost 100,000 new paramilitary troops and police to contain" the rebels. Read on in this Foreign Policy piece exploring this civil insurgency

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-74693826144435090352010-08-14T12:34:00.003-04:002010-08-14T12:53:23.880-04:00

Thought to be on the decline, the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda has killed about 2,500 people and abducted almost 700 children in the past 18 months, recently-released human rights reports have highlighted. Some interesting possible scenarios are mentioned, such as the US lending intelligence support, having an international or regional armed force go after LRA leader Joseph Kony and that the

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-20841034699680690562010-08-08T02:54:00.003-04:002010-08-08T03:02:51.885-04:00

Three years after the great global financial crisis, what's changed? According to this Guardian opinion piece, not that much. Of course, banks are much more cautious and less free-spending than before, but the overall system remains the same. Would another crisis happen again in the future if no big changes are made to our global financial system, or would the current caution be enough to ensure

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-81968303878363493622010-07-31T06:34:00.003-04:002010-07-31T06:42:32.886-04:00

Spain's Catalonia region made headlines earlier this week for officially banning bullfighting from 2012. This act goes beyond just boosting animal rights activists but is a form of defiance towards Spain's central government. This Guardian piece gives an interesting description of the region and its disdain for its own country, with some Catalans even going so far as to hope for a Spanish loss in

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-83855706962640597992010-07-27T05:42:00.003-04:002010-07-27T05:48:30.134-04:00

Ghana might be in store for some better times, economically speaking, as production of a large offshore oil field is set to start in 6 months' time but already there are some worrying signs ("illicit capital flight") that the oil bonanza may not benefit the nation as much as expected as the LRB blog post linked above talks about possibly shady offshore ownership.

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-85124832585418384032010-07-26T07:35:00.003-04:002010-07-26T07:42:17.530-04:00

A leak of over 90,000 internal documents seemingly confirms what many assume in the past few years- that the Afghanistan war is getting worse, not better. Among the negative events revealed in the papers - a secret U.S. task force dedicated to hunting down top Taliban commanders, attacks by Western allies that have killed hundreds of civilians and concrete signs of Pakistan "fueling" the Taliban

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-15987802509612829822010-05-24T05:50:00.002-04:002010-05-24T06:02:57.950-04:00

South Korea finally came out and stated what seemed to be quite obvious, that the North torpedoed and sank their warship 2 months ago. Now, South Korea is going to take the case to the U.N. and try to take hard action against the North such as imposing unilateral sanctions. The hard part is, that short of some sort of military action or declaring war, there is nothing much the South can do. North

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-9207375990434154182010-05-14T01:03:00.003-04:002010-05-14T01:05:43.347-04:00

After all the fears and worries, the World Cup will soon start in South Africa. In a rather upbeat article, the BBC looks at how Africa managed to finally get this World Cup.

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-42946881416913691732010-04-13T09:51:00.004-04:002010-04-13T10:06:00.737-04:00

Two leading developing nations have experienced significant problems that raise the deep troubles in their societies, whether it's raced-based or socio-economic.The killing of a white supremacist leader in South Africa has stirred up tremendous anger and fears of racist violence, providing a stark illustration that racist tensions have still not been entirely eliminated in this diverse but

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-40115238450577206132010-03-25T01:34:00.004-04:002010-03-25T02:50:15.072-04:00

The Atlantic's Robert D. Kaplan's latest piece is on the top American general in Afghanistan and why he thinks the country is still salvageable. Stanley McChrystal, a special forces commander who previously served in Iraq with an impressive record, seems to really believe in the possibility of victory, that accomplishing key objectives, such as holding on to areas "where the water and the roads

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-58416437646804854462010-03-20T10:02:00.003-04:002010-03-20T10:21:38.593-04:00

In the form of a book review, Joshua Kurlantzick explains why Thailand is on the verge of possible breakup. He explores the basic conflict between the "Reds" and "Yellows," the mass groups of protesters who respectively, basically support and oppose deposed former Premier Thaksin Shinawatra. Kurlantzick also mentions the growing Islamic insurgency in the southern provinces, who are culturally

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-26437322125510463332010-03-02T05:36:00.003-05:002010-03-02T06:20:21.130-05:00

This Foreign Policy article makes a controversial argument that Africa's warsare unstoppable, because they're not about fighting for freedom or against oppression anymore, but only for plunder, women and territory. Gone are the great rebel leaders of the past such as southern Sudan's John Garang and Uganda's Yoweri Museveni, instead there are only rapacious and vicious warlords such as the LRA's

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-54712517676610461372010-03-02T05:17:00.004-05:002010-03-02T05:34:01.918-05:00

Is this world full of war? This photo essay from Foreign Policy magazine shows thatthis is an affirmative, at least for 33 places. The usual suspects, such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, the DR Congo, formerly Zaire, and the Central Caucasus are covered, but others like Thailand and Nepal make the cut as well. Insurgencies in Iran and India Kashmir are also included. On the other hand, it is

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-62755516048547623612010-02-21T10:08:00.003-05:002010-02-21T10:17:06.048-05:00

Private armies or militias are still in vogue in the Philippines, as this NY Times piece shows with a little political family feud. While these feuds mostly arise from political battles, these conflicts sometimes grow to include Muslim insurgents. The article suggests that the Arroyo government is not too serious about disbanding these private militias, especially as allies of Arroyo use them. It

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-12836273044043126192010-02-20T10:36:00.004-05:002010-02-20T11:03:38.918-05:00

The country of Niger, located in West Africa, suffered a coup last Thursday that removed the country's president Mamadou Tandja from power. The overthrow was conducted by military officers and is seen as a favorable event by some in the country, including by an opposition leader. This is mainly due to Tandja's changing of constitutional rules to allow him to serve beyond his legal term limit.

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-41013503850890616842010-02-20T10:26:00.003-05:002010-02-20T10:35:39.420-05:00

Newsweek has an interview with former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, who now serves as the U.N. special envoy to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It's not too long but one of the best remarks is when Obasanjo is asked on China's "colonization" of Africa. First he directly criticizes the use of the term, then he says "We regard America and Europe as old friends. We keep old friends but

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-11263518313021332872010-02-11T08:34:00.004-05:002010-02-11T08:59:27.970-05:00

A perfect graphical representation of why India still lags significantly behind China, much less the developed world. This is a photo essay of child laborers working in the capital city New Delhi on construction sites. The city is undergoing a wave of construction for the Commonwealth Games in October and desperate contractors are using children to finish the sites on time. They work alongside

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-18089979635701936732010-02-04T09:54:00.003-05:002010-02-04T09:59:50.155-05:00

Kind of late, but this piece by Howard French on the Congo war and the role of Rwanda is a very eye-opening read. French reviews three 2009 books on the Congo crisis, that provide a more nuanced and informative explanation of the fighting and instability in that troubled Central African country.

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-71815572108336667972010-01-12T04:19:00.003-05:002010-01-12T04:52:18.981-05:00

A troubling look into the problems at diamond mines in Zimbabwe, where violence, rape and extortion are alleged to have been committed by government forces to take control of the mining. While attempts have been made by diamond companies to refuse purchasing diamonds directly from these mines, smugglers are able to take them across the borders to neighboring countries like Mozambique and sell

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-52117843651588041562010-01-08T23:56:00.004-05:002010-01-09T00:26:43.509-05:00

A new report by advocacy group Global Witness states that violence, rapes and forced displacement of hundreds of thousands in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is linked to multinational mining companies. An area rich in minerals and other natural resources, violence, poverty and disaster have been an unavoidable fate of many of its locals.Here's a good summary on the report on the

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-61745118567854316732010-01-04T01:20:00.003-05:002010-01-04T01:33:49.818-05:00

Paul Krugman sees a bleak immediate future for the U.S. economy-wise in this piece. As he said, blips happen even in the worst economic times, because when economic activity dropped as deeply as it did last year, then a little jump or improvement is not surprising. The question is how sustainable it can be, and my feeling is it's not. It's funny when everytime there is some slight rise, or a

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-54536099421480100392010-01-03T02:16:00.003-05:002010-01-03T02:38:00.005-05:00

The visit by Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri to meet Syrian leader Bashar Assad in Damascus a little over 2 weeks ago- sign of great relations between the two neighbors or an indication of how strong and menacing Syria still is to Lebanon, as Michael Totten and this Weekly Standard piece say.

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-87724630280944300252009-12-29T04:31:00.003-05:002009-12-29T04:44:12.177-05:00

Are coups still being done anywhere?Well yes, in Africa, there've been a few in the past year in Guinea, Madagascar and Mauritania.U.S. President Barack Obama recently announced a cessation in benefits to several of these states as punishment for their illegal and unconstitutional transition in power.Guinea, situated in West Africa just north of major 90s troublespots Sierra Leone and Liberia, is

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-5913755900378538462009-12-20T11:19:00.004-05:002009-12-20T11:57:31.685-05:00

Southern Sudan, one of the world's most underdeveloped areas, will hold a referendum in 2011 to decide if it will break away from Sudan to form a new nation. This is significant because this is the culmination of long-time tensions between the North and South, with (at the risk of simplifying the state of affairs) the former's people being mostly Arabic-speaking and Muslim, and the latter being

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-46308363093516152812009-12-04T08:25:00.002-05:002009-12-04T08:33:37.622-05:00

Dubai's debt extension request, basically an admission that they can't pay up their debts now, really put a scare on the world and showed just how badly this former global darling has fallen. While the global economy has seemed to have overcome this shock, Dubai's troubles are likely to continue further. Its ruler, with his great, extravagant vision, still seems defiant. Some also believe that

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-43116062418357723262009-11-26T00:17:00.005-05:002009-11-26T00:26:20.569-05:00

Great news in Somalia as a Canadian freelance journalist was just released after over a year in captivity by an armed militia. A ransom was paid and groups like Reporters without Borders had been working to get her release for a long time. The news seemed really bleak back in August, with rumors of her even having been raped and impregnated. It's good that this didn't happen, at least the

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-22032567255996353672009-10-29T05:43:00.005-04:002009-10-29T05:49:07.999-04:00

It's fitting that while I've been dormant on this blog these past two months, tensions have become worse in Iraq, Afghanistan and even East Asia with signs of widening differences involving the U.S., Japan, China and East and Southeast Asia in general.First, while fighting has continued in Afghanistan and the situation has become so serious that the U.S. military's top leadership is calling for

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-9010930241535295612009-08-09T05:16:00.002-04:002009-08-09T05:20:44.070-04:00

As the world struggles to overcome this ongoing economic crisis, China continues to get a lot of attention, or I might say hype, especially over its possible ability to help lead the world economy out of this crisis. It is no exaggeration to say that some have already anointed China as the next superpower, ready to pass the U.S. and take up a leading position in the world equivalent to its

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-85994042390788195842009-08-01T12:02:00.006-04:002009-08-01T12:22:02.687-04:00

The ongoing global economic crisis is notable in that developed nations such as the U.S. and big powers like China have been seriously affected. Africa itself is also being affected, especially from the reduction or complete elimination of funding from the developed world. This article from Time magazine (July 13 edition) examines this situation. As a World Bank economist says in the article,

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-77776101048199917622009-07-14T02:13:00.003-04:002009-07-14T02:25:28.764-04:00

I recently read Descent into Chaos, which told the compelling story of how Afghanistan and Pakistan have become so turbulent ever since 2001. It's written by Ahmed Rashid, a renowned Pakistani journalist, and he writes a detailed article in the NY Review of Books on the same issue. Specifically he explains how fundamentalists militants, especially the Taliban, grew to become such a menace and the

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-15902156785467161872009-07-14T02:00:00.003-04:002009-07-14T02:13:41.038-04:00

This interactive map of China highlights the nation's diversity by showing where the major ethnic minorities live and brief details. Clearly relations between the majority Han and some minorities have been quite negative, especially with the Xinjiang problems this past week and with Tibet.Despite the number of these minorities, and their large numbers, such as the Zhuang being 15 million-strong,

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-59410595700359954772009-06-15T02:36:00.003-04:002009-06-15T02:47:43.759-04:00

That crazy's, sorry I meant Ahmadinejad, win in Iran has been causing a lot of turmoil, within his country and in the U.S. There's been allegations of fixed elections, especially from his main opponent's supporters who have been very worked up over the result. Yet Newsweek here gives a good explanation for why it happened. Sure, a lot of the younger, more educated, urban folk may have been for

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-32887832229972258782009-06-12T01:09:00.003-04:002009-06-12T01:28:39.853-04:00

One of the biggest stories of late is North Korea's continuous saber-rattling, or should it be missile-rattling, provocations that have raised tensions in neighboring countries, even supposed ally China and the U.S. Its recent sentencing of 2 U.S. journalists to 12 years for spying because they were caught doing a story just within North Korean territory seems tremendously daring, like if they're

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-320108536576202792009-05-24T00:41:00.001-04:002009-05-24T00:44:08.164-04:00

Violence in Congo taking a big toll, not on human lives, infrastructure and crops, but also eco-system and wildlife like in this lake.

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-84422953622743385262009-05-18T00:33:00.003-04:002009-05-18T00:39:01.318-04:00

The UK's foreign secretary openly called China an "indispensable superpower" and says China will definitely join the U.S. as one of the two biggest powers in the world, in an interview with The Guardian. It's a bit remarkable for someone of his status to be so frank about China and illustrates the regard and power that China possesses now. The article includes some very interesting comments by

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-43560290527413007612009-05-18T00:14:00.004-04:002009-05-18T00:31:25.386-04:00

So it ends, presumably, for the civil war between the Sri Lanka government and the Tamil Tigers rebels. Searches are on for the rebel leader while mop-up operations are continuing. Unfortunately the end of the war doesn't mean an end to the tensions in that country, or even worldwide. The rebels may decide to continue as a purely guerilla outfit, the government may forego reconciliation efforts

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-68663065233305027492009-05-07T01:51:00.002-04:002009-05-07T01:58:02.381-04:00

The Sri Lanka civil war is probably near to seeing an end, though not without significant human/ civilian tragedies. As the government army closes in on the remaining rebel territory, the rebels and many civilians are becoming squeezed into an ever-shrinking space, which puts more civilians in the line of fire from government bombardment. Things are getting so dire that foreign countries, like

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-90851972317235909922009-05-01T01:51:00.006-04:002009-05-02T02:35:17.781-04:00

An interesting look at Rwanda's ambitious attempts to modernise, build its economy and try to be the Singapore of Africa. The government sure has a lot of high-powered U.S. corporate friends, as well as Rick Warren, author of The Purpose-Driven Life. Nevertheless it still is a very poor country, which only makes its disciplined, (relatively) tidy and rather corruption-free society even more

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-87809403554143614232009-04-26T10:10:00.004-04:002009-04-26T10:38:55.713-04:00

Financial Times' new China blog appears to have some very spot-on and sharp outlooks of China, such as the inadequacy of China's reaction to the financial crisis which articulates some shortcomings of China's economy and its stimulus package. Other posts explain why the threat of social unrest from displaced workers is not so significant and warn against the alluring vision of a gigantic Chinese

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-7632783194939140122009-04-24T00:12:00.005-04:002009-04-24T00:17:47.561-04:00

On the "torture" allegations of the U.S.Good point and illustrates the rampant hypocrisy of the dressing up of American interrogation techniques.Of course, I think that it's hard to believe that any intelligence agency or military never uses torture in conducting interrogations on prisoners.

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-5711235137631488712009-04-05T04:38:00.004-04:002009-04-05T04:54:40.847-04:00

About the pirate menace off the coast of Somalia which has been a major issue in the past year, Vanity Fair carries a good piece on the ordeal of the capture of a French luxury sailboat. Despite the 'happy' ending, the story vividly shows how modern naval power is made impotent by these pirates.Utilizing a range of vessels, helicopters, planes, commandoes, frogmen and "hundreds of amphibious

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-12678344662265731102009-03-29T05:17:00.004-04:002009-03-29T06:46:39.975-04:00

With the announcement this past week of a new U.S. strategy on Afghanistan which involves sending 21,000 more troops, there's a feeling among some observers that Afghanistan is looking more like a futile cause, no longer the just war that was in contrast to Iraq. Some feel that there is no real possibility of success in Afghanistan, that things are too messed up that it's even turning into a

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-68468566893575697922009-03-14T02:57:00.003-04:002009-03-14T03:08:14.124-04:00

One of India's worst faults with its democracy is that a lot of its elected parliamentary representatives are literally criminals. About a quarter, according to this article, about a bunch of activists trying to create a solution to this problem, through bringing about laws to promote transparency in choosing candidates to highlighting to the public information on these crooked MPs and

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-71422543461004497632009-03-04T06:06:00.003-05:002009-03-04T06:48:27.761-05:00

Something about China on a topic that isn't well-known- Guangdong's "Little Africa," which is facing problems in these dire times, mostly from stricter immigration/visa enforcement.GlobalPost is a new American website which showcases foreign news and issues, covered by its correspondents from all over the world. It's great to see a new media venture which believes that international news is still

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-90039085200748365192009-02-26T03:35:00.003-05:002009-02-26T03:41:06.780-05:00

All of a sudden, America is who the world turns to now that the global crisis is getting really scary and shows no sign of ending soon, says Thomas Friedman.And according to a senior South Korean official who he talked to, "The U.S. is still No. 1 in military, No. 1 in economy, No. 1 in promoting human rights and No. 1 in idealism. Only the U.S. can lead the world. No other country can. China

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-3160087863463588442009-02-25T00:12:00.003-05:002009-02-25T00:27:06.327-05:00

Sri Lanka's long civil war seems to be in its last stages as government forces have now advanced into the last town held by the Tamil Tigers. Having lost their political capital and main military base, the Tigers are just hanging on as a viable military force and now can only fight from the jungles. The civil war may end soon but social and political tensions are sure to remain, so the

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-4609278861521070052009-01-26T10:55:00.006-05:002009-01-27T09:46:03.282-05:00

Just this week, notorious warlord Nkunda was arrested in Rwanda by authorities, in a surprising act of seeming cooperation between Rwanda and the DRC. This article wonders about the potential cost to the DRC of this, especially its relations with Rwanda and what it might gain from this. This also describes the unease felt by some in eastern Congo over the collaboration with Rwanda.Finally, a NY

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-63309340355439014422009-01-17T00:34:00.005-05:002009-01-20T02:40:59.377-05:00

By the above title, I am referring to the ongoing civil war in Sri Lanka which is possibly coming to a close soon as the government's army has won a series of crucial victories over the rebel Tamil Tigers to push them into only a single remaining stronghold. Having been going on for over two decades, with intermittent periods of peace in between, the recent fighting should be really important

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-38518995530435028502008-12-25T10:36:00.004-05:002008-12-25T10:45:46.853-05:00

A commentator asks Britain to cease its one-sided support for Rwanda, whose government is largely perceived to be directly involved with the conflict in East Congo, through its support of rebel warlord Nkunda. This report also claims evidence that Rwanda soldiers are fighting under Nkunda.This paragraph sums up the falsity of Nkunda's constant reiteration of waging war to protect Tutsis within

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-78242685290138003192008-12-15T02:07:00.004-05:002008-12-19T08:11:58.938-05:00

The Toronto Star has a fine article on Africa, this time detailing the deep problems in DRCongo, Somalia and Sudan's Darfur. The writer gives a good brief overview of each conflict, as well as mentioning other major problems like Zimbabwe. Simple but erroneous assumptions about Africa's crises are that European colonisation and exploitation or African greed and savagery are responsible, but

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-78425635500797043392008-11-29T01:31:00.004-05:002008-11-29T01:46:40.056-05:00

Following the supposed conclusion of the stunning attacks in India's premier city Mumbai, the Toronto Star has this interesting piece written by an Indian commentator. He mentions the large poverty and the significant lawlessness in Indian cities, of which Maximum City by Suketu Mehra touched on in Mumbai, and this underworld's alleged relations with Pakistan. One important point he makes is how

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-53349291155771886752008-11-09T01:47:00.003-05:002008-11-09T01:53:13.515-05:00

While fighting in East Congo heats up with rebel warlord Nkunda's forces gaining territory and forcing increased government reaction, the situation involving another even more notorious warlord in nearby Uganda is worsening as well. Joseph Kony and his LRA have transferred their terror campaign into northern Congo, looting, killing and taking children and women as slaves. Formerly thought to be

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-88186573642645439272008-11-02T11:34:00.003-05:002008-11-02T11:54:00.289-05:00

A BBC investigation has confirmed that the Russia-Georgia conflict which occurred during the Olympics in August, and which raised fears of a new Cold War, was actually started by Georgian military aggression against South Ossetia. As well, war crimes were committed by Georgian forces on Ossetian civilians. The first part is quite clear to me as I remember seeing it in news reports at that time

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-82164051510881167532008-11-02T01:09:00.005-04:002008-11-02T01:45:27.160-05:00

The Congo crisis continues with renewed fighting and mass civilian displacement in Kivu, as rebel warlord Laurence Nkunda's forces have managed to seize government army bases. Lack of food, sanitary conditions and violence will possibly cause serious casualties, adding on to the worst conflict toll since World War 2.This conflict, which mostly is in the Eastern parts of the DRCongo, is not merely

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-62964990118058773162008-10-24T02:47:00.003-04:002008-10-24T03:11:02.319-04:00

Serious fighting, displacement, and rapes are again flaring up in the DR Congo as rebel troops under Rebel commander Nkunda, government troops and other militias have clashed repeatedly since August in the eastern parts of the country. The situation worries the UN which released a statement earlier this week (whatever good that may do).However amidst this grim state of affairs, is a particularly

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-88456879368169192672008-10-12T11:41:00.005-04:002008-10-12T13:02:49.934-04:00

The thing about China that some people don't seem to get, especially those in the media or academia, is that much as China's economic and geopolitical progress during this past decade is extremely impressive, so too is the extent of its problems. So while having the world's largest foreign reserves or the most internet-users in the world seem impressive, China also has serious problems that are

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-22994500817793142722008-10-05T12:25:00.005-04:002008-10-05T13:00:42.327-04:00

This fine article from the WaPost gives a great overview of China's geopolitical status in the world, one which is rarely stated or believed by many in the media. Although my reading of it is a bit belated- the article having been printed this July- this is a minor issue because the main gist of the article is still as relevant and effective now.Basically the writer states that despite the

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-82015914915825512582008-10-01T12:26:00.005-04:002008-10-01T12:57:30.470-04:00

So earlier this week, the U.S. Congress failed to pass a federal bailout plan that would provide US$ 700 billion to help the economy cope with the current crisis. There were mixed reactions with many not surprised or glad that most Congressmen and women would reject it, as many of the U.S. public feel revulsion for what seems like a giant and costly bailout of the financial sector or even

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-33838203991044639962008-09-27T04:57:00.003-04:002008-09-27T05:08:48.860-04:00

This Newsweek article describes the inefficiency of india's PM Manmohan Singh's reign, much of which is not actually attributed to him personally but to party politics and general corruption and incompetence.

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-26072084302083601812008-09-22T00:54:00.003-04:002008-09-22T01:08:20.536-04:00

Following the wave of infant sickness in China stemming from milk deliberately added with a hazardous chemical, as well as other similar products, there has been a lot of outrage, both domestic and international, over food quality in China. This Toronto Star piece talks about how this crisis is symptomatic of the "Two Chinas" which exist in that nation. This dual state of affairs, in which proud

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-35796892076343864412008-09-21T13:37:00.002-04:002008-09-21T13:49:45.185-04:00

Royson James of the Toronto Star has a good piece on the sad state of affairs in Haiti, which has suffered from 4 hurricanes this year. Not only is it in a seriously dire situation but it has been largely ignored by media and has not received as much aid as it needs. One of the poorest nations on Earth and so close to 2 of the wealthiest nations in the world- US and Canada. As James describes it

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-52270556876613117842008-09-19T04:23:00.007-04:002008-09-19T05:37:10.119-04:00

Here's an interesting piece on globalization by former HK governor Chris Patten (extracted from his new book) in the Guardian which might at first glance probably infuriate some of the good folks I went to school with who persist in seeing globalization as this great Western-led system of dominance.Rather than bash it, people should understand it better, he says and points to the ironic use of

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-24618553220526337222008-09-18T03:59:00.002-04:002008-09-18T04:38:16.721-04:00

The world is in the midst of the alleged worst economic global crisis (since the 30s with no end in sight, as the powerful USA got caught up with the closure of a venerated brokerage firm and the potential loss of another before being saved by the government. Here's some readings on this crisis:The bailout of AIG may actually signal more potential financial turbulence up ahead as other larger

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-914720432822263352008-09-16T02:37:00.008-04:002008-09-18T04:14:44.529-04:00

The world economy has been sputtering a lot this year and Asia's strong economies are showing serious signs of vulnerability. This Newsweek piece asserts "why Asia won't save the world" as Asian economies so dependent on export growth and on the American consumer are beset by inflation and unable to maintain their own growth. Asian powers like Japan, South Korea and Taiwan have all been

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-57790692525752024702008-09-16T02:05:00.003-04:002008-09-16T02:33:08.808-04:00

Is Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe starting to come to his sense? A power-sharing deal has been agreed upon which will see opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai become Prime Minister, though Mugabe will remain as President. Rightly so, people are skeptical and even worried like opposition leaders and even Tanzania's President. It will be interesting to check back in the near months to see how this joint

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-7328859830172353662008-09-08T09:44:00.005-04:002008-09-09T11:38:52.860-04:00

The recent brief conflict between Russia and Georgia, fought over two disputed Georgian territories proved to be one of the most significant events of the year. Auspiciously, or inauspiciously, starting on the same day as the opening of the Beijing Olympics, this conflict set off a load of alarms all over the world, especially in Europe and the US, over the aggressiveness of Russia and the

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-20249755259112930862008-09-02T11:29:00.006-04:002008-09-02T11:35:48.437-04:00

The Toronto Star has a touching story on a survivor of Sierra Leone's vicious civil war now making a new life in Toronto. Mariatu Kamara suffered through a double hand amputation as well as losing a baby from a prior rape, and she recalls these events in a book that was recently released-The Bite of the Mango. As the article points out, her story brings a new perspective to the conflictbecause

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-7126871974640553682008-08-14T01:06:00.004-04:002008-08-14T01:18:04.260-04:00

The recent Georgia-Russia conflict which stemmed from Georgia's surprise attempt to retake a disputed region and Russia's equally surprisingly swift attack on Georgia has been one of the biggest stories in world news presently. Now coming to a probable close, the conflict raised significant fears and concerns, especially that of a resurgent and powerful Russia acting out against a smaller and

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-66864624690951139852008-07-25T23:37:00.002-04:002008-07-25T23:41:08.024-04:00

Rabble also has an article on the link between cellphones and the crisis in the DR Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo, but referred to as "Congo" in the article). It shows the link that Canada, including 2 former Prime Ministers, have with this exploitative relationship. For those who don't know about the Congo crisis, here's a good little primer from Democracy Now.

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-74914319677821810452008-07-25T23:10:00.003-04:002008-07-25T23:33:30.370-04:00

Rabble news features an interesting conversation with the author of Planet of slums on the socioeconomic disparities and other details of Dubai, the extravagant world-famous city in the UAE known for its plethora of ambitious architectural and economic projects. Yet the excessively grand schemes of this opulent city also contains a significant undercurrent of shame and exploitation, as the author

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-50061802583142068532008-07-23T22:40:00.003-04:002008-07-23T23:00:28.112-04:00

This article shows how low the economy has sank in Zimbabwe. Inflation has been sky-high for a long time now but it seems new heights are always being reached.According to the IRIN article: "A loaf of bread costs Z$100 billion at the official rate, a kilogramme of meat Z$450 billion, (around US$5.60) and a half-litre sachet of milk sells for Z$200 billion (about US$2.50)."Just a few days ago in

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335521.post-62475632392659541972008-07-18T18:09:00.004-04:002008-07-19T00:13:43.991-04:00

This Taiwan Journal article offers an interesting commentary on India-China relations, painting a not so rosy picture despite increased ties between the two. The article instead claims that on different issues like India's push for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, border and territorial negotiations and most importantly, a proposal by India for an "open and inclusive security

CPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463738305256201326noreply@blogger.com