U.S. and the World
U.S. Asks United Nations to Bar Drunk Diplomats from Budget Meetings
Joseph Torsella, deputy U.S. ambassador to the UN for management and reform, asked the budget committee if “negotiating rooms should in future be an inebriation-free zone."
One diplomat, requesting anonymity, told Agence France-Presse that it wasn’t just his fellow diplomats who caused problems. “On one occasion the note-taker who was meant to be recording the talks was so intoxicated he had to be replaced.” read more
42% of Cancer Researchers in U.S. are Immigrants
The researchers at the top seven cancer centers hail from 56 countries, but half of them came from just five nations The leading country of origin for U.S.-based cancer researchers is China, which accounts for 21%. Following China is India (10%), Germany and Canada (both 7%), and the United Kingdom (6%). read more
Arab Dictatorship Tries to become First Non-NATO Government to Buy U.S. Drones
According to the United States State Department’s Human Rights Report, “Three core human rights issues continue to be of concern: citizens’ inability to change their government; limitations on citizens’ civil liberties (including the freedoms of speech, press, assembly, and association); and lack of judicial independence…. political parties are not permitted. The government continued to interfere with privacy and to restrict civil liberties, including usage of the Internet.” read more
Reported 7% Decline in 2012 Afghan Taliban Attacks Was A Data Entry Error
The 7% statistic first appeared on January 22 on the website of the American-led coalition, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). It subsequently was used in the Pentagon’s semi-annual report to Congress on Afghanistan security progress. The figure then abruptly vanished from the website without explanation. A coalition spokesman later said the error was caught during a “quality control check.” read more
World’s Largest Food Companies Fail Ethical Standards
Coming in dead last was British food giant Associated British Foods, owner of Ovaltine and other brands with 13 points on a scale of 70. Next to last were Kellogg's and General Mills, with both scoring 16 points. Nestlé made the top of the list with 36 points, with Unilever close behind at 34. read more
Karzai, Alleging Support for Torture, Orders U.S. Special Forces out of Afghan Province
Afghan officials later said that Afghans supporting American commandos were the main suspects, and that U.S. soldiers had more likely enabled the wrongdoings instead of perpetrated them. The accusations centered on the actions of local militia armed and trained by the Americans, the creation of which has been opposed by Afghanistan’s national government. read more
Obama Sends Troops and Drones to Niger
A military official told The Washington Post that eventually the U.S. would like to relocate the base to the northern Niger city of Agadez, which is closer to the Malian territory where the rebels are located. U.S. contractors have already been operating surveillance flights out of Agadez for several months. read more
France Passes U.S. as Western Nation with most Hostages being Held
On February 19, a family of seven (three adults and four children) were kidnapped after visiting Waza National Park in the extreme north of Cameroon. At least one of them worked for a Lebanese construction company, GDF Suez, stationed nearby. This brings to fifteen the number of French hostages, all in Africa. It is thought that the victims have been transported across the border into Nigeria, where they are being held by a little-known Islamist group called Ansaru.
read more
Academy Awards 2013—Foreign Language Films
This year a record 71 countries submitted entries in the Best Foreign Language Film category. I managed to see 61 of these films. Although there were many entertaining movies, the overall mood was bleak. As one of my viewing companions put it, it’s as if the stories were conceived during the financial crisis of 2008, written in 2009, funded in 2010, produced in 2011 and released in 2012. Here are my comments on the five nominees, as well some non-nominees that I consider noteworthy.
read more
Academy Awards 2013—Documentary Features
The favorite in this category is Searching for Sugar Man, simply because it is such a good story. However, I hope that more people will get see some of the other nominees, in particular 5 Broken Cameras.
Searching for Sugar Man is the only one of the five documentary feature nominees that is uplifting and doesn’t deal with an important social or political issue that needs correcting. And yet it does start with such a struggle…the fight to end apartheid in South Africa. read more
Academy Awards 2013—Live Action Shorts
Unlike last year, this year’s set of live action shorts nominees are on the serious side with the notable exception of one and a half comedies, which, as usual, I prefer.
Asad (South Africa/USA)
A young boy living in a coastal village in Somalia, Asad wants to go out with the big kids and capture ships for ransom. Asad is the standout among this year’s nominees, compressing the plight and the hope of Somalis into 18 minutes. read more
Fewer Afghan Civilian Deaths for First Time in 6 Years
The decline was attributed to multiple factors: the slowing pace of the ground war; more fighting by Afghan forces, who possess less firepower than U.S. soldiers; fewer suicide attacks on non-government targets; and efforts by American and NATO forces to reduce the impact of fighting on civilians, including reducing the number of aerial bombings. read more
Pentagon Prepares to Combat “Threats to Western Interests” in Africa
Africa is set to become a major flashpoint for the U.S. military. Although the stated strategy is “countering violent extremist groups” on the continent, the next general in charge of U.S. forces in Africa has made it clear that the goal is to protect “western interests.”
Rodriguez wants more resources for the Africa Command, which was established only six years ago. It needs more drones, surveillance aircraft and satellite imagery, according to the general. read more
Obama Administration Refuses to Investigate Alleged DEA Killing of Women and Child in Honduras
On May 11, 2012, four villagers in a boat on the River Patuca, two pregnant women, a 21-year-old man and a 14-year-old boy, were killed when local police entered the town of Ahuas in northeastern Honduras to conduct a counternarcotics operation. Another four boat passengers were injured by gunfire. It was later learned that members of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) participated in the raid, which raised questions of whether Americans were responsible for the killings. read more
Immigration Officials Sought out Low-Level Traffic Offenders in Order to Reach Deportation Targets
An investigation by USA Today found the government delved into state driver’s license records to locate foreign-born applicants, and sent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to local traffic safety checkpoints in an effort to catch as many illegal aliens as possible before 2012 was up.
ICE also focused on processing more unauthorized immigrants arrested for low-level crimes to pad the agency’s numbers.
read more
Chicago Names First Public Enemy No. 1 Since Al Capone
Jack Riley, the DEA’s top official in Chicago, not only compared Guzmán to Capone, but he thinks the drug lord is more dangerous.
In 1993 Guzmán was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison. While in prison, he was also convicted in connection with the murder of Cardinal Juan Jesús Posadas Ocampo. However, after bribing several guards, Guzmán escaped from a maximum security prison on January 19, 2001.
read more