U.S. and the World
State Department Tour for Pakistan Legislators Falls Apart over Body Scanning
Six members of the legislature from Pakistan, invited to visit the United States by the State Deparatment, left the country early because they refused to go through additional screening at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC.
The ... read more
Brazil, with Rare WTO Approval, Threatens U.S. with Trade Sanctions
After eight years of complaints, Brazil is now threatening to impose stiff trade sanctions against the United States over U.S. subsidizing of cotton production. Brazil has appealed to the World Trade Organization (WTO), which first ruled that the ... read more
U.S.-Supported Afghan Chief Served Prison Time in Germany
After U.S. forces pushed the Taliban out of the southern Afghanistan town of Marja, Afghan officials installed Abdul Zahir Aryan to serve as the local representative of the government. Zahir’s job is to demonstrate to locals that siding with Kabul... read more
Defense Contractor Agrees to Pay $400 Million Criminal Fine
United Kingdom-based defense contractor BAE Systems has pled guilty in U.S. federal court to charges of defrauding the government and trying to cover up its illegal activities. The company has agreed to pay $400 million, one of the largest crimina... read more
Journalist Attacked by Assassins While Speaking on Live Radio
Karol Cabrera, a controversial journalist in Honduras, survived an assassination attempt last week that took place while she conducted a radio interview via phone in the capital of Tegucigalpa. Cabrera was traveling by car with Joseph Hernández Oc... read more
Civilians Account for One-Third of Drone Attack Deaths in Pakistan
Estimates for the civilian casualty rate in Pakistan from U.S. drone attacks have varied widely depending on the source, according to the New America Foundation. The rate at which non-militants have died or been injured in aerial assaults by Preda... read more
Accused Death Squad Leader on Verge of Election to Iraqi Parliament
Accused of being behind hundreds of kidnappings and murders has not ruined Hakim al-Zamili’s chances of getting elected to Iraq’s parliament, thanks to his connections within Shiite political circles.
Al-Zamili was accused and put on trial for... read more
Army Considers Need for Better Bullets and Rifles in Afghanistan
Combat experience in Iraq has shaped the training and arming of American soldiers in Afghanistan, even though the aspects of warfare are noticeably different. Whereas the Army, Marines and Special Operations regularly engaged insurgents within clo... read more
German Family Granted Asylum in U.S. in Order to Home School
Political asylum, normally reserved for immigrants fleeing torture, imprisonment or threats of deaths, has been awarded to a German family wanting to home-school their children. Near the end of January, Uwe and Hannelore Romeike, along with their ... read more
Give Haitian Garment Workers a Raise…to $5 a Day: Robert Naiman
If the United States really wants to help earthquake-ravaged and poverty-stricken Haiti, it can do more than just send emergency relief, says foreign policy analyst Robert Naiman. Washington
could use its influence to convince the Haitian govern... read more
Cuban Political Prisoner Dies after Hunger Strike
For the first time in almost 40 years, a political prisoner in Cuba has died from a hunger strike. Orlando Zapata Tamayo, a 42-year-old plumber and bricklayer, was arrested in 2003 for his participation in several dissident groups. He began a hung... read more
E-Waste Poses Growing Threat Around the World
As if existing air and water pollution aren’t enough to worry about for countries like China, India and others, waste from consumer and home electronics is threatening to become a huge problem unto itself. A new report from the United Nations Envi... read more
Asian Pollution Hitting U.S. West Coast
It may not be long before political leaders in the American West start blaming Asia if they struggle to meet federal air quality standards. As if California, Oregon, Washington and other western states don’t spew enough of their own carbon dioxide... read more
Profiting from the Haiti Earthquake
Relief agencies aren’t the only foreigners getting involved in Haiti’s earthquake aftermath. The International Peace Operations Association (IPOA), labeled a “mercenary trade association” by one media source, is planning a summit in Miami to bring... read more
ACLU Sues USAID for Refusing to Release Documents Relating to Religious Programs
Unable to get the documents it requested, the American Civil Liberties Union is suing the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for refusing to disclose information about funding for religious-based programs overseas. USAID’s own rules... read more
Two Chinese Schools Accused as Sources of Online Attacks
Tracing the December cyber attacks on Google and other American companies back to two Chinese schools has expanded rather than narrowed the list of possible culprits behind the hacking. Initial conclusions pointed the finger at the Beijing governm... read more