All Keep Calm
Pakistan pushback: US is 'shifting blame' for Afghan insurgencyIn India, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asked Pakistan to do more in taking on radical Islamist groups, including handing over Hafiz Saeed, thought to have had a role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
Clinton in India: a gentle reminder about all that Iranian oilThe US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wants India to stop buying oil from Iran, given concerns over Iran's nuclear program. But can Delhi stop?
What the French elections could mean for Afghan securityNewly elected French President François Hollande pledged to withdraw French troops by end of 2012. This will increase the burden on other NATO allies as Taliban fighting season begins.
West African bloc prepares to send troops into Mali and Guinea-BissauTwo separate military coups in Mali and Guinea-Bissau threaten the stability of the region. But will an intervention by ECOWAS actually resolve these conflicts or just complicate them?
Good Reads: Politics of withdrawal, fossil fuels, and media freedom in South AfricaHerewith, a shout out to longer-form analysis stories about President Obama's security pact with Afghanistan, as well as stories on oil, developing countries, and media restriction in South Africa.
UN Security Council prods Sudan and South Sudan back to talksThe UN Security Council voted to impose economic sanctions on Sudan and South Sudan if they don't stop fighting immediately and restart mediation over oil revenues and borders.
Coup and counter-coup: Mali's military junta retains control of capitalMali's military junta have kept control of the capital, Bamako, after loyalists of the former president launch a counter-coup. But the junta has lost much of the country to Tuareg rebels.- Drill for oil in Somalia? Why not, says Australian firmAustralia-based Jacka Resources plans to start oil exploration in Somaliland, a region of Somalia that declared itself independent in 1991. Nice work if you can get it.
Good Reads: On America's limits, Middle Eastern feminism, Indian authorsSome of the best long-form journalism this week deals with America's foreign policy limitations, sexual politics in the Middle East, African stereotypes, and an Indian publishing boom.
Charles Taylor, former Liberian president, found guilty of war crimesCharles Taylor: A guilty verdict against the former Liberian president – including charges of murder, rape, use of child soldiers – sets precedent for holding sitting heads of state to account.
Ritual Aggression: India and Pakistan's missile tests, following peace talksPakistan and India test ballistic missiles to demonstrate military might. But these tests have become separate from politics, in which both countries appear to be developing closer ties.
Good Reads: On liberal Christians, political Islam, and the news professionHere are a few longer pieces worth reading on the disappearance of liberal Christians, the uncertain future political Islamists, and why journalism is still the Best. Job. Ever.
Sudan declares war on South Sudan: Will this draw in East Africa, and China?After South Sudan seizes Heglig oil fields, which both countries claim, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir declares war. How can international community prevent a regional conflict?
Malawi's Banda becomes Africa's third female head of stateVice President Joyce Banda took over as Malawi's president on Saturday. Her first challenge: restoring relations with donor nations to the poverty stricken nation.
Good Reads: Weighing the tactics in battles over drones, hackers, and abortion rightsA roundup of some of the week's most insightful articles from around the Internet.
Good Reads: Is the US actually in decline, or just taking a breather?A roundup of some of the week's most insightful articles from around the Internet.
Mali coup leaders pledge to hand over power as Tuareg rebels take TimbuktuDisarray following a March 21 coup has allowed Tuareg rebels to take over much of Mali's north. West African neighbors worry about spillover.
Senegal's president concedes defeat, a welcome step in region of coupsAfter winning court permission to run for a third term, overriding a constitutional ban, President Abdoulaye Wade steps aside – breaking a pattern of Senegalese leaders overstaying their welcome.
Good Reads: Ben Bernanke, bilingualism, and a new study on God and civilizationHere's a survey of what's interesting in other magazines: a profile of 'the villain' Ben Bernanke, a look at the benefits of bilingualism, and a scientific explanation for society's need for God.
Outgunned against rebels, Mali soldiers overthrow governmentAfter a string of defeats against better armed Tuareg rebels, Mali's army staged a mutiny and overthrew the government.
