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What's behind Russia's involvement in Syria and Iran? National interests.Russia has spent political and real capital building alliances with Syria and Iran. It's not surprising that Moscow now wants to defend its allies' interests at the bargaining table.
Liberia's President Sirleaf defends country's anti-gay lawsLiberian president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Ellen Johnson Sirleaf defends Liberia's anti-gay laws, underlining persistence of colonial laws and 'traditional values.'
Afghan President Karzai's angry ultimatums have parallels in post-colonial AfricaAfter the massacre of 16 Afghan civilians by a US Army sergeant, Afghan President Karzai told the US to speed up withdrawal. Post-colonial experience from Africa suggests that US departure may not be pretty.- When US troops leave Afghanistan, an American university will remainUS military withdrawal from Afghanistan won't necessarily spell the end of US commitments to Afghanistan, says president of American University of Afghanistan.
Hague court issues its first guilty verdict against Congo warlord LubangaThe guilty verdict against Lubanga will draw new attention to pending cases against 20 other indictees, including Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony, the focus of Invisible Children's Kony2012 video campaign.
Invisible Children responds to critics of Joseph Kony 2012 campaignInvisible Children's chief executive defended his NGO's 'thoughtful and strategic' campaign against the murderous militia leader Joseph Kony.- How US presidential politics gives leverage to the Taliban, IranWhile America’s adversaries in Afghanistan and Iran cannot actually pull key strings to choose the next US president, election year politics ends up giving them some leverage.
Blowback? Kenya pins Nairobi grenade attack on Somali IslamistsKenyan police have arrested four people in Sunday's grenade attacks in Nairobi, which killed 7 people. Is it blowback for Kenya's military involvement in Somalia?
When Joseph Kony almost came in from the cold: Juba peace talksJoseph Kony showed his face to the world in 2006. Peace talks in the South Sudan city of Juba between 2006 and 2008 held out the promise of an end to Africa's longest insurgency. Here's how they ended.
Nigerian government ready for talks with Islamist group Boko HaramBut after a Boko Haram campaign that killed at least 1,000, and a government crackdown that killed the Islamist group's leader, there are questions as to what the two sides can discuss.
Why Sarkozy's hard words about immigration may resonate in FranceThe bedrock concept of Frenchness is that any French citizen can climb the ladder, if they speak French. But what about immigrants -- 11 percent of population -- who don't integrate?- Lord's Resistance Army: After long silence, the US-tracked rebels attackThe deadly Lord's Resistance Army goes on attack again in Democratic Republic of Congo, but coordinated efforts by regional armies and the US military has put them on the run.
Millennium Development Goals: Clean water checked off list. Now back to work.The Millennium Development Goal of sharply improving access to safe drinking water has been reached. But China drove a lot of the progress, skewing the data with its size and obscuring problems in Africa.- Ghana: When Independence day becomes a ho-hum affair, it's a good signOn this day, Ghana's founding father said the country must show 'the black man is capable of managing his own affairs.' It's a lesson Ghanaians – the first black African nation to throw off colonialism – have taken home.
Death toll from blasts in Congo Brazzaville reflects bad urban planningThis disaster could have been averted by shifting rural newcomers to Congo Brazzaville to safer neighborhoods, and away from a dangerous site like the arms depot that blew up Sunday.- Good Reads: lighter, messier African conflicts, and burning QuransHow the post-cold-war era has given birth to smaller, messier conflicts; and how the Quran burning incident in Afghanistan could have been much worse. Seriously.
The politics of meat and Muslims in election-year FranceConservative Marine Le Pen recently alleged that President Sarkozy had bowed to 'Islamic radicals.' It may be election-year gold, but restricting or demonizing Islamic practices could push disaffected youth toward those with radical agendas, says author Jonathan Laurence.
Interpol arrests Anonymous hackers: Do they warrant the attention?Anonymous hackers were allegedly preparing to shut down Chilean and Colombian government websites. But these attacks are like digital graffiti.
Welcome to 'Keep Calm'Seeing the big picture can have a calming effect when it comes to world news.
