China: National Security Threat or Trade Protectionism?

Last week on 8 October 2012, the U.S. House Intelligence Committee released an investigative report accusing two major Chinese telecommunications companies, Huawei and ZTE of posing threat to U.S national security.

Central Asia's Water Stories

How is it possible that in Central Asia, a region with abundant water resources, safe drinking water is still a luxury for many people? On his blog, Bakhrom Mananov features...

Pakistan: Malala Yousufzai And The Drone Attacks

Ever since the young school going peace activist Malala Yousufzai was attacked by armed gunmen in Swat, Pakistan, numerous questions over the efficacy of the ongoing drone attacks in the region have surfaced.

Democratic Republic of Congo: A Francophone Summit too Focused on the Protection of the French Language ?

 Sékou Diabate reacts on his Facebook page about the end of the fourteenth edition of the Francophone Summit, which was held from October 12th to 14th in Kinshasa. He writes:...

Colombia/U.S.: “We Need to Talk About Coke”

Colombia based American blogger Natalie Southwick writes about cocaine supply chain and asks her countrymen to think about how Americans may be perpetuating the cycle of violence and exploitation by...

Controversy over Nobel Peace Prize to European Union

The awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to the European Union (EU) has sparked a lively debate in the media and on social networks in Europe and the rest of the world.

Mauritania: Confusion Reigns over “Accidental” Shots that Wounded President Aziz

“@weddady: The official version on Aziz being “wounded lightly” was completely nonsense. He is seriously injured à la Dadis Camara.. #Mauritania“ Twitter update from Mauritanian activist Nasser Waddady upon hearing official...

Mali: MOJWA Threatens the Lives of Hostages and French President over Military Intervention

The Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA) via its speaker Oumar Ould Hamaha  has threatened the lives of hostages and French President [fr] because of the planned military...

General-Secretary of La Francophonie Wants a Seat for Africa at the UN Security Council

Abidjan Net writes [fr] that General-Secretary of La Francophonie Abdou Diouf demanded at the opening of the 2012 Francophonie Summit [fr] that the African continent be granted a seat at the UN security Council. He argues...

United States: Immigration Absent in Vice-Presidential Debate

In the debate between the vice-presidential candidates Joe Biden and Paul Ryan there were, as was to be expected, differences on issues such as the economy, foreign policy, health care and abortion. However, immigration was absent from the debate.

DR of Congo: Tension Between Kinshasa and Paris as Summit Commences

Le Potentiel writes that [fr] French president Hollande's assessment of Human Rights violations in DR of Congo were not taken lightly by the Congolese government as the Francophone Summit is set to...

United States: The Road to Peace According to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, emblematic figure of the Burmese opposition and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, recieved the Vaclav Havel for Creative Dissent award given by the Human Rights Foundation during the San Francisco Freedom Forum. Her participation was part of a 15-day tour throughout the United States.

France, World Bank to Help African Nations Negotiate Mining Contracts

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Franc Zone monetary cooperation agreements, the president of Côte d'Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara, and the French Minister of Finance, Pierre Moscovici, have published a joint text advocating the establishment of an initiative to end "the excessive exploitation of Africa’s reserves". African bloggers have been giving their opinions on this development.

France, Africa: Black Fashion Week Marred by Visa Problems

Two renowned African fashion designers and several models have been denied entry to France for Black Fashion Week October 2012. This event was created by Senegalese fashion designer Adama Paris to show the world the diversity and influence of African creativity on contemporary fashion and has been held in Dakar, Senegal for the past ten years. The first show outside Dakar took place in Prague in November 2011, since then, it has travelled from place to place. The designers made public statements on their struggle to obtain short stay visas.

Arab World: Romney's Middle East Agenda Rapped

Mitt Romney's foreign policy speech was rapped by netizens across the Arab World today. If elected, Romney pledged to take a more “engaged” foreign policy, as opposed to Obama's wait-and-see approach as “profound upheaval” shook the region. He also said he would arm Syrian rebels.

Egypt: Abusing the October 6 War

Egyptian Nervana shares her thoughts on the 39th anniversary of the 6th of October (Yom Kippur) War. She writes: Egyptians need hope, and October ’73 is the event that is...

Reactions to North Korean Soldier Defected to South Korea Across Border

As a North Korean soldier allegedly killed two of his superiors and defected to South Korea, numerous comments were made; Some suggesting a possibility of him being a spy, while other...

Preserving Southeast Asia's Peatlands

Peat swamp forests in Southeast Asia cover approximately 35 million hectares in the region. An inter-nation network was set-up to preserve the peatlands which play a ‘critical role in the...

Tajikistan: Mixed Reactions Over Russian Base Deal

Russian President returns from a visit to Tajikistan with a deal that extends Moscow's lease on its military base in the Central Asian country for another three decades. Within Tajikistan, reactions to the arrangement differ from praising the authorities for a "win-win situation" to criticizing them for a "national humiliation".

China: Reactions to U.S. Visa-free Status to Taiwan

Jing Gao from Ministry of Tofu translated some mainland Chinese netizens’ reaction to the U.S government's granting of visa free status to Taiwanese.

Bangladesh: The Value Of Co-existence

Fundamentally, we enrich each other in this life not by merely co-existing but by seeing the value in each other’s existence. And, by helping each other grow, thrive, and prosper, we enrich ourselves.