Buoyed by Obama, leaders press for climate action
John Heilprin / Associated Press
Hurricanes, floods, droughts and a newly climate-conscious Barack Obama are helping boost efforts around the world to fight climate change.
North Korea threatens war with South over U.N. sanctions
Jack Kim / Reuters
North Korea threatened to attack rival South Korea if Seoul joined a new round of tightened U.N. sanctions, as Washington unveiled more of its own economic restrictions following Pyongyang’s rocket launch last month.
Britain heading for triple-dip recession as GDP shrinks 0.3% in fourth quarter
Philip Inman / The Guardian
Britain could be on course for its third recession in four years after the economy shrank 0.3% in the last three months of 2012.The figures were worse than expected and could put pressure on the government to consider a “plan B” that would stimulate demand.
Year-Old Virtual US Embassy in Iran Tallies Its Hits and Misses
Barbara Slavin / Al-Monitor
There has been no functioning US Embassy in Iran since Nov. 4, 1979, when radical students seized the sprawling compound in downtown Tehran and held American diplomats hostage. But for the past year, Iranians have been able to access an online menu of information and services that partly compensates for the absence of a physical US diplomatic outpost in the Iranian capital.
Violence flares on anniversary of Egypt uprising
Ahmed el-Shemi and Tom Perry / Reuters
Youths fought Egyptian police in Cairo and Alexandria on Friday on the second anniversary of the revolt that toppled Hosni Mubarak and brought the election of an Islamist president who protesters accuse of riding roughshod over the new democracy.
Darren Samuelsohn, Jonathan Allen / Politico
Secretary of State nominee John Kerry spoke at his confirmation hearing yesterday, stating that climate change was a life-threatening issue. He said he would be a “passionate advocate” on the issue if confirmed.
What’s the threat? North Korean rhetoric, reality
Eric Talmadge / Associated Press
In the face of international condemnation, North Korea can usually be counted on for such flights of rhetorical pique… If the past is any indication, its threats of war are overblown. But the chances it will conduct another nuclear test are high.
Make Climate Change a Priority
Jim Yong Kim / The Washington Post
The President of the World Bank, Jim Yong Kim, wrote an oped in The Washington Post today, calling for action on climate change. He wrote that the world’s top priority should be to “get finance flowing and get prices right on all aspects of energy costs.”
New Al-Qaeda Generation May Be Deadliest One
Bruce Riedel / Al-Monitor
The dramatic attack in Algeria this month on a natural gas facility underscores the emergence of a new generation of al-Qaeda across the Arab world, “al-Qaeda 3.0″ or the movement’s third generation.
Kerry says Iran must come clean on nuclear program
Joe Sterling, Jessica Yellin and Holly Yan / CNN
Sen. John Kerry, the president’s nominee for secretary of state, put America’s anxiety over Iran front and center during his confirmation hearing, saying the “questions surrounding Iran’s nuclear program” must be resolved.
On Our Flashpoint Blog
Event Review – Understanding the Strategic and Tactical Considerations of Drone Strikes
Fiona Cotton
A panel of experts joined ASP for a discussion on the strategic and legal consequences of drone strikes as part of the U.S. military program. ASP CEO BGen. Stephen Cheney (USMC, ret.), ASP Fellow Joshua Foust, Benjamin Wittes of the Brookings Institution, and Daphne Eviatar of Human Rights First explored the many dimensions of this particular military tactic, and how it impacts long term national security in the United States.
Next Steps in Updating U.S. Nuclear Strategy
Brian Kastner
The Carnegie Endowment recently hosted a panel event with James Acton, Elbridge Colby, Ambassador Steven Pifer, and moderator, Jessica Tuchman Matthews entitled Arms Control 2.0 in Obama 2.0. The panelists discussed next steps for reducing nuclear risks, a topic they developed in a recent policy brief, “Beyond Treaties: Immediate Steps to Reduce Nuclear Dangers.”