Bangladesh factory building collapse kills nearly 100
Serajul Quadir and Ruma Paul / Reuters
A block housing garment factories and shops collapsed in Bangladesh on Wednesday, killing nearly 100 people and injuring more than a thousand, officials said.
4 Reasons Coal Declines Even As Natural Gas Prices Rise: EIA
Jeff McMahon / Forbes
U.S. power plants began burning more coal in February as natural gas prices rose, but coal’s resurgence will not overcome its long-term decline, according to a report released today by the U.S. Energy Information Agency.
Enrico Letta set to become Italy’s new prime minister
BBC
The appointment of Mr Letta, currently deputy leader of the centre-left Democratic Party, could see the end of two months of parliamentary deadlock. An inconclusive general election in February left the country in political limbo.
South Korea and U.S. Fail to Reach Deal on Nuclear Energy
Choe Sang-Hun / The New York Times
South Korea said on Wednesday that it had failed to reach a compromise with the United States on its civil nuclear energy program, forcing the two allies to delay the deadline for a deal by two years.
Syria expects more financial aid from Russia, Iran
Michael Stott and Samia Nakhoul / Reuters
Syria hopes to clinch more financial aid from its allies Russia and Iran soon, but still has enough foreign reserves to pursue its war on rebels trying to oust President Bashar al-Assad, the central bank governor said.
Pakistan farmers grapple with climate change
Saleem Shaikh and Sughra Tunio / AlJazeera
After five consecutive dry winters, Abdul Qadeer was jubilant at the prospect of a plentiful harvest of wheat after December rains soaked his farmland. But the 39-year-old farmer’s hopes were destroyed last month by torrential spring rains and a hailstorm that flattened his wheat crop.
Immigration reform is a no-brainer to help the economy
Grover Norquist / The Guardian
People are an asset, not a liability. The United States is the most immigrant-friendly nation in the world and the richest country in the world. This is not a coincidence. Those voices that would make us less immigrant-friendly would make us less successful, less prosperous, and certainly less American.
Why is Reuters puzzled by global warming’s acceleration?
Dana Nuccitelli / The Guardian
In the last 15 years, average surface temperatures have slowed, but that fact masks the overall global temperatures have been accelerating. Much of the recent warming has occurred in the oceans.
Breaking down on the Road to Electric Cars
Bill Vlasic / The New York Times
No one answers the phones these days at Fisker Automotive. Its visionary founder has quit; its employees have been laid off or put on furlough without pay. Production of its sleek plug-in hybrid car, the Karma, ended months ago.
Governments find their way to the public’s heart – through the stomach
Alex Beall / WTOP
The Korean dumplings in your grocer’s freezer, the new Thai restaurant on the corner and that Burmese curry you ate for lunch are doing more than satisfying your craving for an exotic and flavorful meal. These foods are also helping to foster international relations.
ASP Recently Published
International progress on Fusion Energy – How American Leadership is Slipping
Theodore J. MacDonald
ASP’s fact sheet, “International Progress on Fusion Energy” outlines the steps other countries are taking in developing fusion energy. Meanwhile, the U.S. is considering budget cuts to its fusion program, which will cause irreparable harm to the development of fusion power.
Perpsective – The Defense Industrial Base
August Cole
The defense industrial base is tied to American competitiveness in the 21st Century. For that reason, leaders in the private and public sector must take steps to thrive during a drawn out period of changing expectations while also remaining committed to keeping the country strong through innovation, long-term investment and disciplined management.
On Our Flashpoint Blog
This Week in Public Diplomacy
Lívia Pontes Fialho
A round-up of news in Public Diplomacy.
Event Review: The environmental and Security Communities – How do Their Evolving Concerns Overlap?
Justin Yarros
On April 22nd, The Stimson Center celebrated Earth Day with the first part of a series that will bring together experts to illuminate the connections between security and environmental issues.
The North Caucasus – a long history of violent insurgency
Daniel Painter
In the aftermath of last week’s Boston Marathon bombing, many are focused on what motivated this violent act of terrorism, putting the spot light on the lives of the suspected bombers – Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
