Center for Strategic Communication

Brazil presidential candidate Campos killed in plane crash

Gustavo Bonato / Reuters

Brazilian presidential candidate Eduardo Campos was killed in a plane crash on Wednesday, throwing the October election into disarray and causing big swings in local financial markets.

 

Confusion and Alarm as Russian Aid Convoy Heads to Ukraine

Neil MacFarquhar / New York Times

Confusion enveloped the advance of an enormous Russian aid convoy as it headed towards southeastern Ukraine on Wednesday, with numerous news outlets reporting that it had been halted at a military base in the southern Russian city of Voronezh.

 

Maliki refuses to go as Iraqis turn to new leader

Alexander Dziadosz and Raheem Salman / Reuters

Nuri al-Maliki stuck to his guns and refused to accept his removal as Iraq’s prime minister on Wednesday, but his hold on power was tenuous as Iran’s supreme leader, a long-time Maliki ally, publicly backed his replacement.

 

Iraq crisis: France to deliver arms to Iraqi Kurds

BBC

France will supply arms to Iraq’s Kurds “in the coming hours”, French President Francois Holland has announced. France has received approval from authorities in Baghdad for the decision, French media reports.

 

In Turkey, a late crackdown on Islamist fighters

Anthony Faiola and Souad Mekhennet / Washington Post

Before their blitz into Iraq earned them the title of the Middle East’s most feared insurgency, the jihadists of the Islamic State treated this Turkish town near the Syrian border as their own personal shopping mall.

 

Egypt’s top religious authority condemns Islamic State

Asma Alsharif and Robin Pomeroy / Reuters

Egypt’s top religious authority condemned the armed group Islamic State which has taken over parts of Iraq and Syria, describing it on Tuesday as a corrupt, extremist organization that is damaging Islam.

 

Treasury sees solid demand from developing countries – Surge in wage growth coming? – Housing may also be poised for rebound

MJ Lee / Politico

A Treasury Department office that has helped Ukraine and Palestinian officials shore up parts of their financial systems is seeing a steady stream of demand for its services from developing countries.

 

Kissing the Corpses in Ebola Country
Abby Haglage / Daily Beast
Ebola victims are most infectious right after death – which means that West African burial practices, where families touch the bodies, are spreading the disease like wildfire.

 

The Pope’s Asia Challenge
Deborah Ball / Wall Street Journal
The visit of Pope Francis to South Korea throws a spotlight on the challenges and opportunities facing the Vatican is Asia, a region that is home to 60% of the world’s population but just 12% of the global Catholic community.

 


Australia Great Barrier Reef outlook ‘poor and deteriorating’
BBC
The outlook for Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is poor despite conservation efforts, with further deterioration expected in coming years, a report says. The bleak forecast came in a five-yearly report released by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

 

On Our Flashpoint Blog

 

Powell Statement on the passing of Mr. Robin Williams

Consensus for American Security

Statement from the Hon. Edward Powell, former President and CEO of the USO World Headquarters and member of ASP’s Consensus: “Like to many, Robin’s death has been hard to process.”

 

Upcoming Events

 

INVITE – Under Secretary Richard Stengel: American Public Diplomacy in 2014 and Beyond

September 16 @12:30PM-1:30PM

Join us at ASP as we host Richard Stengel, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, as he discusses his plans for America’s public diplomacy.

 

What’s Next? Fostering the Next Generation of Energy Security Conference

September 30 @ 9:00AM –4:30PM

The next steps in building a cleaner, more resilient energy system and economy will not be easy. The American Security Project intends to build on its years of research into energy security and climate policy by initiating a study into the next generation of energy policy.Join ASP and our panelists as we discuss the next generation of energy technology and climate policy.

 

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