Center for Strategic Communication

Typhoon kills 10 in Philippines but eases before heading for China

Rosemarie Francisco and Manuel Mogato / Reuters

A typhoon killed at least 10 people as it churned across the Philippines and shut down the capital, cutting power and prompting the evacuation of more than 400,000 residents, rescue officials said.

 

AP Interview: Afghan Hopeful Credits US Deal

John Daniszewski / Associated Press

Somber and reflective, Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah says his country was on the verge of a “very serious, serious situation” before he struck a U.S.-brokered deal with his rival to avert the crisis by holding a fully audited vote count.

 

Georgian ambassador at time of 2008 war with Russia found dead

Reuters

Georgia’s former ambassador to Russia at the time of the two countries’ 2008 war was found shot to death on Tuesday in his car at the Tbilisi apartment block where he lived, the state prosecutor’s office said.

 

Germany pledges $1bn to UN climate change fund

Megan Rowling / the Guardian

Aid group Oxfam has called on other rich nations to follow the example of Germany, which has promised $1 billion for the UN’s fledgling Green Climate Fund.

 

BRICS set up bank to counter Western hold on global finances

Alonso Soto and Anthony Boadle / Reuters

Leaders of the BRICS emerging market nations launched a $100 billion development bank and a currency reserve pool on Tuesday in their first concrete step toward reshaping the Western-dominated international financial system.

 

UAE Plans First Arab Spaceship to Mars in 7 Years

Associated Press

The United Arab Emirates, already home to the world’s tallest tower, is now reaching for the stars, with plans to send the first Arab spaceship to Mars in 2021.

 

ASP Recent Reports

Fusion White Paper 2014 – 10 Year Plan for American Energy Security

American Security Project

ASP’s White Paper, “Fusion Power – A 10 Year Plan for American Energy Security” provides a detailed plan on how to accelerate the development of fusion power.

 

On Our Flashpoint Blog

John Kerry Speaks in Vienna about Iran Deal

Theresa Shaffer

Secretary of State and former ASP board member John Kerry spoke yesterday, June 15th in Vienna about the upcoming deadline for the Iran deal this Sunday, July 20th.

 

Pope Francis, USAID Talk Impact Investing

Maggie Feldman-Piltch

Investing for the Poor, a June conference at the Vatican, brought together the Pope, leaders from the non-profit and public sectors and development, social entrepreneurs, and impact investors to discuss innovative ways to fight poverty.

 

5 Reasons Why Nuclear Weapons Are Still Relevant Today

Theresa Shaffer

The Cold War has ended, and nuclear stockpiles have steadily decreased worldwide, (with a few notable exceptions). The Nation has seen a loss in interest with regards to nuclear weapons from think tanks to academia, and it has taken a back-seat priority in governmental policy. This begs the question of why nuclear weapons remain relevant today.

 

Where are All the Ambassadors?

Maggie Feldman-Piltch

On July 8th, Secretary Kerry published an op-ed in Politico Magazine entitled, “Why Is the Senate Hobbling American Diplomacy?” 53 State Department nominations, 37 of which have already been confirmed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, await confirmation by the full Senate. With these vacancies, the United States is without a direct line of communication in 40 countries- more than 25% of the world.

 

Upcoming Events

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

September 30 @ 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM

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.

The post What We Are Reading…July 16, 2014 appeared first on American Security Project.