African leaders to convene in D.C. for summit focused on economic potential

Juliet Eilperin / The Washington Post

Nearly 50 African heads of state and government will gather this week for an unprecedented meeting in Washington that holds the prospect of reframing the continent’s image, from one defined by conflict and disease to one ripe with economic promise.

 

Looking for bright spots in Africa

Tara Sonenshine / The Hill

If we are looking for a more hopeful world future, it lies with Africa’s youth. Given a chance, they can usher in a generation less marked by destruction and more fueled by construction across sectors like energy and communications. But to get there will require an American (and global) investment in African education.

 

Many Ukraine soldiers cross into Russia amid shelling

BBC

More than 300 Ukrainian troops have crossed into Russia during heavy fighting with pro-Russian separatists.

 

Islamic State ‘now controls resources and territory unmatched in history of extremist organizations’

Terrence McCoy / The Washington Post

It’s “worse than al-Qaeda,” Brett McGurk, the State Department’s deputy assistant secretary for Iraq and Iran, told lawmakers last month. It “is no longer simply a terrorist organization. It is now a full-blown army seeking to establish a self-governing state through the Tigris and Euphrates valley in what is now Syria and Iraq.”

 

Maliki orders air force to help Kurds against the Islamic State

Isra Al-Rubai’i / Reuters

Iraq’s Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki ordered his air force for the first time to back Kurdish forces against Islamic State fighters after the Sunni militants made another dramatic push through the north.

 

Are we there yet? Rosetta closes in on comet close encounter

Dave Gilbert / CNN

If successful, the mission will notch up a series of firsts. Rosetta will be the first spacecraft to orbit a comet on its journey around the sun, and in November mission controllers aim to place the robotic lander Philae on the surface — something that has never been done before.

 

100 Passengers Feared Dead After Ferry Capsizes in Bangladesh

Julfikar Ali Manik and Hari Kumar / The New York Times

DHAKA, Bangladesh — A ferry overloaded with more than 200 passengers sank while crossing a river in central Bangladesh on Monday morning, and despite rescue efforts by naval forces and fire brigades, at least half the passengers were missing and presumed dead.

 

Farming practices and climate change at root of Toledo water pollution

Suzanne Goldenberg / The Guardian

The toxins that contaminated the water supply of the city of Toledo – leaving 400,000 people without access to safe drinking water for two days – were produced by a massive algae boom. But this is not a natural disaster.

 

Storms, Aftershocks Hurt Rescue Efforts Following Deadly China Quake

Chris Hopkins / NPR

Rescue teams are scrambling to find survivors of an earthquake that rocked southern China on Sunday and that Chinese officials say killed at least 398 people and injured at least 1,800 others.

 

U.S. Export-Import bank backers to spend recess pushing for renewal

Emily Stephenson and Krista Hughes / Reuters

As U.S. lawmakers headed home for the August recess, small-business owners, labor unions and other supporters of the Export-Import bank were preparing to spend the five-week break making their case to re-authorize the endangered lender.

 

 

On Our Flashpoint Blog

 

Sonenshine: The Trouble With Cease-Fire Agreements in War

Paul Hamill

In an oped on Defense One, ASP Consensus member and former Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy Tara Soneneshine, discuss crease-fire agreements, what makes them stick, and what can be needed to maintain them.

 

Critical Issues Facing Africa: Governance & Corruption

John Bugnacki

Tackling corruption with good governance is one of the most important challenges that African countries currently face. Without reforms that dismantle the financial, political, and administrative structures that perpetuate corruption, Africa will be unable to break the cycle of cronyism and bad governance that has constrained its tremendous potential for economic, political, and social development.

 

Critical Issues Facing Africa: Foreign Direct Investment

Jeffrey Lloyd

Foreign Direct Investment has increased in recent years across regions, especially by larger, more quickly developing nations like China. At 2012 year-end, the Congressional Research Service reported $61.4 billion in US to Africa direct investment. However, a rise in investment does not necessarily correlate with genuine economic growth, rise in employment, or financial resources within the country to meet basic needs and innovate.

 

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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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