Sharif Says He Wants Serious Peace Talks
Rachel Oswald/Global Security Newswire
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that he wants to hold serious peace talks with India. Of particular concern to Mr. Sharif is ending the arms race between the two countries, which he described as unfortunate.
Factory Safety Deals in Bangladesh
Sarah Butler/The Guardian
In the wake of the Rana Plaza factory collapse, three separate deals to improve safety conditions are in place. There are questions whether the different initiatives can collaborate to create a common set of standards.
Slowdown in College Tuition Price Increases
Mary Beth Marklein/USA Today
Tuition prices at four-year public universities rose by 2.9% this year, the smallest increase in more than three decades. Tuition this fall averaged $8,893.
Glen Carey/Bloomberg
Saudi Arabia will continue to support Syrian rebels, despite US efforts to ensure that rebel aid does not fall into the hands of Islamists. The announcement does not mean a breakdown in Saudi-US relations a Saudi official explained.
Russia Downgrades Greenpeace Activists’ Charges
The Telegraph
Russia has dropped the piracy charges against 30 people involved in a Greenpeace protest against Arctic oil drilling. Instead, the Greenpeace activists will be charged with hooliganism, which has a maximum jail sentence of 7 years.
BBC
After receiving information that the US may have spied on her phone, German Chancellor Angela Merkel called President Obama. President Obama told Chancellor Merkel that the US was not monitoring her communications.
Iran’s Conservatives Call for a Boycott
Kambiz Foroohar/Businessweek
Iranian conservatives are calling for a boycott of the country’s nuclear talks with world powers. This is in response to comment made by Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that “Deception is part of the DNA.”
On Our Flashpoint Blog
Farhad Mirzadeh
China has initiated its own gold rush, prompting development in Western regions in hopes of finding wealth and prosperity.
Brendan Zehner
Ukrainian businessman and civic activist, Sergii Bondarchuk spoke to ASP on Tuesday, October 22 about Ukraine and the country’s future.
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