Category Archives: Uncategorized

Guatamala Nov 2010 GUATEMALA CITY. I arrived on November 15 and spent 2 days there. With 2 million people, it is a big dirty place. There are guards in every store and fast food place – the ones in the … Continue reading →

Elections in Kazakhstan – No choice Democracy in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan is a managed affair, without clear rules of succession. Ever since communist bosses morphed into democrats after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, they have polished a … Continue reading →

At boiling point. The country is stable, but it will not be easy to keep it that way Feb 6th 2016 Economist It is sometimes dubbed “the Hashemite Kingdom of Boredom”. That may not be very flattering. But while Jordan … Continue reading →

The elephants fight back. Remarkable progress on ivory and shark fin; none on rhino horn Nov 21st 2015 Economist For anybody who fears that China’s interest in elephants’ tusks could spell doom for the great beasts, there have been two … Continue reading →

Central Asia. Stans undelivered – The five former Soviet republics struggle to survive the new Great Game Jul 2nd 2016 Economist Tajikistan has the vainest ruler in Central Asia. Emomali Rahmon flies what may be the world’s largest flag atop … Continue reading →

Corruption in Guatemala. Bad apples everywhere – An ousted president is accused of masterminding kleptocracy Jun 11th 2016 Economist When Otto Pérez Molina resigned as Guatemala’s president last September and was promptly jailed on corruption charges, it was seen as … Continue reading →

Easier said than written. Aboriginals of the Arctic share a language, but not a script Nov 7th 2015 Economist Missionaries in northern Canada saw themselves as spreading the “three Cs” among the region’s Inuit peoples: Christianity, commerce and civiliZation. But … Continue reading →

DISSENT IN LAOS Radio silence. As Barack Obama prepares for his first visit to Laos, its civil society struggles Jul 23rd 2016 Economist A highlight of Ounkeo Souksavanh’s years as a radio host in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, came … Continue reading →

Hands off. So-called virginity tests are nonsensical, degrading and still too common May 21st 2016 Econimist What does it take to be a good soldier? Courage? Loyalty? Respect for the Geneva Conventions? Yes, yes, but for the Indonesian army, if … Continue reading →

Glenn Hodges June 2016 National Geographic America loved Jaws, and became paranoid about sharks. There is always with the vague fear that teeth will tug on your leg at any moment when swimming in the ocean. Never mind that there’d … Continue reading →