‘National/International’ Archives
Health Care Happenings »
The Senate passed the health care overhaul bill in a party line vote (60-39) today, marking a critical juncture in the journey of a bill which many are calling the most important piece of social legislation since Social Security in 1935. Although the Senate version is markedly more centrist than the House bill, a compromise is widely expected to [...]
Update »
Readers, Sorry for the general lack of activity lately. Our campus section is understandably quiet since school is out of session for the holidays, but the Bureau Abroad has no such excuse and will resume activity shortly. As we mentioned earlier the whole national/international thing is very much a work in progress and we are still playing [...]
Ask and Ye Shall (Not) Receive »
After three days, The Copenhagen Climate Conference is sinking faster than the Maldives. In a recent incident that has now been dubbed "climategate," hundreds of emails circulated among members of the CRU (Climate Research Unit) were leaked on to the internet. One email in particular seems especially problematic-- here's the full text (emphasis [...]
Copenhagen Blues »
The international extravaganza that is the Copenhagen Climate Conference began today, marking the first day in a week of talks during which 200 leaders from across the world will try to make some sort of the progress on the problem of climate change. Or at least that's what is supposed to happen. In reality the conference is more likely to [...]
Swiss Minaret Referendum cont. »
In the aftermath of the passage of the now infamous Swiss referendum , there have been a plethora of responses from across Europe and the world, expressing everything from indignation to outright support. Those who have praised the decision have labeled it a successful application of the democratic process and a step forward in the fight against [...]
President Obama’s War »
After months of deliberation President Obama is expected to announce tonight that he will approve the deployment of 30,000 additional American troops in Afghanistan. The move, which comes on the heels of the controversial Afghan election in which Hamid Karzai won another term as President, would bring total US troop levels in Afghanistan to around [...]
Regarding the Swiss Minaret Ban »
It's Europe Europe Europe here at the Bureau Abroad. But can you really blame us? Yesterday the Swiss people overwhelmingly (57.5% in favor) passed a referendum introduced by the far-right SVP, or Swiss People's Party, banning the construction of minarets on mosques throughout the country. The move was no doubt one fueled by by [...]
Herman Von Who? »
After years of political wrangling Vaclav Klaus, the President of the Czech-Republic and the last hold-out against the EU's ambitious plans to make itself a politically coherent actor on the global stage, signed the Lisbon treaty on November 3rd, thereby giving the EU license to elect, among other things, a full-time president with a two and a [...]
Leaked Liberhan Report Spells Trouble for BJP »
In December of 1992 approximately fifteen thousand nationalist Hindus stormed and demolished the Babri Masjid, a mosque built in the 16th century on the site that Hindus believe was once home to a temple where Ram, a incarnation of the Hindu God Vishnu, was born. The demolition led to Hindu-Muslim communal riots around the country on a scale that [...]
Morning Links »
--So remember how the TUSD so desperately needed the authority to spend millions to? Ben Kalafut notices that in spite of the rhetoric, the school district was able to go ahead and make the purchase, without increasing spending authority. --UA economics gets the FEE seal of approval. --Graeme Wood travels to Egypt: "After and during the [...]
“Going Muslim?” »
On November 17, twelve days after the Fort Hood shooting, the Muslim Student Association of NYU organized a protest to voice its opposition to a column published by Forbes Opinion editor and NYU Stern Professor Tunku Varadarajan. In said article Varadarajan argues that Hasan's actions were a case of an individual "Going Muslim," a phrase meant to [...]
Welcome »
Dear loyal Lampers, Welcome to "The Bureau Abroad," the freshly conceived section of the Desert Lamp dedicated to national and international issues. This latest venture into the blogosphere is the natural outgrowth of Evan and Connor's admirable dedication in covering campus issues since the blog's inception. My name is Vishal Ganesan and [...]