David Igantius of the Washington Post has another post on the Iranian nuclear situation. This piece is a little less dire than the post he ran in February which seemed to indicate that an attack on Iran was imminent. In the more recent post, Ignatius seems to indicate that progress is being made to resoolve the crisis diplomatically, and that Turkey is playing a crucial intermediary role. Let’s hope that progress is indeed being made.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has recommended that sanctions be lifted against Burma because of the recent election and other human rights changes. This step is an important endorsement and could have the effect of solidifying the changes there. I have been impressed by the complicated and delicate diplomacy associated with these changes–it is almost a textbook case of how change can come about non-violently.
One of the best predictors of political protest is the price of food. Unfortunately, those prices have been going up again. The last time prices increased this rapidly (2008) there were food riots in many places in the world. We should be on the watch as the spring unfolds.
World Politics News 
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