Home Blog Page 17

Sudan’s US envoy, forced to resign, tells us ‘the situation is disastrous’

When Nureldin Mohamed Hamed Satti arrived in Washington back in July 2020, he was welcomed as Khartoum’s first ambassador to the United States in 23 years. Yet Satti’s mission proved to be short-lived. On Jan. 31, the 75-year-old former UN official was forced to resign after a military coup back home plunged Sudan into a political and humanitarian crisis.

LiDAR technology shines new light on Guatemala’s ancient Maya ruins

Guatemala, Central America’s largest nation, often makes headlines, though nearly always for the wrong reasons—violent crime, drug trafficking, natural disasters and illegal immigration. When it comes to uncovering ancient civilizations, however, Guatemala is a world leader.

Washington Opera Society names Julien Benichou artistic director

The Washington Opera Society (WOS) has named Julien Benichou as its new general and artistic director, replacing Michael Reilly, the society’s founder and executive director. Simon Charette, its assistant artistic director, is now general manager of the WOS.

Op-ed: Want to be a US ambassador? Pay up.

As the Biden administration approaches its first anniversary in power, it might be useful to explain one way in which Washington operates, even though it has not changed with the transition from Trump to Biden. This feature of American statecraft, which is often misunderstood, is the uniquely American tradition of selling the title of “ambassador.”

Diplomatic Spotlight

Transatlantic Leadership Network and National Press host "Freedom of the Media" Ceremony On Dec. 7, the Transatlantic Leadership Network (TLN), a Washington-based nonpartisan think tank, hosted its inaugural "Freedom of

V-Dem warns of democratic backsliding in COVID’s wake

While some nations have seen a significant deterioration of freedoms during the past 18 months, the pandemic’s direct impact on the vitality of democracy itself has so far been limited, the Swedish nonprofit V-Dem says. But those who run Washington’s top global development organizations aren’t waiting to sound the alarm.