Reflecting on the unresolved Caprivi secession case, an old Namibian acquaintance has this to say: “From a constitutional point of view, justice is being denied. The suspects shouldn’t be in custody for such a long time if they cannot be prosecuted. I think the government is afraid of lawsuits, so it is better to keep […]
Four top leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami have been arrested and stand accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the murder of Bengali intellectuals during the Pakistani military’s strategic massacre of then East Pakistan’s Bengali and Hindu communities. The Daily Star reports, quite movingly: “They are no stranger to court. They stood in the dock […]
… and we pretend to work. The long-standing Cuban axiom has come to bear more truth than its users may have hoped or imagined. President Castro announced yesterday in his address before the National Assembly that the Cuban government will actually begin to lay off redundant workers, which he estimates are perhaps 1 in every […]
BP, ExxonMobil, and the latter’s Canadian subsidiary, Imperial Oil, are joining forces to drill for oil in the Arctic. BP’s $1.18 billion Exploration License 449 (also known as Pokak) allows it to drill in a region 75 miles north of Inuvik, the Northwest Territories. Exxon’s $600 million Exploration License 446 (also known as Ajurak) would […]
Since I’ve been a bit buried lately, here is a roundup of things that have caught my eye. Commentary as I see necessary: There are lots of debates over the merits of study abroad programs. Let’s face it: Most college students see a semester abroad as a chance to get shitfaced in a foreign country. […]
The principle of ‘Democracy’ has been re-enshrined in the politics and constitutional policy-making in Bangladesh. That at least is what The Daily Star wants you, my reader, to think. Quite apart from the sheer nonsense of the claim, the Supreme Court (SC) of Bangladesh released the text of a ruling it had delivered some months […]
President Obama has given formal assurances that U.S. forces in Iraq will drop to 50,000 by the end of the month – a reduction of 94,000 troops since he took office 18 months ago. The remaining troops will form a transitional force until a final U.S. withdrawal from the country by the end of 2011. […]
Polling results released this past Friday showed the Workers Party’s (PT) Dilma Rousseff leading José Serra – her main challenger from Brazil’s Social Democrat Party (PSDB) – by a margin of 5-8 points. The results mark the first time that most polls decisively show Lula’s chosen successor ahead of Mr. Serra since the formal election […]
After Faheem poignantly detailed President Karzai’s disapproval of the Wikileaks document leak, we now have Secretary of Defense Robert Gates’ strong reaction from the incident: “I’m not sure anger is the right word. I just — I think mortified, appalled,” Gates said. “And if I’m angry, it is because I believe that this information puts those in Afghanistan […]
In an op-ed published this weekend in the New York Times, Middle East scholar Ephraim Karsh touts a recent poll that found that 71 percent of Arabs are disinterested in the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Karsh makes a great point– apathy towards the Palestinians has existed for decades and is only used by Arab leaders to strengthen […]
Telefónica’s Cesar Alierta prepares to challenge Carlos Slims’ plans for Brazil Spain’s Telefónica announced today the successful takeover of leading Brazilian mobile operator Vivo after weeks of strained negotiations with its joint-owner Portugal Telecom (PT). The move will allow Telefónica to merge its fixed landline services with Vivo’s national mobile network and begin offering Brazilian […]
Israel is fighting wars on many fronts, waging diplomatic and political battles with its friends and enemies alike. This weekend, a series of Iran-made rockets landed in Israel’s foremost resort town, the Red Sea and the nearby Jordanian city of Aqaba. While no Israelis were injured, a Jordanian taxi driver was killed and several others […]
The recent floods in Khyber Pakhtankhwa Province, triggered by unusually heavy monsoon rains, has killed at least 1,100 while another estimated 27,000 are still stranded in their homes, already washed away, wiped away from every map but that of one’s mind. The casualties in Peshawar and the surrounding areas will surely mount in the days […]
Just a few links to the good work of others on the Beirut summer party/summit. Qifa Nabki sees the summit as a means of temperature taking. Nick Noe suggests that the STL will undermine Hezbollah internationally, hurting it’s image and potentially delegitimizing it. And this Time article lays out the main points. Everyone paying attention […]
On holiday, Comrades! Still there. Will return next week!