Inside sources in the Obama administration have let it be known that an Afghan strategy has been chosen, but we won’t officially hear about until the week of November 16, after Obama is back from his Asia tour (where he will meet with another dictator). Until we hear more I’ll have you enjoy some ex-football […]
The Venezuelan government is, once again, moving soldiers to the border region with Colombia. The 15,000 troops are intended to “increase security, combat drug trafficking and root out paramilitary groups”. It seems like déjà vu, as Chávez sent 6,000 soldiers there in March 2008, after Raul Reyes of the FARC was killed on Ecuadorian territory. […]
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein We all know that Pakistan’s overall situation has been dedeteriorating for decades and it has entered a critical phase. And, regretfully, it seems that there is nothing that is going to reverse the tide in Pakistan.Therefore, people are asking – […]
Secretary of State Hlilary Clinton visits Pakistan to rally support for support in the War on terror. Zainab Jeewanjee reports on the toughening stance on Islamabad’s efforts at uprooting terror as Clinton addresses students and major news media. Her diplomacy unfortunately falls short as there is rapidly increasing skepticism in Pakistan of cooperating with the United States.
Erin Anderssen of the Globe and Mail has a strong piece on the future of the Canadian military in today’s online edition. Soldiers donning the Maple Leaf on their uniform now have a much more visible role in the world today, whether combating piracy off the coast of Somalia or fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan. […]
On October 21, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree (in Russian) declaring that the State Technical University in Arkhangelsk, Russia will transform into the Northern (Arctic) Federal University. Arkhangelsk was medieval Russia’s primary seaport and is nicknamed the “Gateway to the Arctic.” The transformation from a state to a federal university must take place […]
Now that our quiet and uncomfortable introductions are out of the way, I’d like to point to another article that follows up on the one I wrote about yesterday. The Daily Star reports that : “The Detective Branch of police produced Mufti Harun Izahar, son of Islami Oikya Jote leader Mufti Izaharul Islam, Shahidul Islam […]
On the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, a group of Palestinian protestors knocked over a slab of the security barrier that divides the West Bank from the Gaza Strip. This act of defiance would be powerful if it actually had merit. The Berlin Wall’s infamous reputation is largely characterized by it […]
Sean Patrick Murphy reviews ‘Darshan: The Embrace.’ Following is an excerpt from his review. You can find the complete review at the Global Film Review blog. ” This movie is a snooze fest. Which is unfortunate because the subject, Amma, is fascinating. What director Jan Kounen appears to have tried is to provide a documentary […]
My last post chronicled the large numbers of people (45% of Russians and up to 62% of Ukrainians) made worse off by the fall of the USSR. But what about the rest? One man who certainly did not figure among them was Misha, the hero of a vivid, at times zany, groteque and poignant fictionalised […]
I look at the news of the day as either a sign or a signal. A sign is a piece or stream of data that serve as declarative propositions about the world. Signs describe the world contemporaneously, as true or false through argument, news, video, photographs or–for that matter– blog posts. Signs carry no prescriptions […]
With Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas claiming that he will not seek reelection in scheduled elections in January, speculation abounds on who will run. Additional speculation revolves around whether Abbas will renege on his decision to not seek reelection. Abbas reportedly feels frustrated with the failed peace process and the lack of unity among Palestinians. […]
The Israeli navy has intercepted what it claims was shipment of weapons from Iran bound for Lebanon to be used by Hizballah. The weapons were seized Wednesday off the coast of Cypress by Israeli commandos. Hizballah has denied any ties to the weapons. The weapons were being offloaded by the Israeli navy, and so far […]
In the Muslim world, Turkey and Iran are usually perceived as standing on opposite sides. Turkey stands for secularism, while the Shia clerics dominate the Iranian politics. Turkey is a “friend of the West”, and is also a Muslim country that has normal relations with Israel. While Iran, if it is not in the news […]
Carlos Alberto Parreira former and now restored Bafana Bafana coach carries the weight of a nation on his shoulders. South Africa wants to distinguish itself as a World Cup host, and the legions of rabid fans of the national football team hope that Bafana Bafana will perform in such a way as to augment that […]