Welcome to Hell, Madam Secretary

Ha'aretz's Bradley Burston takes a look at the byzantine politics Secretary Clinton can expect

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1068057.html

Arabs unnerved by nuclear Iran prospects

Israeli paper Ha'aretz says Prince Saud al-Faisal told Arab diplomats they must stand up to potential Persian nuclear bullying.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1068342.html

Medvedev the moderate ?

The Moscow Times says Russian President Dmitri Medvedev's electoral reforms may distance him from Prime Minister Putin.

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/article/600/42/375006.htm

Airbus in trouble

Der Spiegel reports Airbus Industries could be facing ruinous repayments following the cancellation of Germany's order for 60 A400M military transports. The A400M is over a year behind schedule and still has not flown. Further cancellations could jeopardise the European challenger to the Lockheed-Martin C-130.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,610732,00.html

Afghanistan - more work needed

Der Spiegel talks to US security expert Jeremy Shapiro on strategy in Afghanistan.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,610065,00.html

Can the Ukraine hold it together?

The New York Times on the Ukraine's teetering on the brink

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/02/world/europe/02ukraine.html?em

African Leaders see troubling parallels in prosecuting architect of Dafur genocide

New York Times commentator Bishop Desmond Tutu on African leader's lack of principle in the matter of Sudan's Presiden Omar al-Bashir vs The People.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/03/opinion/03tutu.html

Roots of Crisis

New York Times columnist Paul Krugman on the roots of the credit crunch

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/02/opinion/02krugman.html?em

Women's Shelters in Afghanistan

The New York Times on the new phenomenon of Women's shelters in Afghanistan

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/03/world/asia/03shelter.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=women's%20shelters%20Afghanistan&st=cse

evolution meanings are evolving

evolution: not survival of the fittest individual but of the fittest species - its our ability to co-operate not compete that ensured our survival.

selection is about the culling of the weakest, not an unseen semi-religious scientific hand bestowing advantage to the strong...so its not about survival of the fittest - but failure of the least fit...this Scientific American article below doesnt get it quite right either...


http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=darwin-misunderstood

crims r us - best yet recession scam

At a time when no job is safe, Levine is among a small but growing number of consultants who are poised to find work in the economic meltdown as prison life coaches to the perpetrators of Ponzi schemes, mortgage scams and financial swindles.


http://www.latimes.com/news/la-me-prison-consultant27-2009feb27,0,3238979.story?track=ntothtml

Election Poems

The New York Times publishes five poems on the election

Election poems

Greenspan's Testimony

The Wall St Journal carries the full text of Alan Greenspan's questioning of free market risk management

Greenspan Testimony

Letter from Jaffna

Newsweek reports that though the Sri Lankan Army is pushing back the Tamil Tigers there is still a long way to go before normality will return to the Northern city.

Letter from Jaffna

NSA Law unto itself

Newsweek reports the Congress is finding the National Security Agency's decision to classify a 'public' report galling.

NSA law unto itself

Al Qaeda on trial - in Saudi Arabia

The Economist reports on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's intention to try 991 terrorist suspects under Sharia law.

Saudi 991

European gas pressure builds

The Economist looks at the contest between Russia and Iran to supply the European Union with natural gas. Its a strategic Hobson's choice.

Gas Pressure

Spy vs Spy: NSA & Mossad

Ha'aretz's Yossi Melman reviews David Bamford's latest book on the US national Security Agency and his allegations that Israel is a dubious ally.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1029006.html

Water

Vaclav Havel writes for the Jordan Times on the problem of water scarcity in the Middle East

http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=11403

Who is in charge in Poland?

Der Spiegel on the spats between Poland's President Lech Kaczynski and Prime Minister Donald Tusk

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,584259,00.html

Ukraine has Kremlin tail twitching

Der Spiegel talks to Kremlin-aligned political strategist Vyacheslav Nikonov about the Russian view of Ukraine joining NATO

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,584631,00.html

Khatami for 09 ?

Der Spiegel asks if the former Iranian President will stand in the 2009 elections

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,584526,00.html

Victory of a sort

MacLeans magazine looks back on the 2008 Canadian election

http://www.macleans.ca/canada/national/article.jsp?content=20081016_84666_84666

ANC rifts continue

The International Herald Tribune reports that Mbhazima Shilowa, one of the ANC's more respected officials and a supporter of Thabo Mbeki, is to join the splinter group led by former Defense Minister Mosiuoa Lekota.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/10/15/africa/15saf.php

Aceh leader returns to tension

The International Herald Tribune reports that the return of the 83-year old leader of the Aceh independence movement Hasan di Tiro will do little to settle tension on the Indonesian province.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/10/13/asia/aceh.php

Climate cost disquiet in Europe

The International Herald Tribune reports that Italy and Eastern European nations are getting queasy about the economic cost of proposed climate policies.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/10/16/europe/union.php

Infant mortality rankings shock "first world"

When it comes to infant mortality rates the New York Times reports that so-called second world nations in 1960 are now well ahead of the so-called first world.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/16/health/16infant.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

No fair! GOP's gone bananas

The LA Times Rosa Brooks says the desertion of the Republican presidential ticket by the GOP's best and brightest only leaves the loonies left to argue with.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-brooks16-2008oct16,0,4661274.column

Tuna too cheap in Japan

The Japan Time's nature correspondent argues the price of Tuna in Japanese markets does not reflect the risk of fishing out the species.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fe20081008rh.html

"Gaijun" mindset is killing rural Japan

The Japan Times on how even Japanese suffer from a culture of indigenous xenophobia

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20081007ad.html

Sanlu Satire

China Digital Times translation of satire by Xiao Qiang on food, drug and clothing contamination in China

http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2008/09/a-happy-day-in-the-life-of-an-ordinary-chinese-person-sanlu-edition/

One in six US homes financially 'underwater'

The Wall Street Journal reports mortgages on one in six homes in the US are now greater than the valuation

Underwater

Numb and stumbling

The Wall Street Journal on the lessons from 1929-32 and the psychology of loss.

Numb

Obama's new fans: working class women

The Wall Street Journal on why Obama is gaining and McCain is shedding support

Working Class Women switch

Hong Kong to supplant New York

The Christian Science Monitor compares the two financial centres

Hong Kong new finance centre

US Debtor, China Creditor

China holds US$2 trillion in US debt. The Sydney Morning Herald speculates about what that might mean.

China Creditor

Global shipping rates plunge

The Bangkok Post reports that shipping prices have plunged following the financial crisis

Shipping Rates

Pakistani inflation worry

The Pakistan times editorialises on the impact of inflation in that country

Pakistan inflation

Gaza banks close to collapse - Blair

The Jordan Times reports mid-east envoy and former British Prime Minister warning that Gaza's banks may collapse

Gaza banks fears

Russians roll out new nukes

The Moscow Times/Reuters reports on test launches of the new Topol intermediate range strategic missile.

New Nukes

Ouch ! Russian Oligarchs burned

The Moscow Times reports even Russia's super-rich have been hammered by the crisis

Oligarchs

The Iraq Campaign with Gen David Petraeus

Der Spiegel interviews the author of the surge strategy and finds him 'coldly realistic'.

Spiegel interview

Deforestation costs more than financial crisis

Der Spiegel looks at the environmental costs of deforestation

Deforestation costs more than financial crisis

The Arctic contest heats up

The Economist says Russia's diplomacy in Iceland signals a determination to win the race for resources in the high North

The Arctic contest heats up

Publish and be wrong

The Economist suggests scientific publishing is falling victim to hyporama.

Publish and be wrong

The Parrot is back

The Parrot was just having a short nap. The 50,000 volts was unnecessary!

Time to manage water demand (Israel)

Ha'aretz on the water crisis which is slowly enveloping Israel

Time to manage water demand in Israel

Dungeon Master: The life and legacy of Gary Gygax

Wired on the inventor of Dungeons and Dragons, Garry Gygax who died recently aged 68

Dungeon Master:The life and legacy of Garry Gygax

How to buy a gun in Dafur

Mother Jones reports on the flow of small arms from China to Africa

How to buy a gun in Dafur

Landmines hinder Egyptian access to oil/gas

Der Spiegel reports that landmines buried by British and German combatants during World War Two still curtail development in North Aftican nations such as Egypt.

Landmines hinder Egyptian access to oil/gas

They only know how to kill

Times of India's chilling editorial about the violent mindlessness from both the US and the Taliban at work in Pakistan.

They only know how to kill

US Middle East Commander "retires"

New York Times on the "retirement" of Admiral Fallon, commander of US forces in the Middle East and a strong proponent of diplomacy

US Middle East Commander "retires"

Moko the friendly dolphin saves two whales

New Zealand Herald with a heart-warming story about a dolphin which helped save two stranded whales.

Moko the friendly dolphin saves the whales

What's holding back India

The Economist looks at the world's largest democracy an prescribes deregulation.

What's holding back India

Holes in gravitational theory

The Economist reports that spacecraft deviations from predicted flightpaths are suggesting problems with the gravitational theory on which space navigation is carried out.

Holes in gravitational theory

Obama's neophyte handicap

Time argues that Obamas campaign is disadvantaged by neophyte advisors

Obamas neophyte handicap

Scepticism Surrounds China Hijack

Time wonders aloud about the content and timing of the Chinese "terror" plot.

Scepticism surrounds China Hijack

ANC President in the dock

Jacob Zuma's (Party president of the ANC) lawyers are challenging the search warrants used to obtain evidence of graft.

ANC President in the dock

Google gets Doubleclick

Wired looks at the privacy implications of the EU's approval of Google to buy ad-tracking company Double Click for US$3.1 billion.

Google gets Doubleclick

China's military gearing up

The International Herald Tribune reports that China has again increased military spending, citing the "grim situation" with Taiwan.

China gearing up

Religion is a drag - even in Iraq

The International Herald Tribune suggests that young Iraqis have had enough of Jihad and the strictures religious fundamentalism brings with it.

Religion is a drag

Saber-Rattling in South America

Der Spiegel reports on how Columbia lost it with Ecuador in its fight to suppress the Revolutionary Forces of Columbia

Saber Rattling in South America

Dizzy with (sham) success

This Moscow Times article invokes Stalin's "Dizzy with Success" to question whether Russia's leaders are similarly deluding themselves.

Dizzy with (sham) success

Gazprom vs the Ukraine

The oil giant is stepping up the pressure on its client state

Gazprom vs Ukraine

Declaring Dependence

The New York Times looks at the independence declaration of Kosovo

Declaring Dependence