Archive for the ‘World current affairs’ Category
The tragedy of Aleppo’s souk
October 1st, 2012 by Roger Darlington
Vee and I were on holiday in Syria from 3-9 March 2011 and I have written a full account of our trip here. Although the months running up to our visit were dominated by the dramatic events of the Arab Spring in north Africa, the whole country of Syria was eerily quiet during all our […]
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Should Israel attack Iran to block its nuclear ambitions?
September 16th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
I’be blogged several times opposing such a notion, as in this case, but it’s always good to see the argument put by an Israeli. Bernard Avishai is Adjunct Professor of Business at the Hebrew University. You can read his piece here. Not many people can say this, but I have visited both Israel [my account here] […]
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Why are Western embassies being attacked around the Muslim world?
September 15th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
“The maelstrom of anti-western violence in the Arab world has little to do with an anti-Islam propaganda film released on YouTube. It has more to do with decades of perceived western imperialism – and the organisational skills of the Salafis, known for their no-compromise, literal interpretation of the faith.” This is the opening of a […]
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A brilliant critique of the Tea Party or the American Taliban
September 14th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
I’ve been watching “The Newsroom”, a new series written by Aaron Sorkin for HBO, screened in Britain on Sky Atlantic. It’s not as good as “The West Wing” which Sorkin also created, but it has some great moments. I did a posting about one of those moments which opened the first episode. Now I want […]
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Who will be the world’s leading power in 20 years?
September 12th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
Among many fascinating points in a new survey of international opinion, there are very diffrent views on whether China will take over from the United States as the world’s leading power in 20 years. 30% of American think China will be top dog but 59% of Chinese believe this.
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What are the most popular names for Australian babies?
September 5th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
Consider the most popular names in Australia in 2011: Position Boys Girls 1 Oliver Chloe 2 Noah Sophie 3 William Ruby 4 Lachlan Charlotte 5 Ethan Olivia 6 Jack Lily 7 Lucas Ava 8 Charlie Ella 9 Joshua Emily 10 Thomas Mia What is striking is how similar this list is to the one for England […]
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10 things about the Paralympics
August 29th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
Here in London, the Olympics are over and today sees the opening of the Paralympics. The BBC web site has provided a helpful explanation of 10 differences between the two Games including guidance on the classification system used for Paralympians. Check it out here.
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As the world watches Syria, don’t forget little Lebanon
August 16th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
For almost a year and a half, Syria has been sliding inexorably into civil war. The smaller next-door state of Lebanon had its own bloody 15-year civil war from 1975-1990. What is increasingly worrying is whether the growing violence in Syria will start to spill over into Lebanon. In March 2011, I travelled throughout both […]
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Which city in the world is the best in which to live?
August 15th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
According to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in its latest survey, the answer is still Melbourne in Australia. My home city of London only rates 55th. What about your city? The EIU’s “Liveability Ranking and Overview” assesses living conditions in 140 cities around the world. A rating of relative comfort for 30 indicators is assigned across five […]
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What do you know about Finland? (2)
August 11th, 2012 by Roger Darlington
I’ve just returned from a short break in Finland with my sister Silvia. One of the reasons that I love travelling to new places is that I learn so much. In no particular order, here are some of the things that I learned on this trip: Finland had a civil war in four months of […]
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