Archive for the ‘World current affairs’ Category
The Western Sahara problem
September 7th, 2009 by Roger Darlington
More than three years ago, the position of Western Sahara was one of the first places to feature in my long-running series called “Forgotten World” – see here. Eighteen years ago today, the Polisario Front (the Western Saharan liberation movement) laid down their arms, ending a 16-year war with Morocco. As part of a UN-negotiated […]
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The Japanese general election (2)
September 2nd, 2009 by Roger Darlington
Following Sunday’s stunning election victory by the Democratic Party of Japan, the traditionally dominant Liberal Democratic Party is in opposition for only the second time since the current political system was constructed after the Second World War (and that was only for 11 months). Japanese politics is set to become much more interesting and I’ve […]
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The Japanese general election (1)
August 29th, 2009 by Roger Darlington
Tomorrow the Japanese will vote in a general election which is likely to be historic, since it seems certain that the Liberal Democratic Party – which has held power for 53 of the last 54 years – will lose to the Democratic Party of Japan. Japanese politics is a mystery to most people outside the […]
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Should we live with a nuclear Iran?
August 14th, 2009 by Roger Darlington
“No one should want a nuclear-armed Iran and new sanctions should certainly be tried. But if we calculate correctly that the prospect of an Iranian bomb ultimately comes down to a question of Iranian willpower, then a mature debate needs to be had about how we manage that risk. Instead of threatening military action that […]
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Forgotten World (180): Cameroon
July 31st, 2009 by Roger Darlington
Cameroon, which obtained its independence in 1960 and today has a population of 19 million, has long been considered one of the more stable sub-Saharan African countries with one of the highest per capital GDPs. Recently, however, the situation has deteriorated with civil unrest and violence from youth groups protesting against corruption as well as […]
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Forgotten World (179): Ireland
July 30th, 2009 by Roger Darlington
The Irish Republic, officially known as Ireland, has emerged from the conflict that marked its birth as an independent nation to become one of Europe’s economic powerhouses. Long under English or British rule, Ireland lost half its population in the decades following the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s, becoming a nation of emigrants. However, […]
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Forgotten World (178): Lebanon
July 29th, 2009 by Roger Darlington
Lebanon was carved out of the Ottoman Empire and granted independence by the French in 1943. Clashes between Palestinian militia and Christian fighters broke out into war in 1975 and the conflict lasted until 1990. Sectarian tensions remain and the various militia are backed by countries around the region. The population of 4 million – […]
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Forgotten World (177): Trinidad & Tobago
July 28th, 2009 by Roger Darlington
The two islands of Trinidad & Tobago have been run together since 1888 and became independent of Britain in 1962. They have a total population of around 1.3 million. As the Caribbean’s leading producer of oil and gas, Trinidad & Tobago is one of the region’s most prosperous countries. But, as global oil and gas […]
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Forgotten World (176): Vietnam
July 27th, 2009 by Roger Darlington
It’s time to have another week of postings in my long-running series called Forgotten World – a look at parts of the world that hardly feature in our media or thoughts. You can check the previous 175 entries here. At one time, Vietnam was in the world news almost daily. This was the consequence of […]
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The shame of Iran (5)
July 6th, 2009 by Roger Darlington
My wife and I are due to visit Iran on holiday in October. We’ve already booked the tour and paid the deposit. Now I’m following the political developments in Iran with more than usual attention and I guess the venom currently being directed by the authorities against Britain means that our trip is now somewhat […]
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