Archive for the ‘World current affairs’ Category
Forgotten World (133): Italy
May 28th, 2008 by Roger Darlington
Italy is the fourth largest European economy and has one of the highest per capita incomes in Europe, but its politics are chaotic and corruption remains endemic. There have been close to 60 governments since the country formed a democratic republic in 1946 following World War II. It has been at the forefront of European […]
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The American presidential election (38)
May 27th, 2008 by Roger Darlington
One of the most popular scenes in the film “Love Actually” [my review here] was when the British Prime Minister (played by Hugh Grant) tells the American President (portrayed by Billy Bob Thornton) that the UK is no longer going to follow slavishly US policy. So it’s good to see the news that US Presidential […]
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Forgotten World (132): Yemen
May 27th, 2008 by Roger Darlington
Yemen at the southern end of the Arabian peninsula has been at the crossroads of Africa, the Middle East and Asia for thousands of years thanks to its position on the ancient spice routes. The modern Republic of Yemen was born in 1990 when traditionalist North Yemen and Marxist South Yemen merged after years of […]
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Forgotten World (131): Burundi
May 26th, 2008 by Roger Darlington
It’s time for 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 130 entries here. Since independence in 1961, Burundi has been plagued by tension between the dominant Tutsi minority and the […]
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The American presidential election (37)
May 24th, 2008 by Roger Darlington
The Internet has been a key feature of Barack Obama’s primaries campaign against Hillary Clinton – and could prove critical (especially on fund raising) in his general election fight against John McCain, as explained in this BBC online item.
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The American presidential election (36)
May 23rd, 2008 by Roger Darlington
Hillary Clinton was 33 percentage points clear of Barack Obama in a poll in September 2007, but today it is Obama who is close to clinching the Democratic nomination. He’s done it because he is a brilliant candidate – but he’s been assisted by a very impressive team headed by his formidable campaign strategist David […]
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The American presidential election (35)
May 21st, 2008 by Roger Darlington
After yesterday’s primary contests in Kentucky and Oregon, Associated Press projects that Barack Obama has 1,956 of the 2,026 pledged delegates and super delegates needed to claim the nomination, compared to Hillary Clinton’s 1,776 total delegates. Obama’s campaign estimates that, if he simply held his own in the three remaining contests (Montana, South Dakota and […]
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The 2008 Global Peace Index
May 21st, 2008 by Roger Darlington
The Institute for Economics and Peace think tank has just produced its 2008 Global Peace Index which is based on a total of 24 indicators. For an overview, check out the map, while you can see the full rankings here. Again Iceland comes top, followed by Denmark, Norway and New Zealand . The UK is […]
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The American presidential election (34)
May 18th, 2008 by Roger Darlington
The “New York Times” has an aricile giving six reasons why Barack Obama may actually be a stronger candidate after the battering he has received in his fight against Hillary Clinton. The piece contrasts this tough experience with the easier primary races of Michael Dukakis and John Kerry.
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The American presidential election (33)
May 12th, 2008 by Roger Darlington
There are different estimates of the delegate count secured by Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, but most now suggest that Obama has just acquired more super delegate votes than her – adding to his long-term lead in the pledged delegate tally. The 2008 Democratic Convention Watch gives their calculations and some others. The trend is […]
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