Archive for the ‘World current affairs’ Category
More worrying news from Iran
October 19th, 2007 by Roger Darlington
Mansour Osanloo, the jailed leader of the bus workers’ union in Tehran, faces the possible loss of his eyesight unless he receives urgent medical attention – which the Iranian authorities are denying him. As a former trade union official who has myself had severe vision problems in the past, this case resonates especially with me […]
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How high can inflation go?
October 19th, 2007 by Roger Darlington
I was a Special Adviser with the Labour Government in the mid 1970s when inflation briefly reached around 25%. We were told by the media that a society could not survive an inflation level of this order. I remembered this as I read a report on the current rate of inflation in Zimbabwe. Currently the […]
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Who will be China’s Gorbachev?
October 15th, 2007 by Roger Darlington
On my return from my first visit to China seven years ago, I concluded my web site account as follows: “The 19th century was essentially the century of Britain; the 20th century was unquestionably the century of the United States; the 21st century might become the century of China. It depends on many factors. It […]
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What is motivating al-Qaeda?
October 9th, 2007 by Roger Darlington
According to this interesting article, it is not simply retaliation against the West for alleged injustices but it is more fundamentally an interpretation of Islam that sees non-Muslims as infidels. If this is the case, then the West alone cannot stop the terrorism; the theological justification for such terrorism must be challenged by mainstream Muslims.
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Being a blogger in Burma
October 1st, 2007 by Roger Darlington
This is a dangerous activity in turbulent Burma and effectively blogging has stopped as the authorities have simply cut Net connections with the wider world. This “Times” article acknowledges the vital and brave efforts of the bloggers so far.
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Standing with the Burmese protesters
October 1st, 2007 by Roger Darlington
If you are outraged by the action of the army and generals in Burma and would like to show your solidarity with the protesters, visit this web site.
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Forgotten World (105): Channel Islands
September 28th, 2007 by Roger Darlington
The Channel Islands are a group of islands in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy, but dependent on the British Crown. They comprise two separate Bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey, and have a total population of only about 160,000. The inhabited islands are Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, […]
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Forgotten World (104): Turkmenistan
September 27th, 2007 by Roger Darlington
Turkmenistan has the smallest population – only 5 million – of the five former Soviet republics in Central Asia. It is made up mainly of desert, but it possesses the world’s fifth largest reserves of natural gas and has substantial deposits of oil. Naturally, therefore, it is of strategic interest to both the Russians and […]
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Forgotten World (103): Panama
September 26th, 2007 by Roger Darlington
Panama – the southern-most country of Central America – has long been of great strategic interest to its huge neighbour the United States. In 1989 the USA invaded Panama to depose a former ally, Manuel Noriega, and until 1999 America controlled the Panama Canal. In international terms, the canal defines the country. Panama plans to […]
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Ever heard of the Jena Six?
September 25th, 2007 by Roger Darlington
No, neither had I – until an American friend drew my attention to the case. It shows just how deep racial divisions still run in the United States. Check out an account here. I wondered why I hadn’t heard of the case, since I read the “Guardian” which is the most liberal daily newspaper in […]
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