Zimbabwe

Morgan Tsvangirai, the Zimbabwe's oposition leader, was arrested and toutured by the authority lately. The political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe is worsening at an alarming rate with inflation at 2200% and over four million people in desperate need of food.

Robert Mugabe knows that people's demand for democracy is strong and it cannot continute like this. But he does not seem to know that sooner he leaves better for the contry and its neighbours.

Time is up....Protect Darfur

 Show your support for this campaign! Let the international community end the crisis in Darfur now!

http://www.globefordarfur.org/demand.html

 

Turkey

The Turkish Government warns the army over a threat of military intervention to defend the country's secular regime. The row erupted after parliament began voting on Friday on a new president in a process where the sole candidate is a former Islamist. The country has a repeated history of military coup. The army intervened the government in 1960, 1971 and 1980. It also forced first Islamist prime minister out in 1997. We do not know this political crisis will be settled in a peaceful way.  What we do know however is that it will be a very long way for Turkey's EU membership to be admitted.

Reith Lectures 2007

Reith Lectures 2007 - Bursting at the Seams
by Professor Jeffrey Sachs

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/reith2007/

Abe meets Bush

Abe meets Bush on his first visit to the USA. The two leaders discuss North Korea's nuclear programme and threatened further sanctions against North Korea should it fail to implement the agreement reached in February 2007.  This is a difficult time for the international community to wait for the regime to act on the agreement....I would expect however the regime will once again disappoint the world. This is not an assumption but is a fact based on its diplomatic history. Will they change their attitude this time? Not likely. You will see what I mean in months to come.

The Iraq war in 2003 illegal?

 

Having studied the legality of the Iraq war throughout my university course, I was nothing but just so impressed of this legal argument put forward by the UK regardless whehter it was wrongful or otherwise. Read the following argument justifying the use of armed force against Iraq in 2003. It is very impressive actually! 

1. In resolution 678 the security council authorised force against Iraq, to eject it from Kuwait and to restore peace and security in the area.

2. In resolution 687, which set out the ceasefire conditions after Operation Desert Storm, the security council imposed continuing obligations on Iraq to eliminate its weapons of mass destruction in order to restore international peace and security in the area.

3. Resolution 687 suspended but did not terminate the authority to use force under resolution 678.

4. A material breach of resolution 687 revives the authority to use force under resolution 678.

5. In resolution 1441 the security council determined that Iraq has been and remains in material breach of resolution 687, because it has not fully complied with its obligations to disarm under that resolution.

6. The security council in resolution 1441 gave Iraq 'a final opportunity to comply with its disarmament obligations' and warned Iraq of the 'serious consequences' if it did not.

7. The security council also decided in resolution 1441 that, if Iraq failed at any time to comply with and co-operate fully in the implementation of resolution 1441, that would constitute a further material breach.

8. It is plain that Iraq has failed so to comply and therefore Iraq was at the time of resolution 1441 and continues to be in material breach. Thus, the authority to use force under resolution 678 has revived and so continues today.

9. Resolution 1441 would in terms have provided that a further decision of the security council to sanction force was required if that had been intended. Thus, all that resolution 1441 requires is reporting to and discussion by the security council of Iraq's failures, but not an express further decision to authorise force.

Putin

Putin strongly criticises the American defense plan in Poland and the Czech Republic. The political gap in relations between Russia and the US might get wider in years to come.

The EU Trade Commissioner, Peter Mandelson, has recently said "Trust between the EU and Russia is at its worst since the Cold War."

The Russia's energy giant Gazprom is dramatically increasing its profit.

We should perheps carefully observe, not only China and India, but where Russia is headed to.

 

Sudan

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir must allow UN force deployed into the country NOW! 17000-20000 UN troops is urgent. The Sudanese government is violating an arms embargo by transferring military equipment and weapons into Darfur to support the Janjaweed. This crisis can only be stopped by the international intervention. The international community has to decide, sooner than later, what forcible measure to be taken if Omar al-Bashir continues to defy the Security Council Resolutions.

Obara cleared of Lucie Blackman's killing

A Tokyo court acquits Japanese real estate developer Joji Obara in the death and dismemberment of British national Lucie Blackman, but sentences him to life over a series of rapes. It ruled there was no direct evidence, such as DNA, to link Obara with Lucie's death. A family of the victims must be shocked by this ruling. This man raped more than 400 women, of whom 150 were Westerners. I do not believe that this man deserves a life sentence but something much more severe and harsher. My question is as to why a man like this can claim human rights and civil liberties...that is something I will never comprehend. I sometime think that democratic judical system is flawed in a case like this.

 

Lucie Blackman

Joji Obara, the serious psychopath

Binge-drinking culture

Young people who are going out specifically to get as drunk as they can, and that causes problems with disorder....I have asked many young people why they want to go get drunk until they lose control.....they told me that everyone experiences it from younger age in this contry.

I think that younger people must learn what social responsibility is and they can, of course, enjoy socialising without great amount of alchol involved.

This binge-drinking culture must be confronted.