Need to know: No one is claiming responsibility for the rush-hour bomb blasts in Mumbai that have so far killed at least 18 people. Indian authorities say that all groups "hostile to India" are being treated as possible suspects. India has so far refrained from outrightly blaming Pakistan for the three blasts, but the apparent terrorist attack will harden New Delhi's stance in upcoming peace talks with Islamabad, not to mention the next round of so-called "strategic dialogue" with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that is scheduled to take place on Monday. It really can't get much worse in Afghanistan. Not only was the Afghan president's half brother assassinated by his own body guard, the latest example of how politically fragile and vulnerable the country is these days, but also, on the following day at Ahmed Wali Karzai's funeral, a suicide bomber managed to penetrate security at the Red Mosque where services were being held, killing three more people. |
| Want to know: The cracks in Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation are beginning to show. The company announced Wednesday that it was withdrawing its bid to take over complete ownership of the British satellite giant, British Sky Broadcasting, abandoning a $12 billion deal. The withdrawal is probably the biggest set back for Murdoch's career. The scandal has also reached the United States, with new calls for investigations to find out if journalists may have also hacked the phones of 9/11 victims here. But what could end being the most serious damage done by the scandal, a fissure has begun to grow within the Murdoch family itself. A Colombian army colonel has admitted his unit murdered 57 civilians, then dressed them in uniforms and claimed they were rebels killed in combat. Colonel Luis Fernando Borja was sentenced to 21 years after admitting that he lured the civilians to their deaths with promises of work. He is the most senior officer convicted so far in what has become known as the "false positives" scandal. |
| Dull but important: The German government recently approved a sale of 200 Leopard II main battle tanks to the government of Saudi Arabia in a deal that has raised eyebrows - and old ghosts - around the world. Many in Germany and elsewhere are denouncing the deal, coming as it does on the heels of the Saudi-led armored intervention that squelched pro-democracy unrest in neighboring Bahrain in February. Human rights groups have cited the danger that the 68-ton behemoth would be used against protesters. The imagery, certainly, is unfortunate: If Saudi tanks helped intimidate pro-democracy protests in Bahrain, could they not do the same at home? |
| Just because: On Africa's westernmost tip, a caterpillar coaster swoops past a pirate ship then a space shuttle labeled "Star Warld," before crossing the gaze of Galdalf, a porcelain wizard clutching a Hamlet skull and a dartboard. Children scream. Welcome to Magic Land, a fortress of fun on Senegal's Atlantic coast. The 20-acre hotel, water park, nightclub and amphitheater complex forms part of Africa's latest boom industry: amusement parks. Ai Wei Wei, the dissident Chinese artist who was imprisoned for 81 days by the Chinese government, said he would accept an offer to become a professor in Berlin, Germany. But it is remains unclear if authorities will let the world-famous artist, and general thorn in China's side, leave the country. |
| Wacky: Whatever happened to the wayward penguin that lost its way and ended up in New Zealand? He's okay. He's about to be transferred from the hospital to a swimming pool. Happy Feet, as the penguin has been nicknamed, accidentally swam 2,000 miles and landed on a beach in New Zealand several weeks ago, capturing the world's imagination. |
No comments:
Post a Comment