Is it fact or bluff, and what are the implications for regional and world security?
They are the questions being asked now that NORTH KOREA has stated for the first time that it possesses nuclear weapons.
Category: Surrealpolitik
Rules prohibit Havana cigar
In a country that derives a third of its nation’s export dollars from tobacco, the Cuban haze of old and its cigars of distinction are heading for extinction, or extinguishin’, as the case may be.
New anti-smoking laws imposed Monday are finally framing the fact that leader Fidel Castro, he of the two fingers and large cigar angled pointedly at the US, actually gave up the weed nearly twenty years ago.
How nations can better push cultural diversity
Governments in many parts of the world are starting to realise protecting cultural heritage, in various forms, is as important as any national flag or fireworks display.
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Bush speech reaction: ‘Be very afraid’
Analysis: “Presidential inauguration speeches, especially in time of war, spark intense personal and political passions,” says the Christian Science Monitor, one of thousands of media outlets reporting US President George W Bush’s inaugural speech.
Latham as leader leaves Labor open to attack
With the release of a vague statement concerning his health, the leader of the opposition, (mr) MARK LATHAM, continues to leave himself open to criticism from both the public and his Labor Party colleagues.
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Palestinians celebrate election of Mahmoud Abbas
Note: this is the unedited version, I liked it better.
F288-a FX CROWD 5 secs
The Palestinian people this week celebrated the election of (mr) MAHMOUD ABBAS as the new president of the Palestinian Authority, which many hope is the beginning of a new era in Arab-Israeli relations.
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Iraq pre-elect violence
Coalition forces, national guardsmen and party political leaders in IRAQ have suffered a week of violence, assassinations and political uncertainty, with their landmark election fast approaching.
Welsh man survives surfin’ tsunami
A Welsh surfer has survived the massive waves that hit his favourite Sri Lankan beach as he was taken-up by the killer swell and deposited in the ground floor restaurant of the hotel where he, his partner and child were staying.
Murder of Aus policeman fails to dampen RAMSI
In July of 2003, the government of the SOLOMON ISLANDS sent out a call for help in policing their nation, which continued to be wracked with corruption and civil conflict.
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Disaster could dissipate Aceh civil war
The restive Indonesian province of Aceh, the closest landfall to the huge quake and resulting tsunami which has devastated Asia, is fraught with a decades-long civil war, its rebel insurgents continually goading the military, its supporters fighting for an independent nation.
