Abroad

by hilzoy From the NYT: “Israeli aircraft pounded Gaza for a second day on Sunday, increasing the death toll to nearly 300, as Israeli troops and tanks massed along the border and the government said it had called up reserves for a possible ground operation. The continued strikes, which Israel said were in retaliation for … Read more

by hilzoy Yesterday, the Washington Post had an op-ed on rape which contains the following claim: “In Mexico, for example, the rape of a teenage girl by her father is defined as voluntary until it is proved otherwise. Under most state criminal codes in Mexico, incest is considered a crime against the family, not against … Read more

by hilzoy Wouldn’t you think that four days of riots that paralyzed a city of 15-18 million, and left over 40 people killed and over 300 injured, might merit a mention in our newspapers? Apparently not. Here’s the violence: “Life in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi is returning to normal following three days of … Read more

by hilzoy From the LATimes: “Israel took its strongest action against Jewish settlers in nearly three years Thursday as riot police stormed a disputed building in Hebron, using tear gas and stun grenades to force out 250 young extremists bent on expanded Israeli occupation of the West Bank. After losing a swift afternoon battle, settlers … Read more

by hilzoy Every time I write about Zimbabwe, the news is even worse than before. Every time, I cannot imagine how Robert Mugabe could possibly stay in power when things are so bad. And every time, I remember all the previous times and think: things have gotten so much worse than I ever thought possible … Read more

by hilzoy Note to Barack Obama: there are ways to deal with all those unqualified appointees that Bush has smuggled into the civil service: “A MAVERICK Thai general who has threatened to bomb anti-government protesters and drop snakes on them from helicopters has been reassigned as an aerobics teacher, the Bangkok Post said on Friday. … Read more

by hilzoy The NYT has a set of op-eds on how the market meltdown looked from Europe. It’s worth a read. Ireland: “The old saw “safe as houses” no longer cuts. And money in the bank is no longer “money in the bank.” We did not think the system could fail, but late last month … Read more

by hilzoy McClatchy: “The deepest freeze in U.S.-Russia relations since the Cold War has brought diplomatic efforts to halt Iran’s nuclear ambitions to a halt just as Western governments and U.N. inspectors are warning that Tehran could be gaining the ability to build a nuclear weapon. Russia this week pulled out of a six-nation meeting … Read more

by hilzoy NYT: “Faced with desertions by his political supporters and the neutrality of the Pakistani military, President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan, an important ally of the United States, is expected to resign in the next few days rather than face impeachment charges, Pakistani politicians and Western diplomats said Thursday. His departure from office is … Read more

by hilzoy From the NYT: “Radovan Karadzic, one of the world’s most wanted war criminals for his part in the massacre of nearly 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica in 1995, was arrested Monday in a raid in Serbia that ended a 13-year hunt. Serge Brammertz, the prosecutor of the United Nations war crimes … Read more

by hilzoy From the Economist: “WITH prices doubling every few days, Zimbabweans now spend huge amounts of time and energy preventing their meagre cash resources from completely evaporating. Trying to catch up with galloping hyperinflation, now officially running at 2.2m per cent a year and at least four times faster in reality, the central bank … Read more

by hilzoy Ha’Aretz (h/t Politico): “Participants at a recent inner cabinet meeting were listening to details of the Egyptian mediation initiative between Israel and Hamas on a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip recently, when a senior minister reportedly reminded those present that Israel does not negotiate, directly or indirectly, with Hamas. Shin Bet security service … Read more

by hilzoy From the Washington Post: “One adviser traveling with Rice saw a silver lining in the rapid turn of events. “Thank heavens for small favors,” the official said. Compared to Pakistan, “Iraq looks pretty good.”” A country that shelters the al Qaeda leadership and has nuclear weapons undergoes a coup. The Constitution is suspended, … Read more

by hilzoy When last we checked in on the slow-motion disaster that is Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe had decided to impose price controls. Predictably, this just caused shops to become empty: when people cannot sell at a profit, they tend not to sell at all. According to the Zimbabwe Independent: “Business lost over $40 trillion since … Read more