The last good options in Iraq evaporated long ago and getting out is likely to be more complicated and bloodier than going in. Whether they go north or south, the 160 000 American troops now in Iraq would probably have to fight their way out against disparate enemies keen to claim a military victory.
When there are national policy debates, political "analysts" suddenly emerge. Many are seasoned and knowledgeable analysts who base their arguments on proper research. Others rely on anecdotal information, suck conclusions from their thumbs and contribute nothing to the national debate, write Rudi Dicks and Patrick Craven.
"There is no magic wand that can solve transport issues," says Rehana Moosajee, the Johannesburg mayoral committee member for transport, "but we can begin to change things." While road rage, safety, traffic congestion, public transport strikes and minibus-taxi violence have grabbed media headlines, solutions to transport crises are quietly under way.
David Cronin’s recent article ("EU aid puts health on the back seat", July 3) leaves one with the impression that the European Union is failing poor countries and alleges a "lack of focus on health and education" by EU donor support that "will put the achievement of the United Nations millennium development goals in jeopardy". This is simply untrue.
The promulgation of certain sections of the new Children’s Act on July 1 has caught the attention of the public and media. Some have applauded, others have said it is controversial and they are up in arms about it. Those in favour say the Act deals effectively with the pragmatic concerns of our time — HIV/Aids, burgeoning numbers of orphans, writes Ann Skelton.
Matthew Buckland predicts that newspapers of the future will be luxurious, pricey items.
Virgin Money has turned one. The newborn got off to a brilliant start. But, its toddler years might prove to be a bit more challenging. So far, Virgin has signed up 180 000 card holders. This is ahead of its original business forecast of 150 000 cards in the first year.
The former unionist turned businessman and media mogul, Marcel Golding, hardly ever grants interviews. But he recently spoke to journalist and member of Parliament Ben Turok in a wide-ranging interview about his company, its owners and the ordinary workers who are benefiting. Turok started by asking him about when he first conceived of a trade union-owned company.
Michel Hayek, a butcher’s boy who has risen to the status of an Arab media celebrity, has the knack of making accurate predictions in an anxious and uncertain Lebanon looking for answers. "I believe everyone has what I have. It’s a sense like your eyes, or your ears. If I feel something strongly, I follow my instinct," says the man nicknamed the "Nostradamus of the Middle East".
A large public gathering of civil society organisations and government officials in the Swiss capital city of Berne on July 7 marked the halfway point to the 2015 date for achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. The Berne event highlighted one critical dimension of the strategy needed to achieve the goals set by world leaders in 2000.