The front page of the London Observer on June 12 announced, ”-Â billion Africa debt deal ‘a victory for millions”’. The ”victory for millions” is a quotation of Bob Geldof, who said, ”Tomorrow 280-million Africans will wake up for the first time in their lives without owing you or me a penny …”
Here, maybe, is the way the Hollywood world ends: not with a bang, but a stinker. Enter another bloated Spielberg epic, weighed down by -million in computer contrivances and syrupy strings. Stand by for one more dodgy attempt at putting HG Wells on screen. But this time, for this war of this world, there’s a deeper difference.
The landslide victory of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the second round of Iran’s presidential elections was largely a response to the populist campaign he had waged. His campaign emphasised the large gap between rich and poor in the country, the rampant corruption that exists there, and his own humble lifestyle. His victory was a rejection of the preceding era.
Click on image for full-size view.
African Union leaders on Monday called on their fellow African nations to present a united front in their dealings with the rest of the world, and exhorted the rich nations of the planet to make good on their promises to help the world’s least-developed continent climb out of poverty.
Nine people were killed and 26 wounded in the north-western Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) when soldiers went on the rampage to avenge a colleague shot dead while thieving, a United Nations-backed radio station said on Monday, quoting the Red Cross. Radio Okapi said the incident happened on Sunday at Mbandaka.
Belgian Tom Boonen of the Quick Step team unleashed another powerful sprint to win the third stage of the Tour de France held over 212,5km between La Chataigneraie and Tours on Monday. American David Zabriskie, of the CSC team, retained the race leader’s yellow jersey with a two-second lead on Lance Armstrong.
The Democratic Alliance has accused South African Tourism of discriminating against the Afrikaans language in an airport advertisement. The DA feels the advert, with the words ”nine indigenous languages, 44-million people”, is grossly insensitive and a ”smack in the face of everyone who spoke Afrikaans”.
Mauritian Prime Minister Paul Berenger on Monday conceded his ruling coalition’s defeat in weekend parliamentary elections, telling the Indian Ocean island that the opposition ”would form the next government”. He said his coalition had lost in Sunday’s polls to the Social Alliance, headed by ex-premier Navin Ramgoolam.
Iranian President-elect Mahmood Ahmadinejad said on Monday he wants to develop ties with all countries, especially in Europe, provided they respect Iran’s ”democratic choice”, the student-run news agency Isna reported. ”We advise Western countries to treat us in a way that does not show prejudice,” he said.