The Global Report From Down Under: March 2008

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Raul Castro is revolutionizing his brother's island in small but significant ways - the latest in a decree Friday allowing ordinary Cubans to have cell phone service, a luxury previously reserved for the select few. The first call made by a Cuban was for help.
U.S. forces stepped deeper Friday into the Iraqi government's fight to cripple Shiite militias, launching airstrikes in the southern city of Basra and firing a missile into the main Shiite stronghold in Baghdad. Local Shiites complained about the heavy-handed violence to secure a victory against the militias, accusing America of having read the Koran.
Sydney's iconic Opera House and Harbour Bridge went dark Saturday night as the world's first major city turned off its lights for this year's Earth Hour, a global campaign to raise awareness of climate change. Tourists taking photos of the city at night could be heard cursing in foreign languages.

US Presidential candidate Barack Obama has told people not to label him a 'liberal'. When asked what he would like to be labelled then, Barack Obama said 'black liberal'.
A roadside bomb killed four U.S. soldiers in Baghdad on Sunday, the military said, which pushed the overall American death toll in the five-year war past the 4,000 mark. Champagne and streamers were delivered to the scene by a military ambulance.
Al-Qaida deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahri called on Muslims in a new audiotape released Monday to strike Jewish and American targets in revenge for Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip earlier this month. The tape is hitting hot on the streets of Islamabad, with the bootleg being sold off the back of camels.

France's last remaining veteran of World War I died Wednesday at age 110 after outliving 8.4 million Frenchmen who fought in what they called "la Grande Guerre." He was given a white flag by the doctor who waved it for him as he passed away.
As extreme temperatures spread into other states today, Adelaide notched up its 11th consecutive day of 35 degrees Celsius or above to claim an unwelcome record. And it can expect no relief for at least another six days. The length of the heatwave surpasses the previous Australian capital city record of 10 days above 35 degrees, recorded in Perth in February 1988. People of Adelaide are coping with the heatwave though, employing their favoured pastime: doing nothing in particular.

Eight people have been killed and nine wounded by a Palestinian gunman who infiltrated a Jewish seminary in West Jerusalem, Israeli officials say. So far a motive for the attack is unclear, but it is believed a crack detective known for his Cluedo board game prowess has pinned it on dislike of Jews in the Middle East.
Al-Qaida terrorists may be plotting more urgently to attack the United States to maintain their credibility and ability to recruit followers, the U.S. military commander in charge of domestic defense said Thursday. So desperate, in fact, that Al Qaida was seen performing Jihad dances at children's birthday parties to pay bills.
US Republican Party Presidential candidate Ron Paul is hinting to supporters that he is ending his long-shot campaign for the Presidency. The Texas Republican congressman addressed supporters in a 7 1/2-minute video on his campaign Web site Thursday night and did not specifically say he was quitting the race. (Forget it I don't have a joke about Ron Paul! Oh you think I'd make fun of the Ron Paul Revolution? What, because I was thinking of moving to the United States and driving a van full time, Ron Paul Revolution Ice Creams? No.)

Britain's defense chief decided Friday to immediately pull Prince Harry out of Afghanistan after news of his deployment was leaked on the US Web site the Drudge Report. Prince Harry is believed to be getting extracted to the safety of a London nightclub.
Israeli leaders warned Friday of an approaching conflagration in the Gaza Strip as Israel activated a rocket warning system to protect Ashkelon, a city of 120,000 people, from Palestinian rockets. Israel pounded Hamas-run Gaza on Thursday, killing 4 children aged 8, 9, 11 and 12, as they played in a field during an Israeli air strike around the northern town of Jabaliya. Hamas denied the Zionists would directly bomb children in revenge aimed at them, saying they would sooner try and lend money to them and charge interest to their parents.