I was a bit lax and overlooked last week’s World in a Week section but here I am back today with avengeance to deliver the World in a Week, highlighting news across the world from the previous seven days.
- The Sydney bikie war refuses to die down with an unprecedented meeting of top rival motorcycle gangs in Leppington, south-western Sydney last night, uniting to discuss plans to challenge the police’s attempts at targeting them. I hope the producers of Underbelly are chronicling all these events, it’ll make for a great third series!
- The Pakistani Army have made incursions into land taken or under-threat from the Taliban, though the Taliban still possess an enormous threat to the nation, and a result, the entire world should they succeed in taking control of Pakistan. Initially, reports were that the Army had been somewhat successful in their foray to wrest land back from the Taliban. But, recent reports indicate maybe they haven’t been as successful as previously thought. It’s suggested that the Army are at the root of many of the country’s problems ever since its independence 60 years ago. The US are currently considering a range of options to deal with this increasing threat.
- Anzac Day was observed across Australia and New Zealand, and in former battlefields such as Gallipoli – where the Anzac spirit was born – and across Europe and the Pacific yesterday commemorating those men and women who have served – and continue to serve - in the various wars and battles the two countries have been involved over the past century and a bit since the Boer War. Lest We Forget.
- North Korea has recommenced extracting plutonium from spent nuclear rods and have continued their bellyaching and belligerence in doing so. Meanwhile, American journalists, Euna Kim and Laura Ling, are to set to placed on trial for alledgedly crossing the Tumen river into North Korea before being apprehended by North Korean soldiers and could face up to five years in North Korean labour camps for their ‘crimes’. However, eyewitness accounts indicate that they were indeed captured on the Chinese side of the border by North Korean troops and hustled into North Korea. Moves are continuing to free the journalists.
- Iranian-American journalist, Roxana Saberi was sentenced to eight years in prison for alledgely ‘spying’ on Iran whilst working as a journalist. She, along with her friends and colleagues vigourously deny these allegations and Roxana herself has since commenced a self-imposed hunger strike in protest to her sentencing. Work is underway to free her of these false allegations.
- And lastly, Mahmoud Ahmedinejad unsurprisingly makes a fool of himself whilst speaking at the UN’s forum on racism. Note to UN – Next time, don’t allow a self-proclaimed bigot to address a forum on racism, it’s bound to ruffle more than a few feathers and leave the UN looking like an ass!
Unfortunately, the UN, collectively, doesn’t seem to care how it’s viewed. Great updates, Ben.