As noose tightens on Assad, rebels ask: what comes next?
The fate of the Kurds and arms stockpiles worry neighbouring Turkey as it sees the end of the regime drawing near
Syrian rebel fighters are at last allowing themselves to believe what seemed unthinkable just a few weeks ago. After a bloody three-week siege of Damascus, they are so confident that they may be on the brink of seizing the capital that they are allowing themselves to consider what would happen in the chaotic aftermath of a victory.
And it is not just in Syria that anxiety is growing about what might follow the fall of the beleaguered Syrian regime. Fear is growing among its neighbours, too, about what might then ensue.
The security establishment and presidential palace, so far unbending pillars of state control, are now well within reach, rebel fighters on the outskirts of Damascus say. But to hold on to the city once it falls, they believe, means turning their minds to what comes next.
Doomsayers await the end of the world – in 12 days' time
But governments try to reassure their citizens not to panic
The end of the world is nigh, or so apocalypse observers would have you believe. The Mayan and Hopi Mesoamerican Long Count calendar may have begun in 3114BC and continued unerringly ever since, but it comes to an abrupt halt on 21 December 2012. Hence, the belief gaining ground among those who fall for this kind of thing that the cosmos will cease to exist in 12 days' time.
Although it may not yet have taken root in Britain's Acacia Avenues, the idea of an approaching cataclysm is troubling folk from Moscow to France, and the US to Brazil. The New York Times has reported that some spooked Russians have been panic-buying matches, fuel and sugar to prepare for the post-apocalypse. And they are not alone. A poll by Ipsos recently found that one in seven people believe the world will end during their lifetime (or, presumably, just after it). The same poll suggests that one in 10 people have experienced fear and/or anxiety about the eschatological implications of Friday week.
POLITICS
Dubious Romanian candidates vie for power
After the fall of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, George "Gigi" Becali became one of the richest men in Romania. As a public figure, he's reviled for puerile displays and open bigotry. Is he Romania's next parliamentarian?
For years, he has been on trial for tax evasion and bribery. His political dogma is a cocktail of Christian orthodoxy and right-wing nationalism. He's prone to making gestures related to feces and genitalia. He re-defined his latest campaign through the use of homophobic and misogynist rants broaqdcast live on television.
His name is George "Gigi" Becali: real estate magnate, soccer team owner, member of the European Parliament. He is now running for office in Romania as part of his personally financed "New Generation Party."
Hamas leader vows not to yield 'an inch of Palestine' to Israel
Thousands cheer claims of victory in last month's war and warnings that more Israeli soldiers could be kidnapped.
Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal vowed Gaza's rulers would never give up "an inch of the land" to Israel in an uncompromising speech before tens of thousands of cheering supporters at a triumphalist "victory" rally in Gaza City.
"Palestine is ours, from the river to the sea and from the south to the north. There will be no concession on an inch of the land," he told the crowd on his first visit to Gaza. "We will never recognise the legitimacy of the Israeli occupation and therefore there is no legitimacy for Israel, no matter how long it will take."
The supporters—many of them wearing Hamas green headbands and carrying Hamas flags—packed the open-air venue in rain and strong winds to celebrate the Islamist organisation's 25th anniversary and what it regards as a victory in last month's eight-day war with Israel.
Is Japan losing its cool?
Manga, anime, J-pop – once it was all about Japan. But the country's efforts to channel its 'cool' as part of a global soft power strategy may need a revamp amid intense competition from Korea.
By Dan Grunebaum, Contributor / December 8, 2012
It’s been 50 years since Kyu Sakamoto’s “Sukiyaki Song” became a worldwide smash. The only other Asian artist to replicate the feat? Psy, from rival South Korea, with his viral hit “Gangnam Style.”
Even as Korean tech giant Samsung turns Sony into a has-been, Japan’s erstwhile colony is also beating it in the pop culture sphere: A decade after journalist Douglas McGray famously calculated “Japan’s Gross National Cool” and awoke the country to the potential of capitalizing on the global infatuation with its anime, games, J-pop, and manga, the concept of “Cool Japan” is under assault.
Artists whose work drove the trend are distancing themselves from the commercialized moniker. “Dear ad agencies and bureaucrats,” tweeted renowned artist Takashi Murakami earlier this year. “Please stop inviting me to ‘Cool Japan’ events.... I have absolutely no link to ‘Cool Japan.’
8 December 2012 Last updated at 12:16 GMT
No comments:
Post a Comment