Tuesday Around The World

There are a lot of things going on around the world, so I wanted to post a quick update for you.

First, Iran is at it again:

"The cancerous growth Israel will soon disappear," Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps commander Muhammad Ali Jafari wrote to Hizbullah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, the FARS news agency reported Monday.

In a letter of condolence following last week's assassination of Hizbullah terror chief Imad Mughniyeh, Jafari said: "I am convinced that with every passing day Hizbullah's might is increasing and in the near future, we will witness the disappearance of this cancerous growth Israel by means of the Hizbullah fighters' radiation [therapy].

Is this an indication that Iran knows something specific about the retaliation for Mughniyeh's death, or is it an indication of Iran's increasing nuclear development? Is it something else? Whatever it means, it's not good. Just an extra little tidbit on Iran's position - did you know that God is protecting their nuclear program? That's what they say.

The New York Times actually has a very interesting piece about what prompts many young Muslims to turn to radical Islam: frustration, inadequate schooling, a poor economy with few job prospects, and a system which allows few to marry and establish a family. Hm, that sounds like the kind of thing that a free, capitalist society could fix, doesn't it? Unfortunately, these youths are instead turning to the Koran, which endorses the sort of violent extremism that has spawned terrorism all over the world.

In Europe, a big kerfuffle is brewing over Princess Diana's death. Apparently, after years of stonewalling, the father of Dodi Fayed, Diana's boyfriend (at the time of her death), was finally given his day in court, and is accusing the royal family of 'trying to get rid of her' because she was pregnant and about to be married to Fayed. The case is apparently pretty solid, now that a video has surfaced in which Diana's butler, Paul Burrell, has admitted lying to the previous investigation.

Kosovo has declared its independence from Serbia. The move was quickly condemned by Serbia and its main sponsor, Russia, but is likely to be recognized by the U.S. and most of the European Union. Welcome to the world, Kosovo!

In Cuba, Fidel Castro has officially stepped down from the leadership of the country. His brother, Raul Castro, who has been running things since Fidel had some health problems in 2006, is now officially the President. He is largely a mysterious character, being the hidden half of the Castro duo over the past decades. Time will tell on whether he will be able to maintain control of Cuba, and how he will rule.

Elections were finally held in Pakistan, and it appears that President Musharraf is being hand-delivered a major defeat. Final results are not likely to be released for several days, but early returns show two opposition parties leading by big margins. It remains to be seen what those results will do to the U.S.-Pakistan relationship.

Now you're up to date!