World
Last week a woman fainted during a speech former President Bill Clinton was giving for a Democratic senate candidate in West Virginia. Clinton immediately demonstrated exactly why women still see him as the most rockstar-charming world leader in living memory. “I’m going to save her reputation,” he drawled as the woman was led away, his honeyed southern vowels slow and sweet like January molasses. “It was the sun and not me that made her faint.” Such a dude.
It’s no secret that power is sexy. Add a little Tabasco-splash of Arkansan charm (Clinton), a sprinkle of George Clooney salt-n-pepper (Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg of Norway) or some smouldering Latina sizzle (President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner of Argentina) and you got yourself a recipe for hot that no ordinary civilian can match.
But there are a few world leaders that don’t fit the obvious parameters of sexy – yet are.
Chinese Lunar New Year is just three days away and Beijing is once again preparing to become a hotbed of pyromania.
Residents have been busily stockpiling firecrackers to set off on Chinese Lunar New Year’s Eve, which this year falls on February 13, and on New Year’s Day.
Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival, is all about reuniting with family, and a typical Lunar New Year’s Eve might include a special dinner and setting off firecrackers at midnight to welcome in the new year, which this year will be the Year of the Tiger.
Continue reading "Chinese Lunar New Year: a hotbead of pyromania" »
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Sam says:
@Zeta, and last but not least. The “Two Systems, One China” policy announcement in 1997 regarding Hong Kong is the clearest example to date of the ample wisdom of the CCP. I haven’t heard of anything that can even compare with that sort of flexibility coming from a democratic country,… Read more »
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Sam says:
@Zeta, “They deny the organ harvesting of political enemies, and the testing of chemical weapons against Ughyrs, even as evidence mounts to the contrary. Evidence that is nigh on impossible to obtain because of their iron curtain. “ Aha, so the non-existent mounting evidence is impossible to obtain? Are you… Read more »
Earlier this afternoon President Obama made an official State of the Union address in Washington.
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Jacquie Butterfield says:
I’m with Anna. Even his own Democrats oppose him, let alone most of the Republicans. How can a guy move? Read more »
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Steve says:
Obama on his soapbox again, and once again it went this way. 1. Blame Bush his favourite pastime 2. Not get involved in health system since they lost in MASS last week that is now on death’s door 3. Put a clamp on spending no increases, but the past 12… Read more »
Could you imagine a newly elected Australian Prime Minister taking five months to form a Cabinet?
In our functioning democracy the notion is hard to fathom but that is exactly what has just transpired in Lebanon.
Saad Hariri led the pro-western March 14 alliance to an emphatic electoral win back in June but not until now has he been able to form a Government.
Continue reading "Little things count, like speed limits and Cabinet stability" »
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stephen says:
It’s common knowledge Syria, Lebanon and Iran are in cahoots against Israel. There’s a war going on. Subsequently, Lebanon’s population is divided between the Hesbollah, and the more secular moderates. The situation is identical in Israel : opposing factions over Palestinian rights are vying for attention. As a secular entity,… Read more »
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R.E.L. says:
“Just imagine Nick Minchin across the Cabinet table from Peter Garrett discussing the Emissions Trading Scheme.” The analogy would be more like having Barnaby Joyce sitting across the Cabinet table from Peter Garrett whilst having the Nationals’ own private army backing him up and threatening to start a war unless… Read more »
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