A Short Update

Hey guys. Hope you had a good weekend and are enjoying what is no doubt a fine Monday of work! Just a quick post from me today - cold and miserable in London and my heating is broken. Not good. Still here's what really matters in the world on Monday 23rd January 2006:

• After yesterday's sabotage against Georgian Gas and Electricity lines, Russia turns back to the clock with this superb portrayal of Cold War Espionage.

• The dismissal of a Kyrgyz governor is causing uproar. Once more the Central Asian republic is witnessing mass-protests, this time in the turbulent South. The Institute For War And Peace Reporting has, in my opinion, the best update and analysis.

• The Cambodian ruling party has won a rigged Senate election. Stay tuned, i'll get around to doing a Vietnam/Cambodia, Syria/Lebanon comparison post some day soon.

• The Nepalese Monarchy is on its deathbed. The King appears to have realised now that taking away basic civil liberties won't gain any supporters or relieve peoples crippling economic/social problems. The government today announced a lifting of the ban on protests. Too little, too late? The Times of India certainly agrees things are bad, but not beyond saving.

• And finally, as Ariel Sharon shows no signs of progress, the Palestinians prepare for Democractic polls.

Happy reading!

Matt