Mail and Guardian (South Africa)

Mob Nation: the story of a country that exploded

A dozen pages are devoted to the wave of brutal xenophobic murders sweeping the country. One reporter travels through Johannesburg’s shanty towns with a gang member, who describes the bloodshed as ‘war’. The authorities’ seeming inability to cope with the mobs is blamed on a reform of the police service in 2006, which halved the numbers of riot specialists. According to an editorial, Africans have never got along with each other. It’s a legacy that dates back to the 19th Century when colonization engendered deep divisions between nations.

 
The Nation (Thailand)

Junta's credibility gap keeps aid from cyclone victims

As the UN and Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) prepare for an international summit on aid distribution to cyclone-ravaged Burma, the ruling military junta is under growing scrutiny from traditional allies like Thailand. The junta’s credibility to manage the massive amounts of aid sent from all over the world has been questioned. “The onus is on the junta to assure international donors of its plan of action in terms of how the rehabilitation and recovery effort will be carried out.”

 
Hindustan Times (India)

Better proud than safe

The Burmese regime has been condemned by the international community for its intransigence in refusing foreign help and, initially, humanitarian aid. For India, it’s a case of “look who’s talking.” India refused offers of help in the aftermath of the Tsunami. But three-and-a-half years on the victims are still struggling. Thousands of shelters intended for people in the Andaman islands haven’t been built while tenders for rebuilding contacts remain unsigned.

 
The Independent (UK)

Labour's wipeout: Tories win Crewe and Nantwich by-election

 
Daily Telegraph (UK)

Crewe and Nantwich by-election: Rampant Tories crush Labour

It’s the second Black Friday in a month for Britain’s Labour government, after yet another election drubbing. The opposition Conservatives swept to victory in the Crewe and Nantwich by-election. It’s the first time the Conservatives have won a by-election in more than a quarter of a century. It piles the pressure on Prime Minister Gordon Brown after his party lost heavily in local elections at the beginning of the month. A flagging economy and Brown’s ill-advised call to abolish the ten pence income tax rate are both blamed for its heavy losses. Labour’s election performances are beginning to mirror those of the Conservatives before they were swept from power in 1997. Indeed, the Crewe and Nantwich result has many pundits wondering whether this is the beginning of the end for Gordon Brown’s government.