ZIMBABWE POLITICS

The Guardian (UK)

A triumph for terror

Zimbabwean politics all over the world’s papers today. This British editorial looks at the “why?” and “where to now?” of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s decision to pull out of this Friday’s run-off vote. It was a tough decision: taking part would mean recognising an essentially unfair race; pulling out meanwhile means Mugabe wins. There’s been voter intimidation ahead of the June 27 ballot, while the number of licences issued for election monitors this time around is only one twentieth of the number handed out for the first round ballot. Now while the regime may not need its people’s support, this article points out, it does need South Africa for electricity and other supplies from neighbours. It’s up to them to coax or coerce Zimbabwe back on the right track.

OIL POLICY

Al-Watan (Saudi Arabia)

The sacrosanct petrol of the United States

This independent Saudi paper has a comment piece on the summit in Saudi Arabia on rising oil prices. OPEC maintains that current supply perfectly meets demand, and blames speculators for price hike. However, writes this economist, Americans don’t buy that and insist it’s a problem of supply. So why treat Alaskan oil as sacrosanct? The writer states that the cost of drilling has gone down, and as for environmental concerns, a lot of Gulf oil is produced in inhabited areas. The conclusion is that America’s arguments don’t hold up, and other countries won’t put up with their superior attitude.

Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)

Candidates are not coming clean

The SMH’s Washington correspondent looks at where the two main candidates for the White House stand on the energy issue, and concludes that when it comes to a coherent energy policy, neither candidate has really levelled with the US public. John McCain plans to lift a ban on drilling for oil off America’s coastline, which would allow drilling in places like Alaska and eventually provide cheaper oil, but this would take some 20 years to deliver. Barack Obama’s policy meanwhile depends on major advances in solar and wind technology – and, again, this will take time. Both say they’ll allow new nuclear reactors to be built, but neither is saying where. At the same time, neither is making much mention of conservation efforts and America making many needed lifestyle changes, like giving up their big cars, using more public transport and making changes around the home to reduce energy consumption. And they’re likely to be in for a rude shock.

LIFE FOR SALE ON EBAY

The Times (UK)

Dumped husband Ian Usher puts his life on eBay to leave Australia

How much is a life worth? A 44-year-old British man, living in Western Australia, decided to put his life on sale on eBay, saying he wanted to start afresh after his wife left him last year. The top bidder gets his three-bedroom house, car, motorbike, adventure sports equipment, his clothes, CDs – plus an introduction to all his friends and his job at a rug shop (at least for the first two weeks)! He was hoping to get around 240-thousand euros for all that, and the top bid is already more than four times that figure.

EURO 2008

La Gazetta dello Sport (Italy)

It’s over

Italy is now out of the tournament, after Spain beat them 4-2 on penalties. It’s all over the front-page of this Italian sports newspaper, with a photo of Daniele De Rossi after missing one of those penalty kicks. And the body language says it all. It’s all over for the Italians.