There is a lot of coverage in the American press about the new US military mission in the volatile Helmand River valley in the south of Afghanistan. The Washington Post says that the operation represents a shift in strategy after years of failed attempts to destroy Taliban sanctuaries. Turning the war around is a top priority of the Obama Administration.

The mission is predicated on the belief that the majority of people in Helmand do not favour the Taliban who enforce a strict brand of Islam that includes an eye-for-an-eye justice. US officials believe residents would rather have the Afghan government in control.

The brigade’s commander Lawrence Nicholson has said the success of the mission won’t be based on the amount of bullets used but rather on restraint. He told troops, “You’re going to drink lots of tea. You’re going to eat lots of goat. Get to know the people. That the reason why we’re here.”

Meanwhile in the British press, privatisation is under fire in the left-leaning daily, The Guardian. 37 former members of the government have been given permission to take private sector jobs within two years of leaving office, the article tells us. This includes former transport and health ministers who then lobby their former ministries for contracts. Seamus Milne argues that this “revolving door” culture favours privatisation – a policy that doesn’t necessarily work in the public interest. This revolving door says Seamus Milne.

“Britain’s rail system in particular remains hobbled by the folly of privatisation – overcrowded, unreliable, fragmented and exorbitantly expensive,” he says. A cartoon just above Milne’s article aptly illustrates his point.

The Australian reports that a major breakthrough has been made in the understanding of schizophrenia – a mental illness that affects 1% of the population. The research was carried out in Australia and the UK. The secret could lie in genetic mutations in the individual’s immune system. A link has also been established with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. They had always been seen as quite separate. Scientists say this is a critical step towards developing drugs that would effectively treat schizophrenia.

Moving to the Asia and the Chinese English-language paper China Daily… Everyday it publishes a page full of human interest stories from across the country. Today, it includes these two stories:

“Excessive yawning leads to disjointed jaw for man”

“Rapist attacks woman and leaves his QQ number.”

The Independent in the UK reports on Wimbledon-mania in the sun. “The day I melted on Murray Mound,” reads the title. The journalist recounts watching Andy Murray beat Juan Carlos Ferrero while sitting on the famous hill now named after Britain’s great hope for a home win at Wimbledon. Around 5,000 people crowded onto Murray Mound to support the British star. Temperatures soured to 30° Celsius with bidding wars opening up for bottles of water.

Meanwhile there was flash flooding in Newcastle, reports The Independent! Summer in Great Britain…