From Cork to Toronto

The Irish Minister of Defence, having announced a commitment of 350 troops to Chad, now wants the UN to tell him they'll be safe . I'm hoping that what he means by that is that the troops will have sufficiently robust Rules of Engagement and that when he meets the Sudanese Foreign Minister he will receive assurances that the latter's visiting oil workers (and alumni of the People's Liberation Army) will stay near to their rigs rather than freelancing with the Janjaweed.

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, the woman who in 1986 declared that " necklacing " would liberate South Africa , and was convicted of involvement in the killing of James Seipei (also known as Stompie Moeketsi) has been denied entry to Canada. Her trip was in part to attend an event connected to an opera about her life . The CBC compares Madikizela-Mandela's case to Martha Stewart's. The Globe report notes that even the Americans let her in. The Star reminds us that at her fraud trial, the judge told her she was no Robin Hood . UPDATE: Paul Wells points me to today's Star coverage. Thomas Walkom, no friend to the current Government, expands on the desirability of refusing the visa . It is understandable that Dion is questioning the refusal, since since one of his own MPs helped sponsor the application .

The New York Times (free rego) has an interesting article on a local change in farming practices in Niger which valued tree saplings and nurtured them rather than removing them as an obstacle to crop-farming. The result that while the rest of the region suffered from famine during a drought, the trees helped to hold down topsoil and provided additional income from tree products such as branches and seeds. It doesn't cost the earth and it doesn't fix all the local problems but it gives hope that we don't have to have all the answers to solve some of the questions.

Robert Mugabe's laundry list expands further, adding to persecution of homosexuals disenfranchisement and persecution of opponents gerrymandering of the Courts provider of State mercenaries thief of productive land to reward the returning mercenaries election rigger unwanted guest . Now he gives haven to Mengistu Haile Mariam , convicted with a life term for genocide in Ethiopia. Zimbabwe continues to suffer, China props them up, South Africa stands idly by . Given his status as a Catholic, it's worth noting the Vatican's relative indolence. I suppose they are busy with the more serious crisis of same sex marriage and all.

Given the disgrace that Zimbabwe has become in the last decade, with the homophobia, the de facto ethnic cleansing and the political purging of the judiciary, it's odd that the Liberal Party have only recently become aware of the situation to the extent of wanting to do something about it . Obviously they weren't briefed - it's not like they weren't in power for over a decade ... or maybe they didn't see any of the frequent media coverage. With the thousand priorities Paul Martin had - this couldn't have been one? He couldn't have publicly exhorted the South Africans and Chinese to stop sending the regime aid, probably the only thing keeping Mugabe afloat? But then the Chinese might not have bought Canadian reactors - that piece of tech that gets the Chinese Government a free pass from Canada. Instead the Federal Liberals did in that respect what the Ontario Liberals are doing in Caledonia, Ontario - standing by, mouthing platitudes, achieving nothing.

You can just imagine some of the far-right white nutbars plotting another Trek when the likes of this happens. The pathetic spectacle of Thabo Mbeki's ostrich-like approach to AIDS and his support of the maniac in Zimbabwe is now joined by Jacob Zuma's acquittal on rape charges . Zuma's own testimony drew controversy. He testified that the woman's decision to wear a knee-length skirt and later a kanga, a traditional Africa wrap, showed she wanted to have sex with him. Many were shocked when Zuma, the former head of the South African National AIDS Council, said there was little danger of him contracting HIV from having unprotected sex with the woman. He also said that taking a shower after sex reduced the risk of getting the virus. The New York Times adds : Seeking to cast himself as the model of a traditional Zulu man, Mr. Zuma said that he was, in fact, obliged to have sex with the woman because she so clearly wanted intercourse, and that to refuse would have been a...