News
July 13, 2018
WHAT WE'RE WATCHING
The North Korean Coast – While flipping through his latest copy of Casino World Daily, your Friday author noted that casino magnate and conservative donor Sheldon Adelson wants to open casinos along the North Korean coast, perhaps on the “great beaches” near the hotels and condos President Trump would like to see built. Though some have mocked Trump’s suggestion, Kim Jong-un has expressed interest in exactly these sorts of tourism cash-cows. Sadly, he was too busy pointing at potatoes last week to build investor confidence by meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Leaders facing justice – El Salvador’s Supreme Court ordered President Sánchez Cerén to testify in a case involving the disappearance and likely murder of South Africa’s ambassador to the country in 1979. Sánchez Cerén is accused of serving as second in command of the left-wing rebel group that claimed to have killed the ambassador. The president denies involvement and refuses to testify. Also this week, a judge in Ecuador ordered the arrest of former President Rafael Correa on charges of kidnapping a political rival. Like Sánchez Cerén, Correa blames political enemies for these accusations. The difference? Correa now lives in Belgium.
WHAT WE’RE IGNORING
The Trump Baby Balloon’s Spokesperson – Apparently, the controversial Trump Baby balloon has its own spokesperson. That’s not necessary. Love it or hate it, the Trump Baby balloon speaks for itself.
Criticism of the giant Kazakh squirrel – Not a day goes by without someone asking your Friday author why he so rarely writes about giant squirrels. Well, Kazakhstan now has one, and this 40-foot-tall, bushy-tailed rodent needs both a talented spokesperson and a good lawyer. This creation has apparently delighted many Kazakh children, but some insist that $67,000 in public funds might have been better spent and warn that its straw and wood guts make it a fire hazard. Its creators say it represents nature's evolution from rural to urban life. #WorksForMe
More For You
People vote in the legislative elections in Algiers, Algeria, on July 2, 2026. The electorate, including the diaspora, consists of 24,727,041 registered voters. These elections will elect the 407 members of the tenth legislature of the People's National Assembly (APN), with a mandate of five years.
Billel Bensalem/APP/NurPhoto
Algerians are headed to the polls today to elect their next members of parliament. However, hopes for true democracy look more remote than ever.
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