B. McPherson
The mayor of Canada’s largest city has been found guilty of conflict of interest and ordered from office. Mayor Rob Ford has two weeks in which to appeal the court decision.

The colourful mayor apparently used Toronto City letterhead in 2010 when seeking money for his charity football team. That resulted in a ruling that he should give the money back to donors. In that court case, he announced he would not. Then, when the Toronto City council took a vote to order Mayor Ford to repay the funds, he participated in the vote and defeated it.

This is not the first time that Ford has made the news in an unfavourable light. He is also embroiled in a multi-million dollar libel case brought against him when he alleged corruption in City Hall. This was during his 2010 bid for the mayor’s chair.

While Ford was elected on a platform to cut city expenses, he has lost much of his early popularity. His calling the police during a comedy stunt pulled by a well loved TV programme claiming he felt threatened, being observed reading and driving and his angry interaction with news people have all served to dampen his approval ratings.

This turmoil leaves Canada’s largest city in a difficult situation. This is the time of year that budgets are set for 2013, financing arrangements with the federal government are made, and committees are appointed. 

B. McPherson

A young Tibetan man was detained by authorities in Lhasa for gazing at the moon. The young man, Phurbu Namgyal, aged 20 and his pals were leaving a club when the incident happened. Apparently the young fellow imagined that he had seen an image of the Dalai Lama in the face of the moon before and wanted his friends to see it too.

While to many of us in the western world look at the interference of authorities when a group of young men stand around trying to see an image on the moon think “who is the lunatic?”, apparently the Chinese occupiers don’t see it that way. They have maintained a campaign of criticism against the religious leader labelling him “splittist” for his efforts to gain some autonomy for Tibet.

Ref: Radio Free Asia

Recently more Tibetans have set themselves on fire to protest the heavy hand of the Chinese in their country. The Dalai Lama has criticised the Chinese government for its approach in governing that country.

“This problem started from totalitarian, blind sort of unrealistic policy. So, the people who create that policy must think seriously about this—that's my response," he said when asked about the self-immolations in the interview recorded before his Hawaii trip.” Radio Free Asia

Next time the moon is full in your neck of the woods, take some time to step outside and gaze up at it. I only see the ‘old man in the moon’ but I had never thought to look for anyone else’s image. Even so, take a moment to think about what it must be like to be arrested for gazing at the moon.
Tags: chinese government, dalai lama, politics, tibet, moon

 B. McPherson
Tensions in the South China Sea heated up over the last couple of days when Philippine navy vessels attempted to arrest eight Chinese fishing vessels. The Philippine government claims territorial control over waters up to 200 nautical miles offshore. The Chinese government claims all waters of the South China Sea.

When the Philippine vessels attempted to arrest the fishing vessels at Scarborough Shoal which lies  within the 200 mile limit Chinese military vessels moved to prevent arrest. Currently the situation is a standoff with the Chinese ambassador called to Manila to explain the action.

The South China Sea is increasingly heating up politically as competing countries have made overlapping claims to the waters. China claims all of the sea, including beyond the standard 200 miles limit and up to the shores of bordering countries. Five other countries -- Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam claim portions of the water and sea bed.

Competition is increasing globally for fishing resources and the growing economies of South Asia are seeking to control their fisheries. The big prize may be the oil and gas believed to lie under the sea bed.

China is expanding its military might in the area, launching an aircraft carrier in August 2011. So too is the American military with its deployment of 200 marines to Australia with an eventual build up to 2 500 troops. The Washington Post is reporting that Pentagon officials are seeking expansion of US military interests in many countries of the region. The United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Cameron is in Indonesia  building diplomatic ties with that nation currently.

Last year when Japan arrested Chinese fishermen and their vessels who were fishing in disputed waters, China retaliated by drastically cutting the supply of rare earth metals crucial in the manufacture of electronics.

Tags: china, oil and gas, philippines, politics, south china sea