Belfast Blogs.com

I made a few predictions this time last year. I'll return to see how wrong I was about 2007 in my next post.In the meantime, here is my doom-mongering for 2008.1. Pakistan becomes the no. 1 threat to world peace. By no. 1, I mean the return of the nuclear fear and five minutes to midnight.2. Bertie gets dumped at long last by Fianna Fail. When the chairman starts offering support to the manager in soccer, it's invariably followed by a sacking. So how else to read the fact that half the cabinet are sympathising with El Berto's ongoing tribunal antics?3. A Republican, possibly Romney, will be the next US President. Pace Richard Delevan, who's been proselytising for Obama for some time (which is odd as eggs for an American right-winger), I can't see the US electing a black man. If he ran as...

Here I am, in the hills of Northern Spain (in the preposterous republic of Basqueland), in mid-November, and the sun is splitting the trees. Not only that, but today and yesterday it was in the low twenties, centigrade wise.Now, locals inform me that in times past, being in a mountainous region meant getting snowed on at this time of year. Instead, they´re wearing T-shirts to the shops and enjoying their swimming pools.Meanwhile, in huge chunks of Africa, where the delightful combo of AIDS, war and corruption have already made life beyond difficult for most people, global warming is destroying what little arable land was left. Kenya, among others, is losing its farmland and, just as important, the habitats in which wild animals live.And in Ireland, global warming has so far managed to...

The Unighted States has blocked the use of American parts in a order of planes and boats for Venezuela to be made by Spain. More expensive European parts will be used instead in a deal that would create 1000 Spanish jobs. Earlier this week, Venezuela accused Washington of blocking the purchase of training jets from Brazil, because the planes contained protected US technology. Mr Chavez had said the 12 transport airplanes and 8 patrol boats for about 1.7 billion euros, or $2 billion supplied by EADS-Casa will be used to combat drug-trafficking on the Colombian border. Mr Chavez has condemned the US position as “horrific imperialism,” Reuters news agency reports. The US accuses Mr Chavez of harassing the opposition and spreading instability across South America....