In the News XXXIX

I will endeavour to maintain my 'In the News series' updated on a weekly basis:

Barack Obama committed to Israel Security
http://www.townhall.com/news/politics-elections/2008/07/24/obama_tells_israel_hes_committed_to_its_security
He says this now but how long will it take him to flip-flop?
I guess when the 'Moveon' crowd get wind of this.

A worthwhile analysis on the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac fiasco
http://tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080721/OPINION01/807210339/1007/OPINION
Easy money to blame. What about personal responsibility?

Raul Castro: Pro-Market?
http://www.latinbusinesschronicle.com/app/article.aspx?id=2597
Looks like the pragmatist in brother Raul might be winning the battle over ideology.

Inflation in Zimbabwe: 3,000,000%
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/firm-with-licence-to-print-mugabes-money-875785.html
Quadrillion Zim dollars just doesn't buy anything of consequence these days.

More fallout from the Olmert/Kadima cave-in
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1215331074540&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
This article carries with it some significant into the lunancy of these lopsided prisoner exchange deals. Such as (Quote from the article):

This is particularly grave because Hamas has greatly upped the ante on Israel's already lopsided prisoner swaps. Previous deals entailed ratios of around 450:1 (which is precisely why no thinking person could have imagined that Hizbullah would free living captives in exchange for a mere five terrorists). But Hamas is demanding a 1,000:1 ratio: 450 prisoners whose identities it will dictate, plus 550 chosen by Israel and released later in what our cabinet euphemistically terms a "gesture to [Palestinian leader] Mahmoud Abbas" - as if anyone were incapable of figuring out who really secured this "gesture." Moreover, whereas the most vicious killers were generally excluded from previous deals, Hamas is demanding hundreds of mass murderers in exchange for Schalit. Indeed, its list is so outrageous that the cabinet has thus far approved only 71 of the 450 names. Yet now, ministers are saying they must capitulate.

Most Expensive Cities in the World to live
See http://www.mercer.com/costofliving for full list
1. Moscow (3rd year running) - over 1.4 times more expensive than New York
2. Tokyo
3. London
4. Oslo
5. Seoul
6. Hong Kong
7. Copenhagen
8. Geneva
9. Zurich
10. Milan
22. New York - only US City in Top 50
Cheapest city - Asuncion, Paraguay