How chocolate biscuits could bring down North KoreaNorth Koreans are developing a taste for South Korean culture — specifically, a chocolate biscuit called the Choco Pie, now considered the “sweet symbol of capitalism”.
May, 2009
Think you see green shoots? You’re wrong
Don’t believe the optimists, says Nouriel Roubini — the contraction of consumption will remain a drag on households for years.
Stuff Americans like
The American Customer Satisfaction Index tracks how happy ‘merkins are with various industries and businesses throughout the year. Guess which one makes them least happy.
Dissident writer Michel Kilo freed
Syrian writer and activist Michel Kilo has been released from prison after serving three-years for encouraging the country to recognise Lebanon’s independence.
Portofolio.com back from the dead
The website of defunct businses mag Portfolio has been brought back to life after Condé Nast transferred full control of its content to a new publisher.
The Obama-Cheney face-off
It was close as it gets to a grand Lincoln-Douglas-style debate: on Thursday, Obama and Dick Cheney both addressed audiences on the issues of national security and civil liberties. Guess who was Lincoln?
Michael Wolff: People are morons
A blunt interview with Newser founder and Vanity Fair columnist Michael Wolff.
Scamalot — England’s own watergate
Jon Stewart mocks the English over the expenses scandal, focusing in particular on the MP who had his moat cleaned.
Aussies abroad behaving badly
It strikes me that our public manners in fact no longer meet the standard required in most other countries, and improving them might make us a lot safer when we travel, argues Andrew Bolt.
Two writers who can’t stop winning awards
Literary Minded’s Angela Meyer recalls her interviews with writers Nam Le and Christos Tsiolkas in light of their recent awards.
A win for Victoria’s Human Rights Charter
The tale of Victoria’s first successful human rights claim. What could this mean at a Federal level?
Guy Rundle: Guy Rundle at the Sydney Writers’ Festival
Crikey’s roving reporter Guy Rundle hits the Sydney Writers’ Festival — and gets booted out.
In defence of taxes
Taxes aren’t bad, says Joseph Heath, they’re just misunderstood.
Newsweek journo reveals details of secret White House torture meeting
Newsweek’s Michael Isikoff tells MSNBC of a meeting on torture between Obama and human rights and civil liberties groups that went completely off the rails.
Tiger Airways outlines Oz expansion plans
A rapidly expanding Tiger seems as near a certainty as anything can be in the airlines game. It will really gain momentum in July when it begins the Sydney-Melbourne route, says Ben Sandilands.
Genital warts force Shoaib from T20 World Cup
One of the stranger injuries we’ve seen. Well at least made public.
Video: pitching pictures at the Marché du Film
Behind the glamour of the Cannes red carpet is the Marché du Film, where thousands of films look for buyers. The Guardian listens to the pitch.
Tarantino’s comeback at Cannes
Quentin Tarantino’s WWII revenge film, Inglourious Basterds was greeted with relief and cheers at the Cannes Film Festival yesterday.
Inglourious Basterds
America’s biggest terror threats are homegrown
The dramatic foiling of the NY terror plot reinforces what the NYPD have been arguing for years: the primary terrorist threat to New Yorkers comes not from Al Qaeda, but rather from America’s own population, says Judith Miller.
Timeline of terror
A timeline of the terror plot to blow up two Jewish synangogues and military planes — and how the NYPD and FBI say they foiled the plot.
Why the NYPD heavily publicise foiled terror plots
As well as incresing public awareness, police publicise these cases to send the message: if you are three or four guys conspiring to carry out terrorist acts in the New York area, one of you is likely to be an informant, says Christopher Dickey.
Call the terrorists what they are
Obama has categorically refused to use the term “Islamic extremism”, says Steve Emerson — but that is exactly what the US is facing.
