Things were heating up and transitioning in the world this week. The Philippine Elections got started on Friday. The Thai protests turned deadly. The British elections drew a collective question mark and further advanced the drama with the resignation of Gordon Brown. The Australian Economy was juggling and the Canadian Navy was facing huge cutbacks (which, by the end of the week, didn't happen despite the cliff hangers). All in all, your typical non-dull week.
(Gordon Brown - capping a weird week with an abrupt departure)
Starting off the week was news of the abrupt departure of Prime Minister Gordon Brown amid a somewhat baffling election. As this segment of the BBC World Service Newshour from May 10th illustrates. Politics is far from dull in the UK.
(Money, it would appear, is the root of all money)
From ABC Radio National in Australia on May 11th, news from PM of the economic situation in Australia and what the government was doing to try and make sense out of it. Also included is some lively discussion on the current state of Australian affairs.
(Contrary to jokes about a guy in a rowboat with a shotgun . . .)
There was serious cause for alarm earlier in the week that the Canadian Government would be forced to make drastic cuts in it Navy, including eliminating training programs. As the CBC's World At Six from the 13th explained, it could have been disastrous. Luckily though, rumors of the Canadian Navy's death were premature as the feared cuts didn't materialize.
(Five deaths after the first day)
And finally, from the English Service of Radio France International on May 15th. As the elections began in the Philippines fears rose about potential violence and voter fraud as the country geared up for the first election using electronic voting. After the first day a reported five deaths resulted from election violence and by last check-in it looks like there may be another Aquino in the Presidential Palace.
So that was the week that was. If you weren't wild about this one, there's another one coming up in a day or two.
