World of opinion
On Brazil’s debt write-off for Africa:
The African Union summit in Ethiopia had something to cheer for. Brazil, the world’s seventh largest economy, surprised all by announcing it would write off the entire debt of the African continent to the tune of $900 million.
This is genuine leadership and state-of-art diplomacy, to say the least … The decision announced by Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff will benefit around 12 trading nations of Africa.
Brazil’s move, nonetheless, has come at an opportune time when the continent’s league, the African Union, is celebrating its 50th anniversary. African leaders as well as world financial pundits strongly believe that the continent has come a long way in resurrecting its image as a developing icon and made great strides in undoing poverty and freeing itself from deadly diseases to a great extent.
Brasilia’s precedent should be emulated by other rich nations in the West. It is worth recalling that the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank were asked at the height of monetary crisis in Africa and Asia to write off bad debts, and rejuvenate the respective economies with fresh loans. But that prescription fell on deaf ears. The outcome was another vicious circle of abject poverty and stagnation. Bailing out Africa from its non-performing loans could be the way to begin with.
The Khaleej Times, Dubai
On arming Syrian rebels:
Under pressure from London and Paris, the European Union agreed on Monday night to lift its embargo on arming the Syrian rebels, despite the opposition of many member states, notably Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and Austria. William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, hailed the summit as a diplomatic triumph. In reality, the 14 hours of fractious discussions confirmed what we have known since the Balkan conflict 20 years ago: that securing an agreed EU foreign policy is a fruitless exercise given the various national interests that need to be taken into account.
The wider danger posed by the Syrian civil war is its capacity to suck other countries into its vortex. The involvement of Russia, Turkey, Iran … and Israel made for a highly dangerous cocktail, even without the prospect of Western arms shipments. Furthermore, the conflict is proving a magnet for jihadists — including more than 100 estimated to have arrived from the UK — who will return to cause trouble at home, if they survive ..
The Telegraph, London
On hockey safety:
The willful blindness in hockey at all levels toward concussions has diminished. Hockey Canada, the governing body for minor hockey, has followed the lead of USA Hockey in barring bodychecking below age 13, down from 11. What happened to hockey’s greatest star, Sidney Crosby, a year lost to a head injury in which the game’s (and his own) willful blindness almost certainly put him at severe risk, opened the eyes of hockey people everywhere. This country’s children have been facing similar risks at early ages, and Hockey Canada had to confront a powerful strain in the country’s psyche to make the rule change; the attachment to bodychecking from an early age is part of what makes Canadian hockey what it is. …
Many Canadian hockey parents and coaches have argued for years that bodychecking at early ages is necessary to ensure that players can do it safely at older ages. True or not (Hockey Canada says it couldn’t find evidence for it), there may be a safer way to teach hitting than to make younger players pay the price for it in head injuries. Change has been a constant in Canada’s game, and the change in the bodychecking age sends the clearest message yet to coaches and parents that player safety is paramount in the game.
The Globe and Mail