BRITAIN

BRITAIN

The Daily Telegraph, London, Oct. 22: It was once, euphemistically, called spending a penny. But try finding a public lavatory nowadays that charges the modern equivalent of a penny. Try, for that matter, finding a public lavatory at all.

A report from a Commons select committee shows that nearly 1,000 have closed since the start of the decade. Local authorities, who seem able to invest millions of pounds in rickety Icelandic financial institutions, say they don’t have enough money for their upkeep.

There could hardly be a more urgent need for public money. The cost is obviously a factor but they are not called public conveniences for nothing. Councils nowadays seem content to spend our money on plenty of things other than what is convenient for local taxpayers.

Victorian municipalism

The public lavatory was a legacy of the heyday of Victorian municipalism. They were provided even though local authorities do not have a statutory duty to provide lavatories. Nowadays, many seek to get rid of them because they attract drug dealers and vandals and are used for sexual encounters. However, the report suggests this is a false economy since councils will have to spend more cleaning the streets.

NORWAY

Stavanger Aftenblad, Oct. 21: Colin Powell, general and former secretary of state under George W. Bush, on Sunday declared his support for (Democratic candidate Barack) Obama.

That was a serious blow to John McCain. Powell represents what has been called the “realistic” tradition in the Republican Party, in which the defense of American national interests is done through a combination of diplomacy and military strength. That tradition was dominant under the presidencies of Eisenhower, Nixon and George Bush the elder, and John Mc- Cain belongs to that party wing.

Foreign and security policy are areas in which Vietnam veteran John McCain has been able to criticize Barack Obama with the most credibility. But Colin Powell’s support to Obama knocks the wind out of Mc- Cain’s stand.

Conservative wing

John McCain therefore must depend even more on the conservative core of the Republican Party. ... which is concerned with abortion, homosexuality, weapons and other belief and lifestyle issues. The choice of Sarah Palin as vice presidential candidate built a bridge to the conservative wing, but Palin, seen as inexperienced on foreign policy and weak in general, has weakened McCain when it comes to other voters.

ESTONIA

Postimees, Tallinn, Oct. 20: Undoubtedly there are many people in the West who want to believe the recent statement by Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov that Russia has no territorial claims on the former Soviet republics.

Now that Russia — seen as an aggressive bully — is trying to polish its image after the Georgian war, the time is right to show that Ivanov’s message mirrors reality.

One way of achieving this, for example, would be to finalize a border treaty between Russia and Estonia. Otherwise, these are only words without deeds. For its part, Estonia has repeatedly said it has no territorial claims on Russia. So why can’t the two neighboring nations come to terms on the treaty?

Fear of isolation

It is clearly a fear of isolation, but also the fall in world oil prices, that has driven Moscow to improve its ties with the West. To make things worse, Russia has also failed to find support for its recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia’s independence.

Nevertheless, if Russia indeed succeeds in relieving its neighbors’ anxiety, this will open a new window of opportunity to mend its ties with the West.

NIGERIA

This day, Lagos, Nigeria, Oct. 21: There is an alarming increase in rape cases. From Kano to Calabar, Lagos to Lokoja, Maiduguri to Markurdi, Enugu to Ekiti, rape stories jostle for headline spaces in newspapers and prime time bulletins on the airwaves. Even then, statistics have shown that less than 20 percent of rape cases are ever reported, as most victims are often unable to face the social stigma that follows public knowledge of their ordeal.

Yet rape is a serious crime under the Nigerian Law. It is an extreme form of violence against women which dehumanizes, degrades and traumatizes the victim.

Social stigmas

But as heinous and abominable as this crime is, it is difficult to fight because of the country’s legal system and the attitude of some people. Not only are most rape victims unwilling to report the case, but parents of those whose cases are taken up by the police are also reluctant to press charges because of fear of social stigmas. Also, the legal demand, in Section 179 (5) of the Evidence Act, for a witness as a proof of the offense, is a major hurdle to obtaining conviction in rape cases. There is usually no eyewitness to the crime of rape and this makes it difficult for the case to be proved. In the fight against this crime, nothing should suggest that the same law is trying to protect offenders. Therefore, we suggest that the strict provision of the Evidence Act be amended to ensure that rape victims get justice. Also, as much as possible, female police officers must be assigned to handle rape cases, as male officers may not be sufficiently sensitive and sympathetic to the plight of victims who are courageous enough to report their ordeals to the police