Nuclear fear proliferates after North Korea’s test
North Korea’s nuclear ambitions give the entire world the jitters. The latest underground test of an atomic weapon – similar in size to that exploded above Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the Second World War – has led to a chorus of outrage from world leaders using familiar phrases such as “a provocation that can never be tolerated”, “unacceptable” and “blatant defiance”.
Unsurprisingly, near neighbours South Korea and Japan feel most threatened by this latest incident and both have joined with the US and Britain in demanding international action against North Korea.
However, the problem in dealing with a rogue state is that it is very difficult to apply any sort of meaningful pressure because North Korea leader Kim Jong-il’s regime is so out of the loop that it simply doesn’t care what anyone says or thinks.
Sanctions would mean nothing because, as we have already seen, the politicians in Pyongyang are completely indifferent to the suffering of the North Korean people.
So, while the likes of Gordon Brown and President Obama protest and condemn and threaten, all their words are in vain. For the moment all the international community can do is watch, wait... and worry.
This policy must change
WHILE there will be widespread relief that one of Scotland’s most dangerous criminals has given himself up to police after sauntering out of an open prison a week ago, the most relieved man in Scotland will be Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill.
However, he shouldn’t delude himself that the crisis surrounding his stewardship of a rapidly discredited department is going to go away.
As is now abundantly clear, Brian Martin, known as “The Hawk”, should never have been in a minimum security establishment in the first place.
It is also equally obvious that lessons have not been learned. The policy is wrong and must be changed to reflect public anger every time a criminal walks to freedom.
The buck stops with Mr MacAskill and, in the language of Parliament, he must consider his position.
Mass audience appeal
Almost 14 million viewers tuned in to watch Susan Boyle sing her song on Britain’s Got Talent on Sunday night.
These are the sort of figures that popular TV shows used to get but, in recent years, the audience has fragmented along with that precious sense of a shared event that the best of TV used to create. It’s good to see it again.
Long may it prosper.
