Bangladeshi voters skeptical over coming elections
Bangladesh finds itself amidst an ironic situation which gives rise to many fears. For the first time in seven years the country is going to witness democratic elections. The irony of the situation is that the two major candidates are both former prime ministers and both of them have charges of corruption leveled against them.
The majority of voters are skeptical regarding the outcome of the elections and whether it will be able to bring about any resolve. Bangladesh is currently yearning for change but the people seemed to have lost their faith in the candidates that are running the elections.
Bangladesh experienced its last democratic elections back in 2001. The country has a history plagued with military rule and the coming elections are being taken as a positive step towards the restoration of democracy.
Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia are the two rivals fighting for the top spot. Sheikh Hasina has been in and out of power since the last fifteen years. Her political career is tainted with mismanagement, charges of corruption and numerous protests.
Throughout much of Bangladesh’s political history we can identify a pattern running through. While one party would win the elections and take over the ruling seat the other would stage protests in the streets in an attempt to overthrow the elected regime. This pattern has led the country ungovernable to quite an extent.
Both the candidates vying for the top spot were behind bars last year on charges of corruption. The candidates had accused the charges as being politically motivated scandals aimed at ruining their reputation and managed to get free on bail.
This past Saturday supporters of the two parties collided in violent clashes which left more than eighty five people injured across three districts. The Chairman of the National Election Observation Council said “There is lot of apprehension whether the [election] losers will accept the result.”
The last election attempts were made in January 2007 in Bangladesh. They were however cancelled and what followed was weeks of violent rioting between the supporters of the two parties. As a consequence a state of emergency was declared in the country and an interim government backed by the military was put in force. Now, moments away from the next democratic elections the Bangladeshi’s are concerned what consequences it may have on the prevailing situation of the country.
America continues to borrow from China to finance its heavy spending
America is a heavy spender. At the moment however it does not possess the resources that are required to feed its frenzy. This is why it is increasingly being seen borrowing from countries like China in order to finance their spending. 
The main cause of this dilemma is however not the fact that America spends a lot. All countries are engaged in heavy spending but America made the crucial mistake of not making any savings. Contrary to this the other nations are engaged in heavy savings. This is exactly why China is loaded with excess wealth which puts it in the position to give out generous loans to the United States and that too on remarkably low rates.
This unique change of events has been unprecedented to say the least. Economists are baffled as to how they could have overlooked this phenomenon. At the moment the Americans have little choice but to be patient and accept what they have available to them.
America is still quite heavily dependant on Chinese money which is being loaned out to them on highly generous terms. China has invested more than $ 1 trillion in America in the last ten years. The Chinese have invested in government bonds, manufacturing exports and mortgage debts. This has heavily helped the United States in a number of ways.
Many economists have clearly stated that the attitude of borrowing from China to save the local consumption deficit is not something that is going to bring America economic success. It may in the short term enable the country to sustain its present condition but in the long run if it is not complimented by other economic measures America is heading into a further economic ruin.
The United States however is still addicted to borrowing money from foreigners in order to finance its government spending in an attempt to bandage the broken economy. China is however making full use of the current situation and has managed to use it along with other economic measures to benefit itself.
Israel moves closer to Gaza invasion
Israel is all set and determined to launch a full scale offensive against the Hamas militants in Gaza. The Jewish state made its intentions clear after the non stop rocket attacks from the Gaza strip which has amounted to more than a hundred rockets in the last two days.
Egypt’s Prime Minister had called upon the Israeli government to restraint from invading Gaza but the appeal was wholly discarded by the Israeli Foreign Minister. The Israeli Prime Minister had issued a warning to the people of Gaza to urge their leaders to stop the rocket fires or else face the consequences of Israeli invasion. 
Despite the appeal of the Israeli Prime Minister there has been no slowing down of the rocket attacks. Three rockets and more than a dozen mortar shells made their way into Israel just last night.
The Israeli Prime Minister has made it clear that it will not hesitate to respond with force if the attacks are not halted. He said speaking to an Arabic language satellite channel “I am telling them now, it may be the last minute, I’m telling them stop it. We are stronger,”
The rocket firing was much lesser on Thursday as compared to the eighty rockets that were fired the day before. Israel has however said that the continued firing was wholly unacceptable and Israel was looking to respond with full force.
The militants from Gaza have blindly shot out rockets and mortar shells during the last two days. Some of them struck close to groups of Palestinian Christians making their way to Bethlehem for Christmas celebrations. Another rocket fell in the industrial park of Ashkelon.
Being the one who brokered the last cease fire deal between the two parties, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak contacted the Israeli Foreign Minister to discuss possibilities of renewing the truce. Livni was however in no mood to discuss a cease fire saying “Enough is enough, when there’s shooting, there’s a response. Any state would react that way.” With such strong words coming from the government of Israel an invasion into Gaza is just round the corner.
The Los Angeles puppeteer wishing he too could get a bailout
U.S auto makers are not the only ones in need of a bailout package from the government. Bob Baker is the owner of a famous Los Angeles Marionette Theater and is struggling to keep his puppeteer business alive because of the tough economic conditions.
The theatrical legend has been operating the business for forty nine long years. At the moment his financial situation is so uncertain that the owner is worried whether he will be able to make it at fifty.
The theater house that is situated in Los Angeles displays a unique environment which makes you travel back in time. It is almost like a never land construed on the suspension of disbelief. The theater is loaded with stringed puppets that are made to sing by their master in order to entertain the crowd.
The city has been enjoying the puppet performances from the theater house for forty nine years now. The owner of the popular puppet house said “There’s something magical about puppets,” Bob Baker, the man who has been behind the scene of countless puppet shows is now an eighty four year old kid who dwells in his very own Never Land. Uncertain about the future Bob Baker said “I want to make a 50th-year if everything goes well,” But the fact of the matter is that things are not going to well for the master of puppets who is having his strings pulled by the downward spiraling economy.
Baker said “To do a show around here costs about $10,000 to $15, 000,” With the prices going up and the crowd shrinking in number there is little hope that the theater house will be able to survive as a profitable business. Bob Baker has been keen on talking his shows to various schools but the economic downturn has restricted the number of field trips entertained by schools thus further affecting his business.
Baker is currently indebted to the Bank from where he drew a mortgage to save his business. This poses a risk to all the employees of the theater as well. The master of puppets has all his strings tied up and wishes he too could be given a bail out package by the government to save his business.