What the world is reading

With the Palestinians stepping up efforts to secure UN recognition for unilateral statehood,the Israeli media has reacted sharply to the bid. In an editorial piece,‘The failed policies of the West’,columnist Barry Rubin has slammed reports that the Palestinian effort is “causing diplomatic panic” in the US and Israel. The columnist writes that Israelis are aware that “various countries will vote for the resolution or abstain purely to get popularity points with Arab and Muslim-majority states,and then do nothing”. He adds that the only effect on Israel will be that it will never listen to these countries again. Rubin says that Israel has gotten past its attitude of trying to please the West. “Just because Israel tried to be polite,don’t think it’s stupid,” he writes.

The Guardian

Has Africa lost Libya?

Columnist Knox Chitiyo states that the Libyan uprising while toppling the old order has now turned into an ‘ugly race war’. For decades,Knox says,Libya has been an integral part of Africa with Sirte,the Colonel Gaddafi stronghold where fighting still continues,being the birthplace of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963—”about a quarter of indigenous Libyans are black,while African migrant workers in Libya exceed one million; and during his 40-year rule Gaddafi championed pan-Africanism and African multiculturalism.” The paper adds,“…a misperception has taken hold of all black Africans being mercenaries which has led to the persecution of African immigrants and black Libyans”. Knox quotes Human Rights Watch and the African Union that have called for an end to the brutal reprisals,including torture,mass killings and arbitrary arrest. Knox points out that only 20 of the African Union’s 53-member nations have so far recognised the National Transitional Council.

The Telegraph

Reno stunt pilot a hero?

While speculation has been rife over what caused the shocking accident at an ‘air race’ in Reno,Nevada,in the US,a section of the media has begun hailing the stunt pilot as a hero. The Telegraph quotes eyewitnesses to suggest that 74-year-old Jimmy Leeward,a seasoned stunt pilot,“deliberately pitched the aircraft headlong into the ground at full speed to avoid it barrelling into the stands after it malfunctioned.” “Jimmy,you saved my life. You pulled up just enough to miss us by 50ft,” was the message Jon Wehan,a spectator,posted on Leeward’s Facebook page,the paper said. The paper quotes another witness as stating that if the pilot hadn’t pulled up,he would have taken out the entire section of the grandstand. Leeward lost control of his P-51 Mustang during an air race on Friday and crashed into a crowd killing nine and injuring nearly 58.

New Zealand Herald

Delight at Aussie misery

After a relatively routine start to the Rugby World Cup underway in New Zealand,Ireland caused the first major upset by beating Australia 15-6 on Saturday. Such was the media reaction in New Zealand that the Sydney Morning Herald lamented that Christmas had come early for the Kiwis. The New Zealand Herald claimed the Irish had done “all of New Zealand a massive favour by beating the Wallabies and not just for the pure joy that brings in itself.”

“Shhh … Can you hear it? That’s the sound of quiet Australians. Eerie isn’t it,” columnist Bevan Rapson wrote in the paper. “The pricking of the Australian bubble is something to savour,” he writes. “Our neighbours arrived here noisily cock-a-hoop,of course,and had their self-belief boosted even further by a comfortable win over Italy…But on Saturday,it was the Irish players who proved they are not here for the party,” Rapson wrote.