- Russia postpones its census on cost grounds. Meanwhile, did you know the CIA recently revised its Afghanistan population figure downward by 16%? There's been no census there since 1979.
- New Mandala links to an SMH piece about the quality of Sydney's Thai food. What has struck me as someone relatively new to Sydney and its environs is the sheer number of Thai restaurants. In Melbourne it's much more Chinese and Vietnamese, which I assume reflects immigration patterns.
- Ten things you can get in India but cannot get in China. And vice versa.
- Thomas Friedman says the US is in a Sputnik-style race with China to develop green technology. Not really, says this blogger. (H/t Wilkinson.)
- A Royal Air Force leaflet drop in Afghanistan goes wrong and a girl is killed. Didn't a similar thing happen in Timor in '99?
- Joe Cirincione says Obama has outmaneuvered Iran, then closes by saying, 'We will know soon, within the next few months, if Obama's sophisticated, comprehensive approach is working.' Quite, so isn't it a touch premature to be describing Obama as a 'master strategist'?
- Meanwhile, is this an early sign of a Chinese shift on the Iran issue?
Thursday linkage
Published 1 Oct 2009
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