One Week Later....

Zimbabwe: vote rigging

In Zimbabwe: fist fight, we said that few except the most optimistic of Western commentators will be predicting an upset this Saturday.

• Optimism that President Robert Mugabe's 28-year rule may be over is tempered by accusations that the dictator has elaborate plans in place to rig the vote.
• Mugabe and ZANU-PF retain the most effective election machine in the country, despite the challenge from former Finance Minister Simba Makoni.

Ma brings the thaw?

In Taiwan: race narrows, we wrote that the Kuomintang's (KMT) Ma Ying-jeou had the edge going into presidential elections

• Ma vowed to improve relations with China, one day after winning presidential elections.
• His presidency should ease tension with Beijing. It is also welcome in Washington. None of the political and economic tasks facing Ma are easy, but the public is clearly behind him.

Mexico: reform delay

In  Mexico grapples with oil,  we wrote that the Mexican government would put forward legislation to reform the oil sector by the end of March

• Yet there has been a delay.
• The government will not formally present legislation to reform the oil sector until it is confident that it will be passed in Congress.

Political Masterstroke

The World Next Week Political Masterstroke award goes to Heathrow Airport's new 4.3 billion pound ($8.6 billion) showcase terminal. On its first day of operations, flights were cancelled and the baggage system shut down, prompting passengers to brand Terminal 5's opening "chaotic.'' (Bloomberg)

Analytica™

Worthy of note, or news to us.

Controversial film posted

A Dutch right-wing politician posts a controversial film critical of the Koran on the internet. (BBC)

Tibet: tour disrupted

Tibetan monks disrupt a tour by the first foreign journalists to visit Lhasa since protests erupted, witnesses say.

And finally…

EU officials threatened Rome with a possible Europe-wide ban on mozzarella from Italy's Campania region unless they get more details about production of the possibly tainted cheese. (IHT)