Paki Elections & Kosovar Independence

There are a couple of momentus (at least from a foreign affairs POV) events underway in distant regions of the world. Elections in Pakistan, and independence in the former Serbian province of Kosovo - now governed by majority ethnic Albanians.

Paki elections are important, everybody understands that. The Author covered the recent state of emergency in the country, as well as the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. So if you're looking for the latest information on today's polls, with up-to-date results of the voting, you might try the country's largest English language daily, DAWN's blog, or Karachi.com for an insider's perspective. The other, logical choice for coverage is Al Jazeera's website.

While at Al Jazeera's site, you can shift gears and read the latest on Kosovar independence. The Turkish Daily News has a worthy report, and Germany's Der Spiegel has two great articles, here and here.

India's Awakening - 60 Years On

Today is the 60 year anniversary of The Republic of India's independence from Great Britain. First, congratulations are in order. So raise a Kingfisher Beer or a Mango Lassi and toast: To India. Though the transition involved partition, the process has led to India's current status as a major regional player, world power, and IT powerhouse. It is suitable that this auspicious event is occuring during the tenure of the country's first female president, Pratibha Patil, who stressed inclusiveness and diversity in her formal address to mark the occasion. It is also notable that the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, is a member of a religious minority on the sub-continent - giving credence to India's rising tide of tolerance and diversity.

Ghana Celebrates its 50th

Today marks the 50th anniversary of Ghana's independence from Great Britain. They're partying in Accra as I write. Kwame Nkrumah, the father of the Ghanaian state, was the first in Africa to stand up and say: enough colonialism, it's time for Africans to govern Africans. Following his lead, other countries soon followed suit. In the West, we know Ghana as the home of the proud Ashanti people, their fine wood carvings and colorful Kinte cloth.

My Ghanaian friend, Osei Agyapong Kwaku, tells me there are currently 20 million inhabitants of Ghana - of which 12 million are children. Osei attends Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology. Five other schools: the University of Ghana; the University of Cape Coast; University of Mines & Technology; University of Education and the University for Development Studies comprise the government's system of higher education. Osei's father is "Big Alex," and his mom is called "Comfort." Osei tells me that in Ghana, boys and girls take one of their names from the day of the week on which they are born. For example, boys born on Wednesday like Osei, take the name "Kwaku." Former Secretary General of the United Nations, Ghanaian Kofi Annan, was born on a Friday - as all boys born on that day take the name "Kofi." And the founder of the country, Kwame Nkrumah was born on a Saturday, as Kwame signifies that day of the week.

So if you're looking for a good excuse to raise a glass, or to honor the human spirit, Ghana's independence day celebration rises to the occasion. To Osei and his countrymen, congratulations.