Syria conflict: pictures from the frontline

How sad is this?


The city of Aleppo, in north-west Syria, is witnessing some of the fiercest battles of the country's two-year war between rebel forces and troops loyal to the ruling regime of President al-Assad. Aleppo is currently divided into neighbourhoods controlled by the rival armies. This picture shows Ahmed, the seven-year old son of an Free Syrian Army fighter, standing in front of a barricade were he assists his comrades in the neighbourhood of Salahadeen...  msn.com

Island Nation Cyprus

Cyprus has been a member state of the European Union since 2004

I was recently reading about Cyprus and its possible bankruptcy, and I couldn't decide if this was the case of a failed business strategy and leadership, negligence, false hope or sheer greed.

This is my understanding of the trail of events.

• Pre 2008 Euro zone, the Central Bank of Cyprus only allowed banks use up to 30% of their foreign deposits to support local lending.

• 2008: Cyprus adopts the Euro while ignoring warnings over consequences of the lending boom