Diplomat
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Jamaica: the vibrant heart of the Caribbean
A visit to Jamaica is an experience in which history and all your senses will converge to give you a lifetime of memories. Jamaica is unique, with its gifts to the world including reggae and dancehall music, fine rum, exquisite coffee and jerk seasoning. I am touched by the many Canadians who speak highly of […]
Guatemala: the land of eternal springtime
People commonly describe Guatemala as “the land of eternal spring.” And rightly so. Exuberant displays of orange and violet bougainvilleas greet people year-round. The word Guatemala comes from the indigenous Mayan-Toltec word Quauhtemalla, meaning “land of many trees,” and, indeed our northern biosphere is part of one of the largest in this hemisphere. Los numeros […]
New Arrivals – Summer 2012
New heads of mission Barna Karimi Ambassador of Afghanistan Mr. Karimi, a young ambassador at just 37, has a bachelor of business marketing and a master’s of business administration from the University of Phoenix. After graduation, he worked his way up to the position of general manager of a shoe company called Triton Inc. He […]
Why there may be more alcohol in your wine
Alcohol is an obvious part of wine. It’s expected to be there. However, there’s a growing sense among wine drinkers that their drink is getting stronger. Chardonnay seems bigger. Côtes du Rhône tastes hotter. And they’re right. It’s not just a feeling. Over the last four decades, the amount of alcohol in wine has […]
A noted astronomer checks out the coming Mayan doomsday
The American-made disaster film 2012 was one of the most profitable disaster movies of all time (earning US$700 million). Released on Friday, Nov. 13, 2009, director Roland Emmerich’s fictional portrayal of global cataclysm exploited the approach of the year 2012 when, according to best-selling doomsday prophets, the world would end precisely (they said) as the […]
I, spy
A remarkable true story of enterprise and espionage, of mystery and mayhem, in the Far East Jim Thompson was the best-known western businessman in Thailand, arguably the best known in all of Southeast Asia. Then one day, during a brief holiday in the highlands of Malaysia, he simply vanished — and became famous round the […]
Rape as a weapon of war: then and now
“It has become more dangerous to be a woman fetching water or collecting firewood than a fighter on the frontline.” — UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Margot Wallström, 2012 UN BACKGROUND REPORT The victims of modern armed conflict are far more likely to be civilians than soldiers. According to UN Action Against […]
The Big Six Goals: Canada’s priorities in the U.S.
Canada and the U.S. have the closest and most integrated partnership in the world. As Prime Minister Stephen Harper said on a recent visit, “We are partners, neighbours, allies and, most of all, we are true friends.” A recent Gallup poll found that the American public agrees, with 96 percent of Americans having a positive […]
Superstar Nations
The 10 most productive countries on Earth — and five contenders The Age of Expectations, published in 1994 by American economist Paul Krugman (who has since become a Nobel laureate) opens with the following observation: “Productivity isn’t everything, but in the long run it is almost everything. A country’s ability to improve its standard […]
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