Today has an interesting cross-section of news coming up, all from BBC News as I have a bias {;).

First up, Fidel Castro is stepping down as Cuba's leader. Obviously this will lead to some upheaval in Cuba, and everyone is hoping that a new democratic leader will come in - but life is never that simple. The US will likely secretly fund a candidate they like, because that's what they do, and Guantanamo will go on abusing human rights 'outside' of US soil in the name of freedom. Fingers crossed that isn't the case, and a new, democratically elected leader pushes for the removal of that abyss of moral corruption from their country. Either way, we can only hope that Cuba's people benefit from increased freedom, prosperity and other good things.

Secondly, what is up with Dubai? Recently they jailed a man for cannabis they found on the sole of his shoe, they arrested a London man for having melatonin (a US legal sleep/jet lag aid) and now they've jailed the BBC DJ Grooverider for four years, their minimum sentence, for having a small amount of cannabis in his bag! Now in all fairness it would seem that Grooverider is the only person though who might actually be guilty, as the drugs were found in a trouser pocket in his bag that he had forgotten about - but then how easy is it for anyone travelling around, especially an international DJ, to be in Amsterdam one day then Dubai the next? A risky combination.

According to statistics Dubai's draconian drug laws have led to 59 Brits being charged last year alone. This is nothing new, with the UAE having more apparently nonsensical drug arrests than anywhere else. Still want to go to Dubai? Well the sensible thing it would seem is to not carry any drugs, in fact don't take anything - and make sure you brush off everything you wear carefully, otherwise you could end up like the Swiss man arrested for having poppy seeds on his clothes after eating a poppy roll at Heathrow Airport. In fact just buy new clothes at the airport - and just before you get off the plane change and throw away your old clothes - having put plastic bags down over the seat just in case. A sane solution for a sane world.

Labels: Politics, World

When I was diving in Australia off the Queensland coast, we all sort of lived in fear/awe of the Irukandji jellyfish - tiny, transparent jellyfish whose venom can kill purely from the extreme pain it inflicts. Worrying stuff indeed. Luckily, jellyfish stings find it hard to get through any sort of material so in our wetsuits we were relatively safe.

Now its seems more of us will be at risk from swarms of these jellyfish as they migrate around the world in search of food. In a new film, cinematographers trace the path of these surprisingly intelligent and well defended animals as they head away from their traditional areas and foray for new food sources. Beautiful but unnerving, this is one film everyone who dives (and swims) should probably watch.

Labels: Environment, Nature, Scary, Scuba Diving, World