Back in June, the Taliban blew apart the front walls of Sarposa prison in Kandahar City, freeing about 400 of its fighters and hundreds more regular criminals. From a security perspective, things continue to deteriorate there.

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From the BBC, based on an interview with Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev in Sochi:

Mild-mannered and slightly stiff in bearing and walk, you sense a very different style of leader from his predecessor (Vladimir Putin).

Mr Medvedev's self-confidence is more composed.

His English comprehension is good - he clearly didn't need the interpreter who translated my questions for him.

He gazed inscrutably as he composed his responses and answered calmly and methodically, betraying his lawyer's training.

No impassioned rhetorical flourishes, embellished with earthy language, as Mr Putin was prone to.

It is hard to imagine Mr Medvedev letting loose with such colourful language that the Russian translators would feel obliged to edit out choice phrases.

In the end, though, it was hard to gauge whether he wanted to reassure the West or increase its sense of foreboding.

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And if they did, they probably wouldn't care. From a BBC story about a conflict between Mayans in Guatemala and Canada's Goldcorp over a proposed gold mine in the Central American country.

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From a BBC interview with the likely next president of Pakistan:

Asif Ali Zardari said, in a BBC interview, that the world and Pakistan were losing the war on terror.

"It is an insurgency", he said, "and an ideological war. It is our country and we will defend it.

"The world is losing the war. I think at the moment they (the Taleban) definitely have the upper hand.

"The issue, which is not just a bad case scenario as far as Pakistan is concerned or as Afghanistan is concerned but it is going to be spreading further. The whole world is going to be affected by it."

Also see this Aug. 21 BBC story: Spiral of violence threatens Pakistan.

This guest BBC column by high-profile Pakistani journalist Ahmed Rashid is also worth a read: Pakistan's new stage of struggle.

China's been building more than an Olympic "one world, one dream" legacy these past few years. According to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, the Pentagon estimates China's nuclear weapons inventory has increased by 25 per cent since 2005. It's also developed new delivery systems.

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Say goodnight, Pervez.

An analysis of what just happened in Georgia by the Globe and Mail's Mark MacKinnon, author of The New Cold War. He takes a particular look at Mikhail Saakashvili, Georgia's impetuous president.

Russia has scored a big geopolitical win by slapping tiny Georgia around. Now what?

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Who's telling the truth on the Georgia crisis? Rick Salutin says trust no government.

From the Globe and Mail:

When it comes to foreign policy, Noam Chomsky says, the rule is, all governments lie. There may be exceptions, but not among big powers. Does this mean a nasty retreat to cynicism? It seems counterintuitive to never trust anyone. But governments aren't individuals, they're institutions. You aren't giving up on "people," you're adopting a stand toward public bodies. Start from honest skepticism, and you might get somewhere.

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The Globe and Mail's Marcus Gee argues the West can't abandon Georgia to Russia. I also include some counter-thoughts from author Misha Glenny.

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Lots of useful info in here.

From the Guardian:

Last year Saakashvili paid a reported €500,000 to engage Brussels' Aspect Consulting to brand Georgia as a western wannabe, a Nato and European Union aspirant, emphasising everything from its fabulous food and drink to its liberties and democratic politics.

The PR campaign went into overdrive last week when Georgia found itself on the receiving end of post-Soviet Russia's first ever invasion of another country. Reporters covering the conflict have been showered daily with emails providing news, contact details, mobile phone numbers of officials, video footage, background material, and tele-conference access to Georgians from Saakashvili down. Highly efficient, highly effective, usually punctual. ...

Even the Russians are complaining that their side is losing in the publicity stakes. "You can't fail to notice that Russian leaders are ignoring the opportunity to convey their point of view to the world," wrote the Moscow pundit, Aleksei Arbatov. "Saakashvili is really never off American TV screens. I suspect that if [Russian president] Medvedev decided to talk to foreign journalists, they would, of course, respond."

From the BBC:

Poland has signed a preliminary deal with the US on plans to host part of its new missile defence shield.

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Here's a CTV.ca feature: Georgia conflict marks turning point

A few things of interest that for space's sake, couldn't make it into the story:

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