Heartbreak, Houses and Heineken

‘It wasn’t so bad, I just went to sleep.’ The note scrawled with obvious effort by Martin Toler Jr on an old insurance form as he sat dying along with 11 fellow miners in West Virginia last Tuesday brought some comfort to his family. Along with other relatives they had spent three hours celebrating in the belief that their men had survived the explosion that trapped 13 deep underground. Muffled radio exchanges were blamed for the ‘miscommunication’ but the cruel twist in the unfolding tragedy stripped the dignity from many of the bereaved by exploding their grief into anger.

There was political anger in Ethiopia - the West’s great hope in a troubled continent - as international unease grew over the treatment of hundreds charged for their roles in political protests. The US issued a statement of concern after courts denied bail to 129 opposition leaders, journalists and aid workers who face charges over violence that erupted during protests over the disputed elections in May that returned Prime Minister Meles Zenawi to power.

Romanians may be the next people priced out of their own house market after the country was named the best place for maximum returns on property investment abroad. House prices are expected to soar four-fold in the next 10 years as the economy benefits from Romania’s entry into the EU in 2007. House prices now average £17,000. Poland, not the most obvious destination for a holiday home, was named second on the list, based on economic data from PricewaterhouseCoopers. France and Spain failed to make it into the top 10.

Dutch troops helping earthquake survivors in Pakistan have been complaining. Not about the freezing conditions or the thousands still without proper shelter or medicine, but about the lack of beer. The Dutch authorities imposed an alcohol ban out of respect for the Muslim country - and Spanish and British soldiers have been laughing at them. One of several soldiers to complain in the Dutch daily De Telegraaf said: ‘The Spanish drive around with cars full of Heineken... and the English laugh at us and they show up at our campfire drunk.’

A Dutch defense ministry spokesman: ‘Tens of thousands of people lost their lives and hundreds of thousands lost everything. Going without alcohol is a small sacrifice.’