2. The world is certainly going through terrible times. Greece is bankrupt and Spain, Portugal and Italy are doing badly in their finances. Britain is also going through a depressed economy with scandals plaguing their most respected banks.

3. Everywhere in Europe there are demonstrations by unemployed people. A lot of blame is directed at the capitalist system and the income gap between rich and poor. The latest trend is to “occupy” the main centers of capitalistic activities such as Wall Street in New York and HSBC bank in Hong Kong. This also happened in Australia.

2. The Italian coast is rocky but is green with shrubs and dotted with picturesque villas reaching from the beaches right up to the peaks.

3. Invisible from the sea, sturdy narrow tarred roads not only connect all the little coastal and hilltop towns but also all the villas and hotels. The roads make sharp hairpin bends as they ascend the steep hillsides at times projecting out from the cliffs. Italian drivers are as good as F1 drivers, negotiating these bend skilfully, passing the vehicles, including busses coming from the opposite direction with barely any space between them. Throughout several days of being driven along these narrow, sharply curved roads and steep cliffs I did not see a single accident.

2. I don’t know whether people understand what a cartel is. The dictionary defines cartel as an association of competing firms formed to fix price.

3. The Malaysian Government was never a member of any association with anyone to fix tin price. All we did was to appoint a Swiss firm Mark Rich to do the trading for us.

2. Sebagai Perdana Menteri dahulu saya diberi banyak gelaran. Mahazalim, Firaun, diktator adalah antara gelaran yang dicipta oleh musuh politik saya.

3. Apabila saya ditemuramah sekarang, walaupun oleh orang yang tidak bermusuh dengan saya, soalan-soalan mereka ternampak yang mereka agak percaya bahawa gelaran terutama gelaran diktator yang diberi kepada saya adalah tepat dan berasas kepada kepercayaan bahawa saya adalah seorang diktator.

2. This time I read in the papers that the United States clears more from sanctions (including Malaysia). The reason for this considerateness is because these countries have cut back on oil from Iran.

3. The apologists for the United States will say that the United States have every right to apply sanctions against any country.

2. Actually Mahathirism died when Dato Seri (Tun) Abdullah took over from me in 2003. He changed UMNO, the BN and the Government so much that they no longer resemble the institutions I used to know. I had to resign from UMNO.

3. Najib is more friendly but he is not that close to me. He has his own team of advisors. His policies are his own. So why fear Mahathirism. It is dead and gone.

2. Saya diberitahu tidak ada kemungkinan Barisan Nasional menang di Kelantan kerana penduduk Kelantan begitu taksub dengan Nik Aziz. Demikianlah ketaksuban ini sehingga apa sahaja yang didakwa olehnya berkenaan agama Islam maka orang Kelantan akan menerimanya bulat-bulat sebagai benar dan menepati ajaran Islam.

3. Kata orang ini, tidak ada gunanya ulama lain atau Mufti menolak dan menidakkan dakwaan Nik Aziz, orang Kelantan tetap akan percaya pendapatnya juga. Jika ada yang ragu sekalipun, mereka tidak akan menyatakan keraguan mereka.

2. I feel extremely sad and depressed. There is a war in Syria and Syrians are killing Syrians in the most terrible way.

3. If the reports are to be believed the Government of Syria headed by Bashar Asaad is killing Syrians in order to remain in power.

2. Several countries of Europe are actually going bankrupt. Greece is bankrupt. Now Spain is practically in recession. Reports indicate that Portugal and Italy are also in deep financial trouble. Even the UK and France are in trouble.

3. Where did they go wrong? It is important to know the reasons for their decline because we who are fond of copying the Europeans might be going the same way.

2. Take KLCC. The twin towers were once without partners. Now the garden area is completely surrounded by high-rise hotels, condos and officers.

3. It is the same with the railway station. It is now hidden by a palisade of hotels, offices and apartments.