Free Republic

A couple of weeks ago I heard the National Symphony Orchestra perform Dmitri Shostakovich's symphony commemorating war and revolution, his Symphony No. 11. There was not much lyricism to it, not even a dulcet tune one could whistle while leaving the symphony hall. It was ominous rumbling and groaning, the tympani madly thundering away. Nonetheless, it was very affecting. After all, the 1957 work commemorated Russia's events on the road to the Bolshevik Revolution. Rumble on. Rumble on. Last week, I saw a documentary of recent events and became overwhelmed with similar rumbling and groaning from the movie's soundtrack. It...

Caribbean-based mobile operator Digicel is expanding again -- this time the Denis O'Brien-owned firm has rolled out operations in Haiti, with an investment of over US$130 million. The investment is reportedly the largest corporate investment ever made in troubled Haiti by an international company. The launch of Digicel Haiti follows the completion of Digicel's purchase of Bouygues Telecom Caraibe on Tuesday. The firm currently has operations in 20 Caribbean countries and has invested USD1 billion in the region since its launch in 2001. Digicel expects its current staff of more than 1,500 to increase 33 percent by 2007.