Torch in Space

A three-man crew successfully blasted off into space with the Olympic torch yesterday, ready to take it on its first space walk in what they said would be a spectacular showcase for the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi. Japan's Koichi Wakata pumped the air with his fist as the Soyuz rocket, painted with snowflake patterns, took off on a crisp morning, an onboard camera showed. The crew sat beneath a stuffed polar bear wrapped in a blue scarf. The space flight is part of what will be the longest torch relay before a Winter Olympics, which President Vladimir Putin hopes will boost Russia's image and show what it can achieve, more than two decades after the Soviet Union collapsed. One should remember that Putin has a long way to go before he can become the best leader he can be. So far, the only good thing post-Soviet Russia has achieved under Putin is granting Edward Snowden asylum (that's right, even America has its downsides). Putin could score some more cool points as a leader by admitting and correcting his recent mistakes, and he can start by repealing that stupid gay propaganda law, letting Americans adopt Russian kids again, and freeing Pussy Riot. In other news, Marvel Comics have introduced a gladly welcomed dash of diversity into their ranks by relaunching the character Ms. Marvel as a 16-year-old girl of Pakistani-American heritage. The comic will centre on 16-year-old Kamela Khan, a Muslim schoolgirl living in New Jersey who is coming to terms with teenage angst, strict traditionalist parents, and her newly discovered super powers. So to sum it up, Kamela Khan will assume the identity of Ms Marvel when she faces up to criminals in the latest comic series, which is due out early next year.