W# 90- Dated 17th – 24th Oct. 09’
POLITICAL FRONT
The U.S will soon be going for another population census, a decade event that counts the number of legal American citizens. Meanwhile some Republicans have cautioned that the next census should add citizenship questions that will help filter illegal from legal citizens and will help reduce more U.S spending on illegal immigrants. However civil right and Latino groups have questioned the essence of such citizenship rules while questioning its potential to inflame anti-immigration frenzy in next elections.
Senator John Kerry is moving to another level of his political career as he has become a broad based adviser to president Obama on both domestic and foreign issues.
Two polls on Thursday put Canada's governing Conservatives well ahead of their nea
rest opposition, but one showed their support slipping back from what they would need to form a majority government. The Ekos polling firm said the Conservatives, led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, were 11.2 % points ahead of the second-place Liberals in popular support. A week ago, it showed a 15-point advantage.
A French prosecutor recommended Tuesday that former Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin be convicted for his alleged role in a smear campaign against President Nicolas Sarkozy, arguing he should have put an end to rumours swirling about his rival. Prosecutor Jean-Claude Marin called for an 18-month suspended sentence and a fine of euro 45,000 ($67,370) for Villepin, one of several defendants in the complex slander trial that has rocked the country's political establishment.
According to a poll conducted by YouGov survey for The Daily Telegraph after the controversial BBC debate including Nick Griffin a member of the far right British National Party, nearly a quarter of adults would consider voting for them.
The Germans have finally given their mandates to Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats giving her a second term along with their Bavarian-only sister party Christian Social Union and the pro-business Free Democrats forming a new coalition government. The newly formed government aims at overhauling the country's health care system, an increase in child subsidies and future tax cuts.
Political tension in Honduras continues as parties deliberating political peace in the country have yet again failed to reach a conclusion.
According to Luis Vicente Leon a pollster based in Caracas, Venezuela Hugo Chavez’s popularity has slid in monthly tracking polls from a high of 61 % after winning a vote in February to 52.8 % last month.
In the trend involving premiers’ worldwide seeking longer terms in office, following the Honduran episode, Leftist Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega has recently won the right to seek re-election in 2011, though opponents have decried the decision as illegal.
The newly elected Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou believes the economy is on a bad track and his government is willing to redirect the bearing of the economy for the better.
Southeast Europe Politics
Serbian President Boris Tadic said his country will stay clear from interfering in the forthcoming talk between the U.S-EU and Bosnia. Macedonia has acknowledged the sovereignty of the newly created state of Kosovo, paving the way for relieving the tension between the ethnic Albanian-Macedonians and the government within Macedonia and fostering bilateral relations between Kosovo and Macedonia, following the recent settlement of their border dispute. Though a positive development at the governmental level both the opposition in Macedonia and ethnic Albanians in Kosovo have condemned the border settlement as giving out more than expected.
Recent European Commission’s report shows progress in Macedonia preceding the Macedonia EU integration talks, however many issues remain with EU discouraging a referendum to solving Macedonia-Greece border issue.
As Kosovo prepares for November 15th municipal election, political leaders of major parties announced that their partnership will remain unshaken. The election process is being seen as a major test, following last year's independence declaration.
Political misgiving between the Albanian ruling government and major opposition Socialist party remains unresolved. The latter still rejects the June election’s result and as such will be boycotting the forthcoming November local election. Meanwhile Brussels is seeking early resolution hastening Albania progress for EU integration.
The Romanian National Liberal Party (PNL) introduced a bill to the parliament this week aiming at downsizing parliament to 316 from 471 representatives for the sake of greater representation and reduced government spending.
ECONOMIC FRONT
Obama said last week in his weekly radio and Internet address that Banks should return the favor in the recent controversial taxpayer-financed bailout, by lending more money to small businesses. Although some aspects of the U.S economy are witnessing a recovery yet unemployment remains at a high. The US Congress too under the new Consumer Financial Protection Agency aims at regulating popular financial products like mortgages, credit cards and savings accounts.
Several months back ‘Buy America’ product policy caused a fray between Canada and U.S, now both Canada and Mexico are demanding the WTO to curtail U.S in reversing its policy of Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) rules -- requiring meat sold in U.S. stores to show which country it comes from. According to the two plaintiffs the policy is damaging North American trade. The United States however maintains that labeling requirements are in line with WTO rules.
The UK economy is still plagued by the recession, an issue expected to effect the next election in the country. While cutting tax and reducing the economic tension on most Germans and company owners was one of the major campaign jiggles that returned German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her coalition partner to power.
The Russian president approved aid to Serbia worth billion of dollars that will further tighten the two nations’ ties and pave way for Serbia’s economic recovery.
Powerful financial institutions in Europe have agreed to foster economic and infrastructural development in western Balkan under the auspices of Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF). The main objective of the agreement is to secure grant and credit financing for priority projects in the Western Balkans, particularly in the infrastructure sector. The EIB, the CEB and the EBRD have committed to securing one billion euros in loans for the region.
SOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN FRONT
According to a French media monitoring group, media freedom in the United States has improved during the Obama’s administration, while Iranian press freedom sours particularly in the wake of its recent post election saga. Meanwhile Denmark, Finland and Ireland remain top three media free countries, while Eritrea, North Korea and Turkmenistan stays at the bottom as three most media closed countries.
According to anti-terrorist law London, UK will now have armed policemen, a development that irks the likings of many Londoners.
The Vatican has recently included conservative Anglicans to become Catholics, aggravating doctrinal differences within the sect; however it is criticized for infringing.
The ICJ is trying former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic who is insisting that Holbrooke promised him in 1996 that the UN tribunal would leave him alone if he resigned from power. Croatia too arrested seven war crime suspects who are due to be tried. The UN too is demanding that Serbia capture and deliver the two remaining war crimes fugitives Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic to its tribunal at the earliest.
In Australia a Muslim cleric has been condemned by the government for hate lanced messages sent to families of Australian soldiers deceased in Iraq. The prime minister said he would consider whether Australia's immigration laws should be changed to allow citizenship to be revoked in such cases.
The insinuation of the Australian Treasury Secretary Ken Henry that it might be difficult for the country to shoulder the responsibility of its population come 2049 when the population would have surged from its present 22 million to 35 million was shrugged off by the Prime Minister Kelvin Rudd.
FOOD, ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY FRONT
The world is set for the December Copenhagen, Denmark summit aimed at redrafting a new global climate policy in lieu of Kyoto draft that has faced many setbacks. In the meanwhile in the U.S the Obama administration battles with certain elements of the country, condemning his plan to combat global warming, based on economic arguments.
The IAEA hopes that Iran will finally concur with the recent draft on its nuclear programme which seems to enjoy greater acceptance by all stake holders.
According to the World Health Organization, Swine flu is now responsible for 5000 deaths. Despite the development of vaccines acute shortage is still an issue.
Keeping pace with the demand of the global climate, Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay have agreed to establish protected zones in the vast Atlantic Forest as part of an effort to halt deforestation by 2020.
The Serbian government intervened in northern Kosovo, a Serb dominated area, as the region lacked electricity for many months, a development the Kosovo government said was due to lack of electricity bill payment.
GEO-STRATEGIC FRONT
The latest development in the protracted visa issue between Canada and Czech Republic has drawn warning from the EU threatening retaliatory measures. Checking the massive influx of Czech visitors in the country, Canada has imposed its restrictions.
In the meanwhile the EU and U.S have finalized an agreement on extradition for terror suspects under the condition that the latter will not impose death penalty on suspects extradited from the EU.
The Australian government is eager to chalk out a plan for the withdrawal of its 1550 troops from Afghanistan. However Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Australia would withdraw its forces from Uruzgan, Afghanistan only after training the army brigade, local police and civil administration, meanwhile the opposition has accused the government of planning an early exit from the war torn region.
Albania and Bosnia are part of the Western Balkan countries vying for the EU visa liberalization scheme that will allow Albanians and Bosnians to travel visa-free across Europe. While in the same vein, Turkey recently ended visa fee for Albanian, a development Albanian PM dubbed as lifting of a psychological barrier.
Obama-led government scrapped the protracted missile programme projected for Eastern Europe however according to media report Bulgaria and Romania are two places the Americans might be building their military bases for the revamped plan. The visit of U.S vice president to Romania has triggered this speculation.
Reburying Mother Teresa, born to an ethnic Albanian family in Macedonia, in her native land on the behest of the Albanian government resulted in tension between India and Albania. Leveling down the tempo Albanian government has retracted its request.
The U.S will soon be going for another population census, a decade event that counts the number of legal American citizens. Meanwhile some Republicans have cautioned that the next census should add citizenship questions that will help filter illegal from legal citizens and will help reduce more U.S spending on illegal immigrants. However civil right and Latino groups have questioned the essence of such citizenship rules while questioning its potential to inflame anti-immigration frenzy in next elections.
Senator John Kerry is moving to another level of his political career as he has become a broad based adviser to president Obama on both domestic and foreign issues.
Two polls on Thursday put Canada's governing Conservatives well ahead of their nea
rest opposition, but one showed their support slipping back from what they would need to form a majority government. The Ekos polling firm said the Conservatives, led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, were 11.2 % points ahead of the second-place Liberals in popular support. A week ago, it showed a 15-point advantage.A French prosecutor recommended Tuesday that former Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin be convicted for his alleged role in a smear campaign against President Nicolas Sarkozy, arguing he should have put an end to rumours swirling about his rival. Prosecutor Jean-Claude Marin called for an 18-month suspended sentence and a fine of euro 45,000 ($67,370) for Villepin, one of several defendants in the complex slander trial that has rocked the country's political establishment.
According to a poll conducted by YouGov survey for The Daily Telegraph after the controversial BBC debate including Nick Griffin a member of the far right British National Party, nearly a quarter of adults would consider voting for them.
The Germans have finally given their mandates to Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats giving her a second term along with their Bavarian-only sister party Christian Social Union and the pro-business Free Democrats forming a new coalition government. The newly formed government aims at overhauling the country's health care system, an increase in child subsidies and future tax cuts.
Political tension in Honduras continues as parties deliberating political peace in the country have yet again failed to reach a conclusion.
According to Luis Vicente Leon a pollster based in Caracas, Venezuela Hugo Chavez’s popularity has slid in monthly tracking polls from a high of 61 % after winning a vote in February to 52.8 % last month.
In the trend involving premiers’ worldwide seeking longer terms in office, following the Honduran episode, Leftist Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega has recently won the right to seek re-election in 2011, though opponents have decried the decision as illegal.
The newly elected Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou believes the economy is on a bad track and his government is willing to redirect the bearing of the economy for the better.
Southeast Europe Politics
Serbian President Boris Tadic said his country will stay clear from interfering in the forthcoming talk between the U.S-EU and Bosnia. Macedonia has acknowledged the sovereignty of the newly created state of Kosovo, paving the way for relieving the tension between the ethnic Albanian-Macedonians and the government within Macedonia and fostering bilateral relations between Kosovo and Macedonia, following the recent settlement of their border dispute. Though a positive development at the governmental level both the opposition in Macedonia and ethnic Albanians in Kosovo have condemned the border settlement as giving out more than expected.
Recent European Commission’s report shows progress in Macedonia preceding the Macedonia EU integration talks, however many issues remain with EU discouraging a referendum to solving Macedonia-Greece border issue.
As Kosovo prepares for November 15th municipal election, political leaders of major parties announced that their partnership will remain unshaken. The election process is being seen as a major test, following last year's independence declaration.
Political misgiving between the Albanian ruling government and major opposition Socialist party remains unresolved. The latter still rejects the June election’s result and as such will be boycotting the forthcoming November local election. Meanwhile Brussels is seeking early resolution hastening Albania progress for EU integration.
The Romanian National Liberal Party (PNL) introduced a bill to the parliament this week aiming at downsizing parliament to 316 from 471 representatives for the sake of greater representation and reduced government spending.
ECONOMIC FRONT
Obama said last week in his weekly radio and Internet address that Banks should return the favor in the recent controversial taxpayer-financed bailout, by lending more money to small businesses. Although some aspects of the U.S economy are witnessing a recovery yet unemployment remains at a high. The US Congress too under the new Consumer Financial Protection Agency aims at regulating popular financial products like mortgages, credit cards and savings accounts.
Several months back ‘Buy America’ product policy caused a fray between Canada and U.S, now both Canada and Mexico are demanding the WTO to curtail U.S in reversing its policy of Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) rules -- requiring meat sold in U.S. stores to show which country it comes from. According to the two plaintiffs the policy is damaging North American trade. The United States however maintains that labeling requirements are in line with WTO rules.
The UK economy is still plagued by the recession, an issue expected to effect the next election in the country. While cutting tax and reducing the economic tension on most Germans and company owners was one of the major campaign jiggles that returned German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her coalition partner to power.
The Russian president approved aid to Serbia worth billion of dollars that will further tighten the two nations’ ties and pave way for Serbia’s economic recovery.
Powerful financial institutions in Europe have agreed to foster economic and infrastructural development in western Balkan under the auspices of Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF). The main objective of the agreement is to secure grant and credit financing for priority projects in the Western Balkans, particularly in the infrastructure sector. The EIB, the CEB and the EBRD have committed to securing one billion euros in loans for the region.
SOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN FRONT
According to a French media monitoring group, media freedom in the United States has improved during the Obama’s administration, while Iranian press freedom sours particularly in the wake of its recent post election saga. Meanwhile Denmark, Finland and Ireland remain top three media free countries, while Eritrea, North Korea and Turkmenistan stays at the bottom as three most media closed countries.
According to anti-terrorist law London, UK will now have armed policemen, a development that irks the likings of many Londoners.
The Vatican has recently included conservative Anglicans to become Catholics, aggravating doctrinal differences within the sect; however it is criticized for infringing.
The ICJ is trying former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic who is insisting that Holbrooke promised him in 1996 that the UN tribunal would leave him alone if he resigned from power. Croatia too arrested seven war crime suspects who are due to be tried. The UN too is demanding that Serbia capture and deliver the two remaining war crimes fugitives Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic to its tribunal at the earliest.
In Australia a Muslim cleric has been condemned by the government for hate lanced messages sent to families of Australian soldiers deceased in Iraq. The prime minister said he would consider whether Australia's immigration laws should be changed to allow citizenship to be revoked in such cases.
The insinuation of the Australian Treasury Secretary Ken Henry that it might be difficult for the country to shoulder the responsibility of its population come 2049 when the population would have surged from its present 22 million to 35 million was shrugged off by the Prime Minister Kelvin Rudd.
FOOD, ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY FRONT
The world is set for the December Copenhagen, Denmark summit aimed at redrafting a new global climate policy in lieu of Kyoto draft that has faced many setbacks. In the meanwhile in the U.S the Obama administration battles with certain elements of the country, condemning his plan to combat global warming, based on economic arguments.
The IAEA hopes that Iran will finally concur with the recent draft on its nuclear programme which seems to enjoy greater acceptance by all stake holders.
According to the World Health Organization, Swine flu is now responsible for 5000 deaths. Despite the development of vaccines acute shortage is still an issue.
Keeping pace with the demand of the global climate, Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay have agreed to establish protected zones in the vast Atlantic Forest as part of an effort to halt deforestation by 2020.
The Serbian government intervened in northern Kosovo, a Serb dominated area, as the region lacked electricity for many months, a development the Kosovo government said was due to lack of electricity bill payment.
GEO-STRATEGIC FRONT
The latest development in the protracted visa issue between Canada and Czech Republic has drawn warning from the EU threatening retaliatory measures. Checking the massive influx of Czech visitors in the country, Canada has imposed its restrictions.
In the meanwhile the EU and U.S have finalized an agreement on extradition for terror suspects under the condition that the latter will not impose death penalty on suspects extradited from the EU.
The Australian government is eager to chalk out a plan for the withdrawal of its 1550 troops from Afghanistan. However Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Australia would withdraw its forces from Uruzgan, Afghanistan only after training the army brigade, local police and civil administration, meanwhile the opposition has accused the government of planning an early exit from the war torn region.
Albania and Bosnia are part of the Western Balkan countries vying for the EU visa liberalization scheme that will allow Albanians and Bosnians to travel visa-free across Europe. While in the same vein, Turkey recently ended visa fee for Albanian, a development Albanian PM dubbed as lifting of a psychological barrier.
Obama-led government scrapped the protracted missile programme projected for Eastern Europe however according to media report Bulgaria and Romania are two places the Americans might be building their military bases for the revamped plan. The visit of U.S vice president to Romania has triggered this speculation.
Reburying Mother Teresa, born to an ethnic Albanian family in Macedonia, in her native land on the behest of the Albanian government resulted in tension between India and Albania. Leveling down the tempo Albanian government has retracted its request.
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Business and Politics in the Muslim World (BPM)refers to the project entitled, "Globalized Business and Politics: A View from the Muslim World.' The blog development project has been undertaken and jointly developed by the Gilani Research Foundation and BPM as a free resource and social discussion tool.
Business and Politics in the Muslim World (BPM)refers to the project entitled, "Globalized Business and Politics: A View from the Muslim World.' The blog development project has been undertaken and jointly developed by the Gilani Research Foundation and BPM as a free resource and social discussion tool.
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