WESTERN EUROPE
A new poll shows that German Chancellor Angela Merkel's new center-
right government faces wide public dissatisfaction after a stumbling start that has been dominated by squabbling over planned tax cuts. Meanwhile according to an official estimation German retail sales fell by around 2.0 percent in 2009 from the previous year, as consumption fared better.
France wants to speed up the way it prosecutes genocide and crimes against humanity, creating a special investigative unit in a Paris court as more suspects allegedly linked to Rwanda's genocide are turning up in the country. Meanwhile government ministers, intellectuals and activists clashed this week over whether to set quotas to ensure more low-income students attend a handful of "grandes ecoles," university-level institutions seen as the country's premier path to prosperity and power.
In the UK two former Labour Cabinet members sent a letter to fellow Labour lawmakers calling for a secret ballot on Brown's leadership, a challenge that exposed a badly divided party months before a national election that polls predict it will lose.
Meanwhile the debate over the use of full body scanners continues in Britain where human rights activists are rallying against the technology already being experimented at Manchester Airport. European nations are divided over the issue while the United States, Britain and the Netherlands have already announced plans to install the scanners amid growing worldwide security concerns.
Residents of an Italian town beat with iron bars, shot at and ran over immigrants, wounding nine, in a second night of racially charged violence. The clashes in the southern town of Rosarno, which erupted last week during a protest by mainly African farm laborers, have injured 18 policemen and 19 foreigners in two days.
Portugal's parliament passed a bill last week that would make the predominantly Catholic nation the sixth in Europe to permit gay marriage.
The current holder of the rotating EU presidency Spain has said that Greece should not expect a bailout from the 27-nation bloc and must instead deal with its ailing finances itself. Meanwhile promising to pursue a new deal on global warming through the Group of 20, Herman van Rompuy, the new EU president, said halting global warming remains a key target for the Europeans whose proposal for ambitious pollution cuts by 2020 found no takers at the December climate conference in Copenhagen.
In a sharply worded statement China warned the Swiss government last week against accepting two Guantanamo inmates belonging to its ethnic minority Uighurs, calling them terrorist suspects who should face Chinese justice.
SOUTH-EAST EUROPE
The Serbian government has announced (December 31st) its decision
to file a lawsuit against Croatia at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), claiming that war crimes were committed against Croatia's ethnic Serb population between 1991 and 1995.
A new regional structure for Serbia became effective on Friday (January 1st), under which the country will be divided into seven statistical units -- Belgrade, Eastern, Western, Central, Southern and the regions Vojvodina and Kosovo and Metohija. Also Serbia took over the chairmanship of the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) for 2010. The agreement, which was signed on December 19th, 2006, unites Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Montenegro, Croatia, Moldova, Macedonia and Albania.
Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) became one of the five new non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for 2010-2011, replacing Croatia as a representative of Southeast European countries over the next two years. The remaining four new members are Brazil, Lebanon, Gabon and Nigeria.
Meanwhile (BiH) High Representative Valentin Inzko has warned that a referendum proposed by the Republika Srpska (RS) government is not within the entity's constitutional authority and violates the Dayton Peace Agreement.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has alleged that the Balkans are "the next destination" for al-Qaeda and other Islamic extremist groups, pointing specifically to areas populated by Bosnians and Albanians.
Kosovo’s President Fatmir Sejdiu has asked EULEX (European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo) and the International Civilian Office (ICO) to support authorities in their efforts to dissolve parallel Serb structures in the country.
US/CANADA
Last week’s drone attacks along the Pakistan-Afghan border resulted in deaths of seven CIA employees. The deaths are being perceived as a severe blow to the expertise of the CIA.
Meanwhile Hundreds of law enforcement officers are being trained as federal air marshals to ramp up security in the aftermath of the near-catastrophic attempt to blow up an airliner on Christmas Day. Also the most recent estimates of released terror suspects from Guantanamo returning to the fight are about one in five, a revelation which is expected to stroke an already fierce debate.
The Obama administration is gearing up for a fresh attempt to re-launch stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks after the effort hit a dead end last year. In a flurry of meetings in Washington and in European capitals this week and next, senior administration officials will explore new approaches to bringing the two sides together.
In Canada the Liberal Party has signaled it would not try to topple the
minority Conservative government, despite Prime Minister Stephen Harper's unpopular decision to have Parliament suspended until early March. Meanwhile the recovery in Canada's job market stalled in December as employers unexpectedly cut 2,600 jobs after hefty hiring in November; another sign that the economic revival will be sluggish rather than in leaps and bounds.
LATIN AMERICA
Argentina's government plans construction of a pipeline that would allow more imports of natural gas from Bolivia taking it up to around 27.7 million cubic meters per day.
President Lula da Silva’s advocacy of truth commission to investigate human rights crimes committed by Brazil’s military government (1964 to 1985) has been strongly opposed by the nation’s military leaders. Brazilian officials announced plans to create the commission late last year, noting that Chile and its President Michelle Bachelet had set an example for other South American nations to follow.
A new poll shows that German Chancellor Angela Merkel's new center-
right government faces wide public dissatisfaction after a stumbling start that has been dominated by squabbling over planned tax cuts. Meanwhile according to an official estimation German retail sales fell by around 2.0 percent in 2009 from the previous year, as consumption fared better.France wants to speed up the way it prosecutes genocide and crimes against humanity, creating a special investigative unit in a Paris court as more suspects allegedly linked to Rwanda's genocide are turning up in the country. Meanwhile government ministers, intellectuals and activists clashed this week over whether to set quotas to ensure more low-income students attend a handful of "grandes ecoles," university-level institutions seen as the country's premier path to prosperity and power.
In the UK two former Labour Cabinet members sent a letter to fellow Labour lawmakers calling for a secret ballot on Brown's leadership, a challenge that exposed a badly divided party months before a national election that polls predict it will lose.
Meanwhile the debate over the use of full body scanners continues in Britain where human rights activists are rallying against the technology already being experimented at Manchester Airport. European nations are divided over the issue while the United States, Britain and the Netherlands have already announced plans to install the scanners amid growing worldwide security concerns.
Residents of an Italian town beat with iron bars, shot at and ran over immigrants, wounding nine, in a second night of racially charged violence. The clashes in the southern town of Rosarno, which erupted last week during a protest by mainly African farm laborers, have injured 18 policemen and 19 foreigners in two days.
Portugal's parliament passed a bill last week that would make the predominantly Catholic nation the sixth in Europe to permit gay marriage.
The current holder of the rotating EU presidency Spain has said that Greece should not expect a bailout from the 27-nation bloc and must instead deal with its ailing finances itself. Meanwhile promising to pursue a new deal on global warming through the Group of 20, Herman van Rompuy, the new EU president, said halting global warming remains a key target for the Europeans whose proposal for ambitious pollution cuts by 2020 found no takers at the December climate conference in Copenhagen.
In a sharply worded statement China warned the Swiss government last week against accepting two Guantanamo inmates belonging to its ethnic minority Uighurs, calling them terrorist suspects who should face Chinese justice.
SOUTH-EAST EUROPE
The Serbian government has announced (December 31st) its decision
to file a lawsuit against Croatia at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), claiming that war crimes were committed against Croatia's ethnic Serb population between 1991 and 1995.A new regional structure for Serbia became effective on Friday (January 1st), under which the country will be divided into seven statistical units -- Belgrade, Eastern, Western, Central, Southern and the regions Vojvodina and Kosovo and Metohija. Also Serbia took over the chairmanship of the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) for 2010. The agreement, which was signed on December 19th, 2006, unites Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Montenegro, Croatia, Moldova, Macedonia and Albania.
Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) became one of the five new non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for 2010-2011, replacing Croatia as a representative of Southeast European countries over the next two years. The remaining four new members are Brazil, Lebanon, Gabon and Nigeria.
Meanwhile (BiH) High Representative Valentin Inzko has warned that a referendum proposed by the Republika Srpska (RS) government is not within the entity's constitutional authority and violates the Dayton Peace Agreement.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has alleged that the Balkans are "the next destination" for al-Qaeda and other Islamic extremist groups, pointing specifically to areas populated by Bosnians and Albanians.
Kosovo’s President Fatmir Sejdiu has asked EULEX (European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo) and the International Civilian Office (ICO) to support authorities in their efforts to dissolve parallel Serb structures in the country.
US/CANADA
Last week’s drone attacks along the Pakistan-Afghan border resulted in deaths of seven CIA employees. The deaths are being perceived as a severe blow to the expertise of the CIA.
Meanwhile Hundreds of law enforcement officers are being trained as federal air marshals to ramp up security in the aftermath of the near-catastrophic attempt to blow up an airliner on Christmas Day. Also the most recent estimates of released terror suspects from Guantanamo returning to the fight are about one in five, a revelation which is expected to stroke an already fierce debate.
The Obama administration is gearing up for a fresh attempt to re-launch stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks after the effort hit a dead end last year. In a flurry of meetings in Washington and in European capitals this week and next, senior administration officials will explore new approaches to bringing the two sides together.
In Canada the Liberal Party has signaled it would not try to topple the
minority Conservative government, despite Prime Minister Stephen Harper's unpopular decision to have Parliament suspended until early March. Meanwhile the recovery in Canada's job market stalled in December as employers unexpectedly cut 2,600 jobs after hefty hiring in November; another sign that the economic revival will be sluggish rather than in leaps and bounds.LATIN AMERICA
Argentina's government plans construction of a pipeline that would allow more imports of natural gas from Bolivia taking it up to around 27.7 million cubic meters per day.President Lula da Silva’s advocacy of truth commission to investigate human rights crimes committed by Brazil’s military government (1964 to 1985) has been strongly opposed by the nation’s military leaders. Brazilian officials announced plans to create the commission late last year, noting that Chile and its President Michelle Bachelet had set an example for other South American nations to follow.
At least 19 people have died in Brazil after flooding caused by heavy rain.
Turkey and Brazil have agreed to implement together an action plan for strategic partnership in the wake of Turkey-Brazil relations having improved significantly over the last years in both regional as well as global issues. Meanwhile according to the Industry and Trade Ministry Brazil's exports plunged by 22 percent in 2009, after a full decade of record growth, to hit $152 billion (R1.114 trillion). Also the Brazilian government has announced a goal to cut carbon intensity up to 38.9pc by 2020. The cut will be measured against Brazil's average annual emissions between 1996 and 2005.
In Mexico the capture of a reputed kingpin following the death of his brother has knocked out most of a brutal drug trafficking dynasty after a crackdown on corruption stripped the Beltran Leyva cartel of many snitches within security forces.
In the meanwhile Mexico has announced plans for improvement of its government-funded health insurance to cover 10.3 million people, or almost one in every 10, by the end of 2009.
Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen has dismissed as unfounded Venezuela's latest statement accusing the Netherlands of helping the United States prepare an attack from its islands in the Caribbean. Also the Venezuelan government has rejected statements by Peruvian President Alan García, according to which the Bolivian President Evo Morales is verbally attacking Peru following instructions of President Hugo Chávez.
Meanwhile Oil-rich Venezuela has ushered in 2010 with new measures rationing electricity use in mal
ls, businesses and billboards, as Hugo Chavez's government aims to save power amid a crippling drought, a move that business leaders warned could worsen Venezuela's economic recession.
Rafael Antonio Caldera, who helped establish democracy in Venezuela, went on to serve two terms as president and issued the pardon that allowed Hugo Chavez to rise to power, died on Dec. 24, 2009, at age 93. §
Turkey and Brazil have agreed to implement together an action plan for strategic partnership in the wake of Turkey-Brazil relations having improved significantly over the last years in both regional as well as global issues. Meanwhile according to the Industry and Trade Ministry Brazil's exports plunged by 22 percent in 2009, after a full decade of record growth, to hit $152 billion (R1.114 trillion). Also the Brazilian government has announced a goal to cut carbon intensity up to 38.9pc by 2020. The cut will be measured against Brazil's average annual emissions between 1996 and 2005.
In Mexico the capture of a reputed kingpin following the death of his brother has knocked out most of a brutal drug trafficking dynasty after a crackdown on corruption stripped the Beltran Leyva cartel of many snitches within security forces.
In the meanwhile Mexico has announced plans for improvement of its government-funded health insurance to cover 10.3 million people, or almost one in every 10, by the end of 2009.
Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen has dismissed as unfounded Venezuela's latest statement accusing the Netherlands of helping the United States prepare an attack from its islands in the Caribbean. Also the Venezuelan government has rejected statements by Peruvian President Alan García, according to which the Bolivian President Evo Morales is verbally attacking Peru following instructions of President Hugo Chávez.
Meanwhile Oil-rich Venezuela has ushered in 2010 with new measures rationing electricity use in mal
ls, businesses and billboards, as Hugo Chavez's government aims to save power amid a crippling drought, a move that business leaders warned could worsen Venezuela's economic recession.Rafael Antonio Caldera, who helped establish democracy in Venezuela, went on to serve two terms as president and issued the pardon that allowed Hugo Chavez to rise to power, died on Dec. 24, 2009, at age 93. §
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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.
Please Preview your comments before posting.
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.
Please Preview your comments before posting.
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