WESTERN EUROPE
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has condemned the record-breaking rise in anti-Semitic incidents last year. The Community Security Trust in Britan has
attributed the unprecedented increase in anti-Jewish incidents to extreme reactions to the conflict in Gaza.
Meanwhile in the wake of the proceedings of the Iraq inquiry in the UK the leader of Plaid Cymru's MPs has claimed possession of a memo allegedly showing that Tony Blair and George Bush struck a secret deal to invade Iraq a year before the 2003 war. Meanwhile campaigners have attacked a deal struck by UK defence contractor BAE Systems to end inquiries into its affairs. The firm is to admit two criminal charges and pay fines of £286m ($447m) to settle US and UK investigations.
Last week French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel brushed off President Barack Obama's decision not to attend an annual summit with European leaders, while stressing the importance of Russia as a European partner.
At the economic front Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou has announced tough austerity measures aimed at cutting his country's soaring public debt, amidst a grave financial crisis. Meanwhile Portugal's opposition-led parliament has passed a bill on regional finance, turning down a mooted government austerity plan.
SOUTH-EAST EUROPE
Romania has agreed to host missile interceptors as part of a new US defence shield. The new system would provide better defence from "the emerging threat" of Iranian short- and medium-range missiles
Last week the peacekeeping force KFOR in Kosovo, made up of troops from 32 countries, downsized from 14,000 to 10,000 troops. The downsizing is being implemented in accordance with a NATO decision from July 2009 amid improving security and the strengthening of local institutions.
According to a report given by US National Intelligence Director Dennis Blair to the US Senate, events in the Balkans will remain the main challenge facing European stability in 2010.
Last week, the Constitutional Court in Tirana decided that an agreement on the Greek-Albanian border delineation violates the constitution and must be renegotiated. Meanwhile the Albania President Bamir Topi has agreed to assume the role of mediator between the government and the opposition to end the ongoing political crisis.
Twelve opposition parties led by the Social Democratic Alliance of Macedonia formed a bloc last week, aimed at changing the balance of power in domestic politics.
RUSSIA
Russia, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan will reportedly be kept apart in the draw for the qualifying tournament for the 2012 European Championship, ensuring the former war foes will not play against each other in the qualifying stages.
Public criticism of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin by the speaker of the country's Upper House of Parliament has prompted members of Mr. Putin's political party to demand the lawmaker's dismissal. Sergei Mironov, who is number three in the Russian power structure, has responded with a call for respect of minority rights in parliament
According to a senior Russian legislator the first major U.S.-Russian nuclear arms control treaty in nearly two decades will be ready for signing by the end of March this year. Meanwhile last week Russia hailed a new agreement with the United States intended to boost joint anti-drug efforts, but urged the U.S. and NATO to do more to stem a flow of drugs from Afghanistan
At the economic front First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov announced that the Russian government will step up its privatization program this year, considering more share sales than previously announced.
US/CANADA
The US Fedral Budget cites the projected deficit in the coming year at nearly 11 percent of the country’s entire economic output. Meanwhile according to projections, American deficits will not return to what are widely considered sustainable levels over the next 10 years. Also the US unemployment rate unexpectedly fell in January, to its lowest level in five months.
Finance ministers and central bankers from the Group of Seven major industrial countries met last week to settle differences on global banking industry changes.
LATIN AMERICA
In the midst of the domestic political confrontation Argentina’s central bank President Martin Redrado resigned last week after a standoff with the government over its plan to use $6.6 billion in reserves to pay debt due this year. An Argentine congressional committee has backed President Cristina Fernandez's firing of former Central Bank chief Martin Redrado.
Meanwhile Argentina is to issue its “most energetic protest against the imminent start of drilling” near the Falkland Islands archipelago, according to a ministry e-mailed statement. Falkland Oil & Gas and partner BHP Billiton Ltd. expect to begin drilling in their Toroa offshore field in April.
Brazilian Cabinet Chief Dilma Rousseff surged in a presidential poll taken in January as voters become increasingly aware that she’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s chosen heir to lead the country.
Meanwhile a $17 billion project on the Xingu River in the northern state of Para is expected to help the fast-growing Latin American country cope with soaring demand for electricity but has raised concern about its impact on the environment and native Indians.
Ousted Honduran president Zelaya last week left the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa, where he had taken refuge since Sept. 21, 2009, and arrived in the Dominican Republic accompanied by his family and aides.
Mexico City's mayor says he will defend the capital's gay-marriage law and insists the ordinance will take effect in March despite an appeal by federal prosecutors. The law is a first for Latin America.
Meanwhile Twitter access in Mexico may soon be restricted if plans by the Mexican Revolutionary Democratic Party to restrict Twitter usage in an attempt to cut down on crime become law. From sharing the location of drunk driving checkpoints to more serious usage of Twitter by drug cartels, they believes that restricting access to Twitter will help reduce crime and create a “cybernetic police force” that will help in all areas of crime reduction.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez warned on last week that he may quicken his drive to build a socialist state, as he shuffled his cabinet amid opposition demonstrations sparked by closure of a television station. In the same line Venezuelan Socialists denounced the violent protests launched by the opposition to ‘destabilize Venezuela’, where two young people died and dozens have been injured. Meanwhile the Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) slammed the Venezuelan government for dropping six cable TV channels, which triggered the protest.
The government of the Netherlands recently granted the US military use of its islands in the Caribbean, under the pretext of help in the “war against drugs”, however it has been deemed as a direct threat to the Chavez government in Venezuela.
AUSTRALASIA
An Australian firm has signed a $60bn (AUS$69bn; £38bn) deal to supply coal to Chinese power stations. §
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has condemned the record-breaking rise in anti-Semitic incidents last year. The Community Security Trust in Britan has
attributed the unprecedented increase in anti-Jewish incidents to extreme reactions to the conflict in Gaza.Meanwhile in the wake of the proceedings of the Iraq inquiry in the UK the leader of Plaid Cymru's MPs has claimed possession of a memo allegedly showing that Tony Blair and George Bush struck a secret deal to invade Iraq a year before the 2003 war. Meanwhile campaigners have attacked a deal struck by UK defence contractor BAE Systems to end inquiries into its affairs. The firm is to admit two criminal charges and pay fines of £286m ($447m) to settle US and UK investigations.
Last week French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel brushed off President Barack Obama's decision not to attend an annual summit with European leaders, while stressing the importance of Russia as a European partner.
At the economic front Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou has announced tough austerity measures aimed at cutting his country's soaring public debt, amidst a grave financial crisis. Meanwhile Portugal's opposition-led parliament has passed a bill on regional finance, turning down a mooted government austerity plan.
SOUTH-EAST EUROPE
Romania has agreed to host missile interceptors as part of a new US defence shield. The new system would provide better defence from "the emerging threat" of Iranian short- and medium-range missiles
Last week the peacekeeping force KFOR in Kosovo, made up of troops from 32 countries, downsized from 14,000 to 10,000 troops. The downsizing is being implemented in accordance with a NATO decision from July 2009 amid improving security and the strengthening of local institutions.
According to a report given by US National Intelligence Director Dennis Blair to the US Senate, events in the Balkans will remain the main challenge facing European stability in 2010.
Last week, the Constitutional Court in Tirana decided that an agreement on the Greek-Albanian border delineation violates the constitution and must be renegotiated. Meanwhile the Albania President Bamir Topi has agreed to assume the role of mediator between the government and the opposition to end the ongoing political crisis.
Twelve opposition parties led by the Social Democratic Alliance of Macedonia formed a bloc last week, aimed at changing the balance of power in domestic politics.
RUSSIA
Russia, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan will reportedly be kept apart in the draw for the qualifying tournament for the 2012 European Championship, ensuring the former war foes will not play against each other in the qualifying stages.
Public criticism of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin by the speaker of the country's Upper House of Parliament has prompted members of Mr. Putin's political party to demand the lawmaker's dismissal. Sergei Mironov, who is number three in the Russian power structure, has responded with a call for respect of minority rights in parliament
According to a senior Russian legislator the first major U.S.-Russian nuclear arms control treaty in nearly two decades will be ready for signing by the end of March this year. Meanwhile last week Russia hailed a new agreement with the United States intended to boost joint anti-drug efforts, but urged the U.S. and NATO to do more to stem a flow of drugs from Afghanistan
At the economic front First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov announced that the Russian government will step up its privatization program this year, considering more share sales than previously announced.
US/CANADA
The US Fedral Budget cites the projected deficit in the coming year at nearly 11 percent of the country’s entire economic output. Meanwhile according to projections, American deficits will not return to what are widely considered sustainable levels over the next 10 years. Also the US unemployment rate unexpectedly fell in January, to its lowest level in five months.
Finance ministers and central bankers from the Group of Seven major industrial countries met last week to settle differences on global banking industry changes.
LATIN AMERICA
In the midst of the domestic political confrontation Argentina’s central bank President Martin Redrado resigned last week after a standoff with the government over its plan to use $6.6 billion in reserves to pay debt due this year. An Argentine congressional committee has backed President Cristina Fernandez's firing of former Central Bank chief Martin Redrado.
Meanwhile Argentina is to issue its “most energetic protest against the imminent start of drilling” near the Falkland Islands archipelago, according to a ministry e-mailed statement. Falkland Oil & Gas and partner BHP Billiton Ltd. expect to begin drilling in their Toroa offshore field in April.
Brazilian Cabinet Chief Dilma Rousseff surged in a presidential poll taken in January as voters become increasingly aware that she’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s chosen heir to lead the country.
Meanwhile a $17 billion project on the Xingu River in the northern state of Para is expected to help the fast-growing Latin American country cope with soaring demand for electricity but has raised concern about its impact on the environment and native Indians.
Ousted Honduran president Zelaya last week left the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa, where he had taken refuge since Sept. 21, 2009, and arrived in the Dominican Republic accompanied by his family and aides.
Mexico City's mayor says he will defend the capital's gay-marriage law and insists the ordinance will take effect in March despite an appeal by federal prosecutors. The law is a first for Latin America.
Meanwhile Twitter access in Mexico may soon be restricted if plans by the Mexican Revolutionary Democratic Party to restrict Twitter usage in an attempt to cut down on crime become law. From sharing the location of drunk driving checkpoints to more serious usage of Twitter by drug cartels, they believes that restricting access to Twitter will help reduce crime and create a “cybernetic police force” that will help in all areas of crime reduction.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez warned on last week that he may quicken his drive to build a socialist state, as he shuffled his cabinet amid opposition demonstrations sparked by closure of a television station. In the same line Venezuelan Socialists denounced the violent protests launched by the opposition to ‘destabilize Venezuela’, where two young people died and dozens have been injured. Meanwhile the Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) slammed the Venezuelan government for dropping six cable TV channels, which triggered the protest.
The government of the Netherlands recently granted the US military use of its islands in the Caribbean, under the pretext of help in the “war against drugs”, however it has been deemed as a direct threat to the Chavez government in Venezuela.
AUSTRALASIA
An Australian firm has signed a $60bn (AUS$69bn; £38bn) deal to supply coal to Chinese power stations. §
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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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