My Press Review - Tuesday 7 December

South American countries recognize Palestinian state

After initial recognition by Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay follow suit, recognize "free and independent" Palestine with 1967 borders; Israel: recognition contradicts road map.

 

US warns of aid cuts if Sadr bloc takes certain Iraqi ministries

A senior US embassy official made the clearest public statements yet of US determination to try to limit the hardline Sadr movement's influence if it continues to rebuff American overtures.

 

War-crimes probe opened against N. Korea

World leaders focused attention on North Korea on Monday, as an International Criminal Court prosecutor opened a war-crimes investigation into the reclusive country's recent military strikes and as U.S., Japanese and South Korean officials conferred at the State Department.

 

14-year-old boy held over Israel fire

Youth tells police he set fire by accident while smoking a hookah pipe in the forest, a blaze that killed 42 people

 

Yemen diverted US counterrorism aid meant to tackle Al Qaeda, WikiLeaks reveals

A December 2009 cable, published by WikiLeaks, shows that Yemen deployed a US-funded counterterrorism unit to fight domestic rebels instead of Al Qaeda.

 

Assange to be questioned by British police

Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, is expected to appear in a UK court today after his lawyers said he would meet police to discuss a European arrest warrant from Sweden relating to alleged sexual assaults.

 

Violence Feared in Ivory Coast

Protesters burned tires in the streets and residents spoke of arrests by government forces as the standoff between political rivals continued.

 

Karzai's security firm ban U-turn

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has abandoned plans to dissolve private security firms working across the country, the interior ministry says.

 

French court blames Continental Airlines for fatal Concorde crash

A botched and illegal repair by Continental Airlines was the principal cause of the Concorde crash near Paris in July 2000, a French court ruled yesterday.

 

FBI plant banned by mosque – because he was too extreme

The spying game wasn't all it was cracked up to be for Craig Monteilh, a convicted criminal recruited by the FBI to investigate the march of radical Islam into Southern California. His endless talk of violent "jihad" so alarmed worshippers at the local mosque, that they took out a restraining order against him.

 

Somalis hijack cargo ship with 25

Suspected Somali pirates hijacked a Bangladeshi ship carrying nickel ore in the Arabian Sea and appear headed to the lawless East African nation, officials said on Monday

 

GCC Summit Supports UAE Sovereignty Over Iran-occupied Islands

Leaders of six Arab Gulf countries reiterated support to UAE's sovereignty over three islands occupied by Iran since

 

Carla Bruni prayed for a son while at Indian shrine

Carla Bruni prayed to an Islamic saint to help her and her husband conceive a son when they visited a sacred shrine during French President Nicolas Sarkozy's official visit to India.

 

UN climate chief urged to bar Iranian scientist

The US used backstage diplomatic manoeuvres to help block the appointment of a scientist from Iran to a key position on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a leaked diplomatic cable reveals.

 

Google to launch e-book store

Internet search engine giant Google goes head-to-head with Amazon as it fights to write its way into the e-book market.

 

Rich nations accused over £30bn aid

A fresh fault line opened up at the Cancún climate summit today after rich countries were accused of failing to deliver on their promise of $30 billion in aid to countries that will experience the worst ravages of climate change.

 

Qatar Delivers Natural Gas to Dubai

Qatargas has opened a new market for Qatari liquefied natural gas as Dubai Supply Authority (DUSUP) completed

 

India, France ink multibillion nuclear deal

India and France signed a multibillion agreement on Monday to build two nuclear power plants in India as French President Nicolas Sarkozy worked to drum up business for his nation during his four-day visit here.

 

Greece seeks longer loan repayment

IMF team flies in to Athens amid fears over economic recovery and reforms as EU predicts public debt at 160% of GDP by 2013

 

China to Pay Rubles for Timber and Seafood

China wants to pay in rubles for Russian timber, coking coal and seafood, as the two countries seek to boost bilateral trade in national currencies, Russian Central Bank official Viktor Melnikov said Monday.

 

Swiss bank freezes Wikileaks cash

A Swiss bank freezes accounts belonging to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, as a warrant arrives in the UK for his extradition to Sweden.

 

UAE: No Plans to Join GCC Monetary Union, Depeg Dirham to Dollar

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has no intention to join the Monetary Union of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)

 

Spain may extend strike measures

Spain's prime minister says his government may extend an emergency decree it has put in place to end a 24-hour wildcat air traffic controllers' strike.

 

Divorce Soars in Iran, Stirring Fears of Society in Crisis

The divorce rate has tripled, but more surprising is the willingness of women to manipulate the legal system to escape marriages.

 

Palestinian war refugees housed in 'containers'

The apartments are called "containers" or "barracks" and were built to be temporary housing for Palestinian refugees displaced by war more than three years ago. Some are made of concrete. Others are made of tin.

 

Iraq wife in charge or free plea

The wife of a British man held for a year without charge uses the anniversary of his arrest to appeal for help from the UK government.

 

Tito's grandson creates new party

The grandson of the late Communist dictator Josip Broz Tito has set up a new political party, pledging "to restore the dignity of the people" nearly 20 years after former Yugoslavia disintegrated in civil war. Joska Broz yesterday filed the signatures needed for the formal registration of his Communist Party

 

Ancestral routes

An ocean voyage to prove that ancient Austronesians originally came from China has been successfully completed by Hiria Ottino. Zhu Xingxin and Wei Tian report

 

Youth orchestra a ray of hope in Mexico drug war

In one of the world's deadliest cities, where drug gangs murder a dozen people a day, a former heroin addict is changing lives with violins and trumpets rather than assault rifles.

 

Jakarta too crowded? Move it, some say.

Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, lacks the infrastructure to support its huge population. Some say the best way to fix the situation is to move the capital.

 

Kazakhs to relaunch space industry

Kazakhstan is gearing up to relaunch its space industry next year, more than two years after the first satellite sent up by the former Soviet Republic malfunctioned, span out of orbit, and disappeared.

 

Out for the count

Ethnic tensions in oil-rich Kirkuk delay Iraq census

 

Qatar Muslims "should go to Mecca" to avoid World Cup

Muslims in the small Gulf peninsular state of Qatar should go to Mecca for a month if they don't like the idea of being inundated with foreigners at the World Cup in 2022, according to a local religious affairs official.

 

Worst floods in 100 years hit Serbia, Bosnia, Albania, Greece and Montenegro

A hippo escapes from a private zoo in the worst floods in 100 years

 

The disappearing Himalayan glaciers

As glacial melt accelerates, over 2bn people will be affected, say the Asia Society

Posted via email from luay's posterous

What's Happening Today - Monday 6 December

South Korea:

Joint Chiefs of Staff have planned an extensive firing exercise in 29 regions in the waters surrounding South Korea

China:

A total of 42 suspected triad members will appear at one Hong Kong magistrate’s court to face charges of their alleged involvement with the Wo Shing Wo gang.

Malaysia:

Amnesty International releases report on torture by caning in Malaysia.
    
India:

French President Nicholas Sarkozy meets Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Sri Lanka

Supreme Court is expected to give a ruling on the validity of the court martial hearings against failed presidential election candidate and former army general, Sarath Fonseka 

Russia:

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to attend the congress of United Russia party.

Russia:

Anatoliy Yurov's funeral will take place at 10 o'clock at the Mashkinskiy cemetery in Khimki, the latest Russian journalist critical of government to die in mysterious circumstance. (NB Yurov was editor in chief of the opposition newspaper Grazhdanskoye Soglasiye. He had recently appeared on NTV saying how criminalized the town of Khimki was. He had been stabbed at least ten times in recent years)

Iran:

The head of the Tehran University and Medical University Students Basij Organization launches rallies to protest against the US, Israel and the UK in regard to the death of the nuclear scientist Majid Shahryari. Starts with a commemoration ceremony in the university mosque 

UAE:

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) rulers at annual summit (to Dec. 7). Security issues top the agenda, including the threat from the demographic stresses stemming from vast immigration into the GCC countries.

Turkey:

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani starts a four-day visit that includes meetings with both Erodgan and Gul.

Egypt:

Vote counting continues after Sunday's parliamentary elections second round

Egypt: 

Resort of Sharm-al Shaykh's beaches closed indefinitely following shark attack which killed German tourist; previous week four divers seriously injured by sharks; conservationists say may be swimming nearer to shore because of over fishing in Red Sea; attacks raise fears of loss of jobs and income in tourism industry as 3-4m people visit area annually

Israel: 

Watching political developments in wake of massive forest fire in north that killed 41 people; brought under control yesterday after operation involving 20 countries including Turkey; government has been under criticism for its handling of crisis; Shas' spiritual leader Ovadya Yosef has said fire was punishment for breaking Sabbath 

Sudan: 

Voters' register for January 2011 independence referendum prepared to be published 

Sudan:

Technical Brazilian committee is due to arrive in Khartoum, including specialists in the fields of trade, industry and finance, to settle the issue of the Brazilian debt to Sudan.

Tunisia:

A court in Tunisia set to rule in the case of former members of the banned Islamist Renaissance [Ennahda] Movement. Two of the defendants are former political prisoners, Ali El Harabi and Ali Farhat. They were charged with holding an unauthorised meeting, preparing a venue for it, helping to re-establish an illegal group [Ennahda] and raising funds without a licence (another defendent - Ali Ben Oun - who is a student suffering from epilepsy, said he was subjected to severe torture during interrogation at the Ministry of Interior in Tunis)

Algeria: 

Trial of suspected perpetrators of twin suicide attacks against Supreme Court and UN refugee agency office on 11 December 2007, which killed some 41 people; responsibility was claimed by Al-Qa'idah in the Land of the Islamic Maghreb (AQLIM)

Ethiopia: 

UN-sponsored International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA) continues in Addis Ababa (-8); over 10,000 delegates from around world taking part 

South Africa: 

UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP17) continues in Durban (-9); heads of state, government officials, businessmen, others attending 

South Africa: 

Launch of print edition of new national daily newspaper The New Age expected; paper already launched online; owned by Gupta family who are close ANC and President Jacob Zuma allies

Zimbabwe:

President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai expected to hold meeting.

South Africa: 

Trial of alleged murderers of white supremacist and leader of paramilitary Afrikaner Resistance Movement (AWB) Eugene Terreblanche

Ivory Coast: 

Watching developments as former South African President Thabo Mbeki tries to break deadlock caused by incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo and opposition candidate Alassane Ouattara both claiming they won presidential election runoff

Ukraine:

The Ukrainian police dismantle the camp tent in central Kiev again. Protesting businessmen intend to stage another rally over tax.

Belarus:

All-Belarusian People's Meeting held in Minsk ahead of 19 December presidential election; President Alyaksandr Lukashenka expected to report on results of his current term, present programme for re-election 

Belarus:

Naklyayew called on voters to come to his round-the-clock electioneering camp in front of the main entrance into Minsk's central railroad station at 1400 gmt -  the first day of the all-Belarusian people's assembly

Greece: 

Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki begins visit (-7); due to meet senior officials for talks on boosting ties 

Poland:

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is expected to visit Poland, comes after  a Duma resolution described the murder of over 22,000 Polish POWs in the spring of 1940 as a crime of Stalin's regime and the Soviet Union as a totalitarian state.

Serbia:

Serb Republic Investment and Credit Bank to resume issuing mortgages to prospective home-buyers after withdrawing credit for months.

Croatia:

Zagreb court to pass verdict in army truck purchase affair, involving former Defence Minister Roncevic

Switzerland:

European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton, on behalf of UN Security Council and Germany, will hold talks with Iran's nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili on the Islamic state's nuclear programme (to Dec. 7).

Switzerland:

President Dervis Eroglu of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Chrisofias meet ahead of unification talks on 25 January 2011, chaired by Ban Ki-moon

Germany: 

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Chancellor Angela Merkel chair Polish-German intergovernmental consultations in Berlin; EU budget high on agenda; talks start on Monday morning and end in early afternoon

Belgium: 

European Development Days in Brussels (-7); major political discussion forum bringing together current and former heads of state and government from Europe and rest of world, high-level representatives of 
governments, international organisations, NGOs, media and civil society 

Belgium: 

Malaysia-EU free trade agreement talks kick off in Brussels (-9); will include non-trade issues such as environment and sustainable development 

Belgium: 

Eurogroup finance ministers meet for talks Ireland crisis 

Belgium:

Meeting of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) Troika in open format with the COEST Working Party.

France:

A Paris court delivers Concorde verdict after a four-month trial in Pontoise aimed at apportioning blame for the Jul 2000 crash of an Air France Concorde ended in May. (The crash, which killed 113 people, led to the grounding of the plane and ended the era of supersonic jet travel. The ruling could mean a hefty fine for United States carrier Continential Airlines and a suspended sentence for Henri Perrier, regarded as the father of the Concorde programme)

UK:

European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek visits United Kingdom.
    
UN:

ICTY chief prosecutor Serge Brammertz's regular report arrives in UN seat where it will discussed at UNSC session 

Wikileaks: 

Watching for reaction to WikiLeaks latest releases of classified US government material; also following WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange's efforts to keep publishing after several web companies dropped his site citing breach of their rules; in Sweden, prosecutor handling rape allegations against Assange yesterday denied charges politically motivated

US:

District Court begins trial in a lawsuit that questions whether anyone has a trademark or intellectual property right to the "Tea Party" name. Hundreds of groups call themselves part of the Tea Party movement whose name alludes to the 18th century U.S. revolt against tea taxes and British colonial rule. Tea Party is an acronym for the "Taxed Enough Already" party.

US:

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Japanese counterpart Seiji Maehara, South Korea's Kim Sung Hwan meet in Washington to discuss response to North Korea's shelling of South Korean island in November

Mexico: 

UN climate change summit continues in Cancun amid low expectations of significant progress (-10) 

Cuba: 

South African President Jacob Zuma continues visit (-8)

Colombia: 

Watching developments following yesterday's landslide in Medellin that buried up to 200 people

Posted via email from luay's posterous

My Press Review - Monday 6 December

Brazil formally recognises Palestinian statehood

Brazil has been accused of undermining the Middle East peace process after it formally recognised Palestinian statehood in the West Bank and Gaza.

 

Israeli fire under control after four days

Firefighters brought a four-day-old forest fire that killed 41 people under control on Sunday and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government faced calls for officials to be sacked.

 

Homes buried in Colombia landslide

A rescue operation is underway in the Colombian city of Medellin where a number of homes have been buried under tonnes of mud.

 

Court to rule on Concorde crash

The trial reopened old questions over whether European engineers or an American company, Continental Airlines, was responsible for the July 2000 crash of the European jet

 

Iran mining uranium ore ahead of new nuke talks

Iran delivered a resolute message Sunday on the eve of talks with six world powers: We're mining our own uranium now, so forget about stopping our nuclear ambitions.

 

Anger flares in Haiti over elections

Protesters in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince have clashed with police at a demonstration, demanding the annulment of last week's presidential poll.

 

Japan defense plan wary of China's military: report

Japan will identify North Korea as a threat and call China's military activities a concern in a review of its defense policy that will include plans to beef up its ability to cope with Beijing's rise, a newspaper reported on Monday.

 

Barack Obama forced to climb down over tax cuts

Barack Obama is being forced into a climb down on the politically explosive issue of tax cuts for the wealthy, after losing key votes in Congress.

 

Floods force more evacuations in Venezuela

Deadly floods and mudslides caused by torrential rains prompted authorities to evacuate hundreds more Venezuelans from high-risk regions Sunday and stoked fears that voters would abstain from important elections in 11 cities and two state

 

11,000 evacuated from homes in Albanian floods

More than 11,000 people were evacuated from their homes in Albania due to floods that have hit the country in the past week.

 

Regional security tops GCC summit

Security challenges are set to top the agenda in the two-day Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit to be convened today in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) capital of Abu Dhabi.

 

Pakistan orders arrests in Bhutto case

A Pakistani anti-terrorism court has ordered the arrest of two senior police officers on allegations they failed to provide adequate security for former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto before her 2007 assassination, a prosecutor said on Sunday.

 

Kyoto row dims prospects at UN talks

Clashes between rich and developing nations over the future of the Kyoto Protocol for fighting global warming clouded UN climate talks on Saturday despite glimmers of progress in some areas.

UN to Start Uranium Bank

The United Nations atomic agency won approval to start a uranium bank backed by billionaire investor Warren Buffett and intended to assure states that supplies of the metal used in power reactors won’t be cut off.

 

Government Allocates $10Bln for World Cup

The federal budget will supply 300 billion rubles ($9.6 billion) of funding for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, excluding airports and roads, Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said Friday. Experts say some of that funding will help accelerate regional development.

 

Egypt to produce 12 tons of gold in 2011

Egypt will be producing 12 tons of gold by next year,

 

OSCE Fails to Gain Powers

Unresolved conflicts across the former Soviet Union thwarted attempts by Europe's main security watchdog to adopt new powers Friday, sending world leaders home empty-handed from the first OSCE summit in more than a decade.

 

Bangladesh ship seized off India

A Bangladeshi-flagged ship is thought to have been seized by pirates off southern India, say shipping officials

 

The last days of Silvio Berlusconi

Correspondents in Italy are dusting off the black armbands: we may have little more than one more week left in which to kick Silvio Berlusconi around. As predicted in this space back in August, the Italian prime minister’s former right-hand man, the post-Fascist leader Gianfranco Fini, who has been feuding with his old chief for most of the year, is now poised to plunge in the dagger.

 

Time to pull at the roots of sea piracy

Sitting in a Chinese restaurant enjoying some midday refreshment, Andrew Mwangura could have been mistaken for just another middle-aged Kenyan worn out by work.

A Web Site for Literary Teenagers

Figment.com, created by former staff members of The New Yorker, gives teenagers a chance to show what they’re reading and writing.

 

 

 

Posted via email from luay's posterous

What's Happening Today - Sunday 5 December

Wikileaks: 

Further secret documents to be released by whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks; China is new focus of disclosures

Hong Kong:

Protest march demanding release of Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo expected.

Thailand:

Nation celebrates 83th birthday of King Bhumipol; major festive events

India: 

French President Nicholas Sarkozy visits (-7); scheduled to meet Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today

Afghanistan:

Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gillani wraps up two-day visit to Afghanistan at the invitation of President Hamed Karzai.

Turkmenistan: 

Local elections 

Iraq:

Baghdad has postponed again holding first full census since '87. Iraq's first complete census in 23 years is expected to determine how many Iraqis live abroad and how many have been forced to move within Iraq in seven years of war.

Turkey:

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visits Turkey (to Dec. 6). Abbas is scheduled to meet with Turkish President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to discuss the latest developments in the region as well as stalled peace talks with Israel.

Bahrain: 

Regional security summit Manama Dialogue concludes 

Israel:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to convene weekly meeting of his cabinet.

Egypt: 

Second round of parliamentary election; main opposition parties boycott poll alleging first round on 28 November was rigged

Ethiopia: 

Addis Ababa hosts UN-sponsored International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA); over 10,000 delegates from around world participate (-8) 

South Africa: 

UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP17) continues in Durban; heads of state, government officials, businessmen, others in attendance (-9)

Ivory Coast: 

Watching developments as the African Union (AU) is sending former South African president Thabo Mbeki to negotiate a solution to the conflict caused by the disputed presidential vote 

Poland:

2nd round of municipal elections.

Kosovo: 

Campaigning for 12 December snap parliamentary election begins

Mexico: 

UN climate change summit continues in Cancun amid low expectations of significant progress (-10)

Posted via email from luay's posterous

My Press Review - Sunday 5 December

Too easy

Egypt's ruling party set to win embarrassing victory

 

Drug addiction blights Punjab in India

There is growing concern in India about the rapid rise in drug addiction cases in Punjab, one of its wealthiest states.

 

Nuclear fuel bank represents an outlet for crisis

Bahrain's Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid Bin Ahmad Al-Khalifa asserted that the US proposal for

 

Egypt set to vote amid fraud row

Egypt's ruling party are set to dominate a second round of parliamentary elections, a week after the first round was condemned for alleged fraud.

 

EU hesitant over Kyoto extension

The European Union is still hesitating over whether to extend the Kyoto Protocol after its first commitment period expires in 2012, while environmentalists are trying to save the only global carbon reduction regime.

 

Thabo Mbeki to mediate Ivory Coast poll row

Former South African President Thabo Mbeki was due to arrive in Ivory Coast on Sunday to help mediate a dispute over an election meant to resolve a decade of conflict, but which looks increasingly likely to worsen it.

 

2 Oaths of Office Taken in Ivory Coast

A political standoff sharpened as two rival candidates declared themselves president, even as thick plumes of smoke rose over the city from protesters burning tires.

  

Ecuador volcano spews ash and gas

Ecuador is evacuating people from towns and villages around the Tungurahua volcano after a rapid increase in seismic activity on Saturday.

 

Cantona calls for mass bank protest

Former football star Eric Cantona has urged the public to express their anger with the banks by simultaneously withdrawing their funds on Tuesday.

 

The roof falls in on Millionaires Row

In 2007 Shrewsbury Road in Dublin was the sixth most expensive street in the world. Now, post-crash, homes have been abandoned and the tycoon residents have run for the hills

 

Spanish controllers return to work

The Spanish government declared a "state of alarm" yesterday for the first time in three decades, assuming sweeping powers that allowed the military to take control of the country's airspace and order Spain's striking air traffic controllers to work or face prison.

  

Mine-clearing work in Karkamış nears completion

Work to clear mines at the ancient site of Karkamış, located in Gaziantep province and bordering Syria, is nearing completion, according to a statement from a local culture and tourism official.

 

Brazil army to stay in Rio slums

Brazilian soldiers deployed to some of Rio de Janeiro's most violent neighbourhoods during an operation aimed at driving out drug-traffickers are to take on peacekeeping duties there.

 

Q&A: Why only 51 percent of Israelis support equal rights for Arab minority

A survey released this week showed stark views of the country's Arab minority, whose growing presence is challenging Israel's claim to being 'Jewish and democratic.'

 

Fortress Europe's busiest frontier is awash with illegal immigrants - despite mines, forest and razorwire

The European Union has sent a special frontier force to tackle the thousands of illegal immigrants crossing its busiest border, near Orestiada in Greece.

 

Walking again

Robotic legs helping stroke patients recover

 

Liam Neeson angers Narnia fans by suggesting Aslan is Mohammed

Aslan could be Mohammed or Buddha, according to Liam Neeson.

 

Armenians of Ukraine concerned over Ukrainian-Turkish history textbooks

National Congress of Armenians of Ukraine appealed to Ukrainian Education and Science Minister Dmitry Tabachnik expressing concern over publication of joint Ukrainian-Turkish manual for history teachers

War machines: recruiting combat robots

War would be a lot safer, the United States Army says, if only more of it were fought by robots.

 

The covert war against nuclear Iran

Sophisticated cyber-worms, motorcycling assassins: but who is behind the increasingly sinister campaign against the Iranian energy programme?

Posted via email from luay's posterous

My Press Review - Thursday 2 December

U.S. medic pleads guilty to firing on unarmed Afghans

A U.S. Army medic pleaded guilty on Wednesday to assaulting unarmed Afghan farmers and other charges in the first court-martial among 12 soldiers accused of terrorizing civilians and colleagues.

 

Tense time

Flawed elections leave Haiti in political limbo

 

European police on alert for Assange

WikiLeaks was on the defensive on several fronts Wednesday, scrambling to remain on the Internet and post more U.S. diplomatic documents while its fugitive founder Julian Assange was targeted by a European arrest warrant on Swedish rape charges

 

Japan derails climate talks by refusing to renew Kyoto treaty

The world's climate negotiations in Cancun were faced with deadlock at their outset yesterday after Japan insisted it would not agree to renewing the Kyoto Protocol, the current treaty under which rich countries are cutting their emissions of greenhouse gases.

 

Powell joins push on nuclear pact

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell presses the US Senate quickly to ratify a new nuclear arms treaty with Russia.

 

Next protest on eve of fees vote

NUS calls on students to rally once more over tuition fees as further cracks appear in coalition ranks

 

Settlement stalls talks

China has called on Israel to immediately stop all settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territories in order to revive the peace talks between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

 

Putin warns West over missile defense

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin told CNN television that Russia would deploy nuclear weapons and “strike forces” if it were shut out of a Western missile shield, adding punch to a warning from President Dmitry Medvedev.

 

Egypt's opposition pulls out of poll

Muslim Brotherhood and Wafd party to boycott run-off ballot after initial figures show NDP took 97% of seats in Sunday's poll

 

World Cup Odds: Here's Who Will Likely Be Awarded 2018 and 2022

If they say a week's a long time in politics then it's surely an eternity when it comes to the machinations involved in landing a coveted World Cup in soccer

 

Moldova wants Russian troops removed from Transdniestria

Moldova wants Russian military property and troops to be removed from Transdniestria as soon as possible, Moldova's Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Osipov said.

 

Cuba launches debate on economy

Cuba launches a public debate on plans to transform its socialist economy, saying everyone should be able to voice opinions on the future of the country.

 

 

Dubai Holding Commercial Operations Group - Possible Downgrade Continues

The refinancing negotiations between Dubai Holding Commercial Operations Group LLC (DHCOG) and three banks

 

Portugal's borrowing costs jump

Buyers at today's auction of government debt demanded a much higher rate of return – 5.3% from 4.8% two weeks ago

 

Spanish woman claims ownership of the sun

A Spanish woman claims she has become the legal owner of the Sun after registering it as her property with a local notary and now plans to charge those who use it.

 

Kabul to move to five-day week

Kabul has moved to a five-day week in a radical step to protect residents from the city's toxic smog.

 

Urban tree planting plan launched

A £4.2m scheme to plant a million trees in urban areas over the next four years has been unveiled by the government.

 

'Egg home' hatches online enthusiasm

With the average home in the capital selling for 19,548 yuan a meter in November, a tiny mobile home built by a 24-year-old office worker is creating a stir online.

 

South Africa mines plagued by neglect

Mawethu Mguli and hundreds of other workers at the gold mine in Orkney have gone months without pay at a time when gold is going for around $1,400 an ounce.

 

Greek Orthodox Patriarchate gears up to ask Ankara for return of more properties

As the return of the Büyükada Orphanage to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate was completed this week, the patriarchate's attorneys have begun a similar process for the return of other buildings that belong to foundations of Turkey's Greek minority.

 

Armenian community of Turkey appeals to elect its patriarch

Turkey’s Armenian community has collected approximately 5,000 signatures in order to have the right to elect its patriarch following the appointment of a patriarchal vicar general as the current patriarch is permanently ill.

Posted via email from luay's posterous

What's Happening Today - Thursday 2 December

Wikileaks: 

Further secret documents to be released by whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks; Russia expected to be focus of disclosures 

Australia: 

Federal Police chair fourth Virtual Global Taskforce (VGT) conference of international law enforcement agencies to discuss combating online child exploitation, in Sydney; Microsoft, Fujitsu and Australia's Telstra supporting event, bringing together representatives from industry, academia, government, non-government agencies (-3) 

Japan:

The Defence Ministry holds an international security symposium to discuss the regional security situation following the sinking of South Korea's "Cheonan" frigate earlier this year.
    
China: 

North Korean Supreme People's Assembly Chairman Choe Tae Bok continues visit to meet Wu Bangguo, chairman of Standing Committee of the National People's Congress; likely to discuss developments on Korean Peninsula (-4)

South Korea:

Russia's deputy nuclear envoy Grigoriy Logvinov meets South Korea's chief nuclear envoy Wi Sung-lac, deputies Kim Yong-gyun, Jo Hyon-dong; expected to discuss North Korea's shelling of South's Yeonpyeong Island, stalled six-party nuclear talks 

Singapore:

The 12th Western Pacific Congress on Chemotherapy and Infectious Diseases (to Dec. 5).
    
India:

Gaza-bound convoy leaves New Delhi by land in bid to break Israeli blockade on 27 December; involves some 500 activists from 17 Asian countries

Kyrgyzstan:

Programme and composition of the government decided,  the candidacies for the posts of the speaker and the prime minister will be submitted for the parliament's approval

Kazakhstan: 

Second and final day of Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) summit in Astana; Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev, Georgia's Mikheil Saakashvili, Azerbaijan's Ilham Aliyev, Armenia's Serzh Sargsyan, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton among attendees; last such meeting held in 1999

Kazakhstan: 

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton heads to Kyrgyzstan from Astana to meet Interim President Roza Otunbayeva before travelling on to Uzbekistan to meet President Islom Karimov; Clinton's Central Asia, Middle East tour concludes in Bahrain (-3)

Iran

Vice-President and Head of the Environmental Protection Organization Mohammadizadeh announced public holiday due to air pollution once again

Iran:

A Tajik parliamentary delegation led by the chairman of the Assembly of Representatives of the Supreme Assembly of Tajikistan, Shukurjon Zuhurov, wraps up visit.

Kuwait:

Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki continues  for last day at the head of a politico-economic delegation to attend the two day the International Donors and Investors Conference for East Sudan

Turkey:

IMF delegation to visit Ankara for talks as part of its post-programme monitoring process (to Dec. 9).

West Bank:

Zionists warn that they will break into Al-Aqsa Mosque 

Djibouti:

A two-day meeting between high-level government officials from Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia and Yemen organized draws to a close, after tackling many challenges posed by mixed migration flows in the Horn of 
Africa.

Sudan:

Umar Al Bashir will address the regular meeting of the Consultative Council of the National Congress Party 

Sudan:

The Qatari minister of state in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ahmad Bin-Abdallah Al Mahmud, and the AU-UN joint mediator, Djibril Bassole, wrap up visit to Khartoum and Darfour.

Southern Sudan:

The presidency meeting on Abyei tentatively takes place in Juba

Algeria: 

US-Maghreb business conference in Algiers concludes; postponed from September 

Ethiopia:

Parliament is due to endorse the government's five-year growth and transformation plan.

Guinea: 

Supreme Court verdict on disputed votes, final results of presidential poll expected to be published; many city residents have travelled to rural areas ahead of announcement; provisional results of run-off were followed by violence; state of emergency was declared on 17 November

South Africa: 

UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP17) continues in Durban; heads of state, government officials, businessmen, others in attendance (-9)

DR Congo: 

African, Caribbean, Pacific, EU parliamentarians begin joint assembly in Kinshasa (-4) 

Ukraine: 

Syrian President Bashar al-Asad visits to meet counterpart Viktor Yanukovych, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov; likely to discuss prospects for economic co-operation, energy projects 

Ukraine:

Rally in Kiev's Independence Square calling for dismissal of cabinet officials preparing new tax code; tax code was vetoed by President Yanukovych following earlier demonstrations 

Poland:

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou delivers a speech to gathering of European socialist parties. 0530 GMT.

Finland:

Prime Minister Mari Kiviniemi to give a speech at the autumn meeting of the Federation of Finnish Technology Industries (1800).
 
Austria:

IAEA Board of Governors meet (to Dec. 3).
    
Switzerland:

Announcement of 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup hosts.

Switzerland: 

World Trade Organization Policy Review Body to look at Hong Kong, China trade relations (-3) 

Kosovo: 

Campaigning for 12 December snap parliamentary election (-10) 

Belgium: 

EU justice, interior ministers meet to discuss common asylum, immigration policy, cooperation in fight against terrorism, organized crime, judicial cooperation 

Belgium:

EU transport ministers meet to review air cargo security.

UK:

Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa visits London

US:

House of Representatives expected to vote on a measure that would allow income tax rates to rise for the wealthiest 2 percent of US households.

US:

President Barack Obama to hold talks with newly elected state governors at the White House.
    
Bolivia: 

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero visits and meets President Evo Morales.

Peru: 

Russian-Peruvian commission on trade and economic, scientific and technical cooperation, fishery convenes for the first time in 22 years; Russian side headed by Federal Fisheries Agency Director Andrey Krayniy

Posted via email from luay's posterous