Archive for June, 2009

Transparency International’s French chapter singled out Gabone’s Bongo, who died this month at 73 after ruling his country for 41 years, for a spectacular misappropriation of state funds. The lawsuit, lodged via civil party petition, charges Bongo, Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Congo, and Teodoro Obiang of Equatorial Guinea of acquiring vast patrimonies in… »

The demonstrations in Tehran lost steam after Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for them to end and security forces asserted themselves. the real struggle in Iran has not yet been settled, nor was it ever about the liberalization of the regime. Rather, it has been about the role of the clergy — particularly… »

A region with historically fragile democratic practices ought to care about the potentially deadly consequences of sharp economic downturns for democratic regimes, consequences that are well established empirically. Inter-war Europe comes to mind. Hence, engaging in some reflection about the political aspects of the current conjuncture in Latin America seems… »

Sri Lanka’s judiciary is failing to protect constitutional and human rights. Rather than assuaging conflict, the courts have corroded the rule of law and worsened ethnic tensions. Rather than constraining militarisation and protecting minority rights, a politicised bench under the just-retired chief justice has entrenched favoured allies, punished foes and blocked compromises with the Tamil… »

Japan has concluded science and technology agreements with 42 different countries, but a mere 16.7% of these are with developing nations in Asia, Latin America, and Africa-a percentage that is far outstripped by the corresponding percentages for the US (48.6%), Germany (37.9%), and France (48.1%). In regional terms as well, a mere 11.9% of the… »

La Suède et la Russie sont deux voisins proches aux relations compliquées. Les deux pays entretiennent des rapports politiques stables et accroissent leurs échanges économiques et culturels, surtout au niveau régional. Cependant, ils cultivent depuis longtemps une méfiance réciproque et leurs approches de la démocratie et des droits de l’homme divergent significativement. En outre, la… »

(PDF) – The recently launched European Union (E.U.) mission EUNAVFOR SOMALIA (‘Operation Atalanta’) to fight piracy off the Somali coast and ensure the protection of a key E.U. Sea Line of Communication (S.L.o.C.) is a vivid example of the coming of age of European Security and Defence Policy (E.S.D.P.). While such a development should be… »

The events in Iran – the second major popular rebellion there in the past 30 years – accentuate the relative quiescence in the Arab world, but this is not for lack of grievances among Arabs. The same pressures and indignities that annoy many Iranians and push them to openly challenge their rulers are prevalent throughout… »

As troubling for Moscow, Chinese-Russian trade remains seriously imbalanced. Russian exports to China consist overwhelmingly of commodities, while China sells mostly consumer goods and other higher-value products to Russia. Lower global prices for Russian raw materials and the declining Chinese purchases of Russian high-technology goods resulted in a $13.5-billion Russian trade deficit with China last… »

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) released Self-Made Cities, the first comprehensive study of the phenomenon of informal settlements in the region. Self-Made Cities estimates that more than 50 million people, in over 15 countries, live in informal settlements in the UNECE region as a whole. Residents in informal settlements cannot fulfil… »

The less credible the U.S. deterrent, the more likely other states are to seek… »

Two weeks after the elections, it seems that the Iranian regime has managed to suppress the protest movement. This report examines the reasons for the waning of this… »

Russia faces four distinct but interlinked crises, two of which are international in origin and two of which are indigenous. On the international side, the worldwide collapse in economic activity and the resulting decline in commodity prices have robbed the Russian economy of demand and natural resource rents. Second, the global credit crunch has deprived… »

Colombia’s Foreign Minister Jaime Bermúdez discusses Colombia’s role in the Western Hemisphere and its bilateral relationship with the United… »

The economic and demographic transition of countries from poverty to prosperity has been a driving force of history over the past two centuries, and is set to remain so for the remainder of the century. In the decades ahead, development and demographics will drive two profound changes in Australia’s strategic environment. First, emerging countries like… »

In 2007 the Club of Rome has presented the DESERTIC Concept, the realisation of which would combine the huge potentials of wind power in north-west Europe and solar power in the Sahara by a super-grid connection.As a first concrete step towards what will become the biggest ever energy venture in Europe and North Africa, 20… »

Russian gas giant Gazprom clinched a deal Monday to buy natural gas from ex-Soviet Azerbaijan, as Moscow seeks to extend its grip on potential European energy supplies in the resource-rich Caspian… »

Sri Lanka’s army is to establish an ethnic Tamil regiment for the first time, the minister for national… »

Honduras came under pressure on Monday to reinstate ousted President Manuel Zelaya as many Latin American leaders agreed to withdraw envoys, Washington said the ouster was illegal and protesters took to the… »

Immensely rich in oil and gas, the Niger Delta is the cornerstone of Nigeria’s economy, but the southern region is a nightmare for both the authorities and its poor… »

Zimbabwe’s former opposition party said Monday it would boycott the next Cabinet meeting and was considering disengaging from a troubled, four-month-old unity government with President Robert… »

Four Central Asian nations agreed on Monday to secure some 800 million tonnes of radioactive and toxic uranium waste sludge that could be used to make a “dirty” radiological bomb, a UN agency… »

Throughout the crisis, China has continued to buy dollar assets, although its total reserves have leveled. China will have to choose between controlling its exchange rate or controlling its dollar… »

As part of a strategy by Israel to improve relations with moderate, secular countries of the Islamic world, President Shimon Peres is visiting Azerbaijan on June 28. In the first trip by an Israeli head of state to Azerbaijan, Peres will hold talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and other officials. Azerbaijan is of key… »

Balkan nations, despite their commitments to the Central European Free Trade Agreement, are engaged in a tit-for-tat protectionist trade war, much of which has political… »

Most commentary on the regional reaction to Iran’s postelection strife divides Arabs into pro-Iranian and pro-American camps, a simplistic division that misses a key distinction. At the official or semiofficial level, Arab reaction to Iran’s current travail is divided into three, not two, main parts: the usual handful of pro-Iranian-government actors (Syria, Hizballah, and Qatar);… »

Albania’s general election, widely seen as a key test in view of the country’s EU aspirations, went relatively smoothly on Sunday (28 June), with early exit polls giving Prime Minister Sali Berisha’s Democratic Party a clear lead over the opposition… »

IEA calls oil and natural gas outlook very uncertain as economic crisis hits markets: Oil prices may be rebounding; Gas demand dips for first time in 50… »

On Monday, Uribe again arrives at the White House. But this time he will encounter an administration pushing to expand its alliances in Latin America and increasingly worried about Colombia’s dismal human rights record. Obama administration officials declined interview requests to discuss policy toward Colombia, a country that has received nearly $6 billion in mostly… »

How and when did they start, why are they spreading, what are the concerns and should anything be done about… »

From the beginning of the H1N1 swine flu outbreak, the WHO’s decisions and pronouncements have been far from reassuring. Most flu and public health experts consider the WHO to have been overly alarmist, and that their decision during the week of April 27 to raise the pandemic flu threat to the penultimate level, Phase 5,… »

Russian energy super-giant Gazprom has taken severe blows in the still-deepening recession, and the worst setbacks have happened in its most profitable market – the European… »

The accelerating pace of climate change, increasing competition over resources, and new territorial claims demand that greater attention be paid to the Arctic. As the most immediate and serious threat to the region, minimizing the environmental impact of climate change and resource development must be the top priority, according to a report from the Carnegie… »

With troops massed on the Somali border and heavy artillery being moved into position, Kenya appears ready to join – if necessary – the Ethiopians in an armed intervention in… »

The U.S. State Department has picked an official to help carry out President Barack Obama’s strategy of reaching out to Muslims around the world — but chose not to formally announce the… »

Megacities are an extreme product of the urbanization process that is shaping the planet. Rather than merely concentrating on the negative effects – like poverty and slums – the three scientists draw attention to the new opportunities that megacities equally provide. For example, the more people are living in one space, the faster and more… »

Left-wing Latin American leaders have declared their support for Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, who was ousted in an army coup on… »

North Korea’s most recent provocative and belligerent actions have pushed Japanese defense policy in the direction of more hard-liner posture. In response to North Korea’s second nuclear weapon test and subsequent launch of three short-range missiles on 25 May 2009, the Japanese government requested an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting to condemn Pyongyang, as was… »

Once again, Russia today finds itself beset by depopulation: that is, by an absolute decline in total numbers. Such a circumstance, unfortunately, is not exactly new for Russia. This current national population drop, in fact, is the fourth such episode witnessed in Russia over the past… »

The roundup of around 40 alleged Israeli agents in Lebanon in recent weeks has in all probability been a serious blow for Israeli intelligence at a time when its longtime adversary, Hezbollah, is bracing for another onslaught by the Jewish… »

Most of the attention given to India’s big defense modernization program, valued at more than $50 billion, has focused on the $11-billion fighter jet contract that New Delhi is looking to sign. However, concerned by the threat from the seas, especially in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks in November, India has been looking… »

Mystery continues to surround Hezbollah’s alleged links to the seventeen suspects arrested on drug trafficking charges on the Dutch Caribbean island of Curacao on April 28. According to Curacaon authorities, approximately 250 law enforcement officials took down a major drug trafficking and money laundering ring led by a criminal network that shipped and sold… »

One of India’s most successful technology entrepreneurs was tapped by the government on Thursday to lead an ambitious project to give every citizen an identification card within three… »

A top Russian drugs official said on Friday Moscow should stop the transport of cargo across its territory to U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan if they do not do more to cut the flow of heroin to… »

Italian authorities are set to expel to Syria one of the Palestinians who hijacked the Achille Lauro cruise ship and killed an American passenger in… »

Russian and American negotiating teams have been regularly meeting and reporting good progress in START talks. The commander of the Russian Strategic Rocket Forces Colonel-General Nikolai Solovtsov announced that by 2012 Russia may reduce its strategic nuclear arsenal to 1,700-2,000 warheads and could eventually go down to… »

Iran’s Guardian Council, its top legislative body, has confirmed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s victory in the disputed presidential… »

South Korea on Friday unveiled a revision of its long-term national defense reform plan, seeking to reinforce its capabilities to choke off potential nuclear and missile offensives by North… »

Largely because of Saudi production cuts, China received more of its oil from Iran than from Saudi Arabia in the early part of 2009, data… »

The nations’ envoys soon will take up their former posts. The move, analysts say, reflects Obama’s desire for better Latin American relations and President Hugo Chavez’s need to improve his… »