Asia

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/

1. Asian markets rise on expectation of bank rate cuts
2. More tainted eggs found originating from China
3. South Korea will pull out troops by Dec 20 from Iraq (they now still have less than 600 troops in Arbil)–SK divided over deployment of its troops
4. NK warns  SK to end its smear campaign, they have been sending anti NK pamphlets across the border
5. Taiwan protests nation’s ties to China (demonstraters many from opposition party Demoratic Progressive Party)
6. Many dead in Pakistan earth quake- 6.4
7. First democratic polls in Maldive: Nasheed (Maldivian Dem party) beat the incumbent Gayoom who has been president for 30 years.
8. Pakistan Taliban commander killed
9. Foreigners killed in Kabul attack by Afgan security guard

Africa

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/

 

1.  Floods in Morocco
2. Suicide blasts in Somalia
3. China calls murders in Sudan “inhumane”
4. UN peacekeepers able to half Laruent Nkunda’s men (Nkunda’s National Congress for the Defence of the People-NCDP) in Democratic Republic of Congo
5. Lubanga (Congo)’s trial has been put on pause. Considered one of the most dangerous warlords in Africa, he was accused of using child soldiers in DRC

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/world/index.html

1. UN workers blocked from leaving Congo after villagers attacked envoy and blocked the road

Election 2008

1. Both candidates are heading down to FL,  a crucial battleground state. 

1. Florida as 27 electoral votes, and according to some polls, Obama has a slight edge
2. According to al-Jazeera, Obama has a lead in the following previously republican states: Ohio, VA, Neveda, Colorado

Does McCain lead any formerly dem states?

Al-Jazeera continued

• Only 2 countries support McCain over Obama: Georgia and Obama
• Although according to Al-Jazeera this is because the importance of many issues relevant to the Republican Party: abortion, gun rights values
• Also, McCain may be too closely related to Bush admin

NY TImes

1. Obama camps starts new round of ads attacking Palin’s suitability
2. PA considered crucial for McCain
3. Anxiety overtakes voting in Florida: Some blacks are afraid their votes won’t be counted or “lost”

the chinese are fucking insane

Crazies.

They wanted the opening ceremony to be so perfect they picked one cute little girl to appear to sing, and dubbed another’s better voice in. Also, they didn’t even tell the little girl’s father  until 15 min before the ceremony.

In other news they also got offended when a couple of bikers wore masks in the airport because the pollution is so terrible. And the pooor little Chinese got allll offended.

Georgia and Russia and Bears. Oh my!

Here’s a recap of what’s going on in Georgia (for the stupid–that’d be the country) from a few sources

Economist

Beginning

• August 7/8th George began to shell South Ossetia– there’s some unwholesome men who smuggle and steal aid money. This is governed by Russian security forces.
• Russia’s response was small–quickly became invasion

Georgia:

• wants help from the world–obviously not coming from the UN
• geographically no real incentive for major powers to intervene
• response disproportional–Mr Saakashvili may have been trying to increase control over the region because of the large Russian presence in the region

Russia:

• strategically they claim Ossetia is a “friendly and oppressed region” –implying they’re just helping the inhabitants out
• however this may just be a cover for Russia to challenge the West–because all the West will do is conduct diplomacy
• may also be an attempt to remove Mr Saakashvili from power

Will Russia push farther into Georgia?

South Korea

From the Economist

President Lee Myung-bak ended the ban on American beef. Whether this was a good idea or not remains to be seen–he is currently entering into a legal battle with broadcasters and trade unions.

Israel

Israel’s prime minister, Ehud Olmert, has agreed to finally step down, he will resign once his party elects a new leader b/c of accusations of corruption. He took his seat after Ariel Sharon had a stroke in Jan 2006. The two main candidates are his foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, and his transport minister, Shaul Mofaz.However it’s important to keep in mind the general election in the Spring.

When he entered office he promised withdrawls from Israeli settlements and troops from the West Bank; this didn’t work too well once he went to war with Lebanon where Israel lost to Hizbullah (a shia group closely related to Iran) they got screwed up by the hizbollah missiles and everyone else resigned when the public started to get angry over their screw-up.

Olmert resigned talks with the Mahamoud Abbas, and also began indirect talks with Syria. However Abbas wasn’t the best choice because Hamas has control of the Gaza strip.

The Gaza Strip

Fatah and Hamas still nowhere near resolving their differences.

India

From the economist.com

India’s Economy has been great, growing a lot for the last 3 years, attracting tons of money from overseas investors However there is a gap between how India projects its future growth (7%) and foreign investors (9%). The rise in oil prices will account for an additional 4% of India’s GDP

Essentially foreign investors are withdrawing: they overestimated their growth, however India is also a “democracy”, whose policies in theory (note: the sarcasm was my addition) should overcome any screwups. They reform better in crisis than good times.

Taking in some of the world besides the middle east

Summaries From the Economist.com

Cuba under the guidance of Raul Castro is becoming more progressive–since he took over about 2 years ago. They are now allowed to purchase DVD players and have cell phones. More significantly farmers can now buy their own supplies and equipment and farm more state land. There are possibilities that private enterprise may have a larger rule in Cuba in teh future.

Bolivia : On August 10 the public will vote to reject or confirm Evo Morales (socialist president) and their regional governors.

Morales, of radical leaning, has been president for 2 yrs and since then has re-imposed state control on the oil industry. He wants to impose a new constitution that would increase state control over the economy and increase “presidential powers.’

Those opposing Morales, in the oil rich country, support autonomy, and dislike Morale’s plan to decrease their share of oil and to create land reform. Because Morale took control of the oil, he does not have the economic problems of his predecessors, public spending has risen, and fiscally they are in the black which = popularity.

Another interesting saturday

Foreign Affairs (July/Aug 08)

Future of North America:

• Canada & Mexico US’ most important trading partners
• Immigration and NAFTA (dem opinion) have led to decline in opinion re: US for Mexicans and Canadians

NATO Summit

• Germany led, our power is fucked, huge decline during bush admin
• damaged relationship w/Europe
• Bush has improved: worked w/Europe to demand halt to Iranian Enrichmens and sanctions against Tehran
• change in european leadership: Merkel in Germany and Nicolas Sarkozy in France, hope for better relations with U.S.
• however, European public, not European leaders that dislike policy
• value gap w/Europeans: death penalty, Abu Gahrib
• climate change

National Interest: Condelezza Rice

• democratic state building is vital to our national interest–freedom and democracy are the only things that can lead to long/lasting stability
• Relationships with China/Russia rooted in common ground instead of really common values
• concerned about china’s weapons systems
• China/Russia = power players we need
• Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, and Chile= allies we share values with
• previous middle-east policy:supported authoritarian regimes in exchange for stability in the region
• now m.e. policy = fight the underlying cause of the apparent instability (no channels for expression—result in radical measures) human rights and promote democratic development
• mission1 : resist the threat of violent global islamic extremism

Economist

“Unhappy America”

• need a change in attitude re: america’s relative decline compared to asia—it will take @least 25 years for china to catch up and “internal tensions” in its economy may cause problems before then
• india/china’s growth will result in more trade with us, and their success is largely b/c they have emulated us

“Sarkozy’s Progress”

• early on, appeared to do nothing, accomplish nothing
• recently passed a string of reforms b/c: had to, 2: weakness of socialist party which has offset his unpopularity, and taming of the trade unions
• reforms are important b/c of slowing euro. economy and essiential in the longterm
• has 2 aspects: economic liberalizer who wants French to break with the past in order to push fwd with the future, 2nd who wants to protects jobs and factories and distrusts free-traders and the market

Zimbabwe “Only Talk Tough”

• Morgan Tsvangirai won against Robert Mugabe agreed to talks with Mugabe after winning first round o elections
• only alternative: otherwise risk more bloodshed violence
• this only real viable option, way to let him leave w/some shred of dignity