Week # 100, Dated 26th Dec. - 1st Jan. 2009-10’
FERTILE CRESCENT
Political Front: In Egypt, the National Democratic Party’s supreme policies council conference was held last weekend that focused primarily on Constitutional reforms. Meanwhile Mohamed Habib, deputy supreme guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, resigned from his posts in the group in opposition to the recent Guidance Office elections, from which he was left out.
The Iraqi elections' commission has singled out 15 countries for Iraqis abroad to vote in for the upcoming elections. meanwhile in Lebanon March 14 forces general-secretariat lashed back at Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah over his last speech on the occasion of Ashoura, saying they were surprised by Nasrallah's "unconcealed threats and nervous advices" he addressed to the Christians.
Geo-strategic Front: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed efforts to revive the stalled Middle East peace process with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Cairo claims talks can only start when Jewish settlement activity stops.
Social Front: In Egypt the Ministry of Health announced five more swine flu deaths, raising the H1N1 death toll to 122. In the meantime Ministry of Tourism presented a new advertising campaign to attract tourists to the country.
Economic Front: Iranian soldiers have withdrawn 50m from an oil well along the southern Iraqi-Iranian border.
Riaz Salameh, Central Bank Governor told OTV that Lebanon could take advantage of the increase in the price of gold, adding that the Lebanese currency would be stable in 2010.
GCC- Gulf Cooperation Council
Geo-strategic Front: Palestinian President Mehmood Abbas paid visit to Saudi Arabia and discussed prospects of Middle East peace process. The Saudi government also seems keen to enhance ties with Sudan, Malaysia and Egypt.
France has expressed it's readiness to join the UAE in implementing its peaceful nuclear energy programme. In the meantime growing relations of UAE with Oman and South Korea also grabbed attention. Oman has also been making efforts to boost ties with Kazakhstan, Italy and Kuwait. Growing Kuwaiti ties with Bahrain, Turkey and Poland also remained significant.
Qatar has reiterated its support for the Palestinian cause. Meanwhile some Kuwaiti Members of Parliament (MPs) have asked Israel to stop violations against holy Muslim sites in Jerusalem, particularly the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Political Front: In Egypt, the National Democratic Party’s supreme policies council conference was held last weekend that focused primarily on Constitutional reforms. Meanwhile Mohamed Habib, deputy supreme guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, resigned from his posts in the group in opposition to the recent Guidance Office elections, from which he was left out.
The Iraqi elections' commission has singled out 15 countries for Iraqis abroad to vote in for the upcoming elections. meanwhile in Lebanon March 14 forces general-secretariat lashed back at Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah over his last speech on the occasion of Ashoura, saying they were surprised by Nasrallah's "unconcealed threats and nervous advices" he addressed to the Christians.
Geo-strategic Front: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed efforts to revive the stalled Middle East peace process with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Cairo claims talks can only start when Jewish settlement activity stops.
Social Front: In Egypt the Ministry of Health announced five more swine flu deaths, raising the H1N1 death toll to 122. In the meantime Ministry of Tourism presented a new advertising campaign to attract tourists to the country.
Economic Front: Iranian soldiers have withdrawn 50m from an oil well along the southern Iraqi-Iranian border.
Riaz Salameh, Central Bank Governor told OTV that Lebanon could take advantage of the increase in the price of gold, adding that the Lebanese currency would be stable in 2010.
GCC- Gulf Cooperation Council
Geo-strategic Front: Palestinian President Mehmood Abbas paid visit to Saudi Arabia and discussed prospects of Middle East peace process. The Saudi government also seems keen to enhance ties with Sudan, Malaysia and Egypt.
France has expressed it's readiness to join the UAE in implementing its peaceful nuclear energy programme. In the meantime growing relations of UAE with Oman and South Korea also grabbed attention. Oman has also been making efforts to boost ties with Kazakhstan, Italy and Kuwait. Growing Kuwaiti ties with Bahrain, Turkey and Poland also remained significant.
Qatar has reiterated its support for the Palestinian cause. Meanwhile some Kuwaiti Members of Parliament (MPs) have asked Israel to stop violations against holy Muslim sites in Jerusalem, particularly the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Saudi Arabia has claimed victory in a conflict with Yemeni rebels.
Social Front: Around 40 Saudi officials and contractors have been detained in the probe into the November 25 flood in Jeddah which killed 120 people.
Saudi Shoura (Consultative) Council has praised the increased budgetary allocations for education and manpower training. Meanwhile the Saudi ministry of education has been urged to play a major role in launching social awareness campaigns against sexual abuse of children.
Disabled students in Bahrain are to be given a chance to study for one year in the United States as part of a strategic plan to empower individuals with special needs. Remarkable increase in literacy rate has been a priority for Oman as well.
Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister H E Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al Thani figure on the list of 50 personalities of Financial Times (FT) who shaped the Decade 2000-2010 in the field of culture. Meanwhile Qatar's divorce rate has been steadily going up. A study conducted recently by Qatar University (QU) revealed that majority of pharmacists there lack knowledge about breast cancer.
Opposition MPs in Kuwait called Information Minister to close down what they called ‘corrupt TV stations’.
Economic Front: In United Arab Emirates Ministry of Economy announced that prices of edible and non-edible commodities won’t be increased. Meanwhile a $40 billion deal by UAE to acquire nuclear reactors puts it ahead in a drive to meet fast growing power needs among its Gulf neighbors. It also allows greater export of its oil. Oman's total exports of crude oil stood at 199.54 million barrels during the first ten months of 2009, constituting a 10.9 % rise. Meanwhile Qatar seems quite optimistic about its growth in the year 2010 and 2011.
CENTRAL ASIA
Political Front: Despite smooth municipal elections process in Azerbaijan cases of interference of local authorities in the voting process in Naftalan was observed leading to the annulment of elections in the region.
A court in the northeastern Kyrgyz sentenced four people to four years in jail each for holding an illegal protest during last July's presidential elections. meanwhile Uzbekistan held a parliamentary election in which four parties -- all of whom supported the rule of President Islam Karimov were competing.
Geo-strategic Front: Hungarian FM called the Republic of Azerbaijan a strategic partner in the South Caucasus region. In the meanwhile Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have resumed work of the intergovernmental commission on delimitation and demarcation of the state border after a 5-year break.
Tajikistan remained busy in negotiations with an Iranian envoy and President of Turkey to enhance cooperation. Meanwhile Russia has approved and supported the commissioning of the Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan-China gas pipeline.
Social Front: Russian police have freed 15 Kyrgyz children who were forced to work in an underground factory in Moscow Oblast.
Economic Front: State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) has announced to increase gas supplies to Russia up to 1 billion cubic meters per year in 2010. Meanwhile Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan sales turnover amounted to $140 million in 11 months of 2009. Kyrgyzstan’s GDP growth reached 2.4 % in 11 months of 2009 taking 2nd place among CIS countries.
INDIA
Political Front: National level: The Prime Minister’s working group on State-Centre relations, headed by Retired Justice Sageer Ahmad, has recommended restoration of autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir, a recommendation that BJP refused to accept while the opposition also voiced its criticism regarding the appointment of a retired judge.
Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor has questioned the tightening of Indian visa rules in the backdrop of the David Headley case, the Pakistani-American’s alleged involvement in the Mumbai attacks. He claimed that the policy will create hurdles for the expansion of tourism and foreign investment.
On the Maoist insurgency front, leader Kishanji has warned government of violent retaliation if the centre were to launch an operation against them.
Regional front: Andhra Pradesh’s political crisis become more acute as the demand for Telangana state turned violent. Protest and strikes badly damaged law and order situation that has effectively restrained foreign and local investment in Hyderabad and other business centers of the state. In the meantime the Centre has called an all parties meeting to discuss and solve the issue of statehood of Telangana region.
In Jharkand BJP has decided to form a coalition government with Jharkand Mukti Morcha and other regional parties.
Geo-strategic Front: The Indian Navy has planned to buy a state-of-the-art, multi-role, new generation carrier-based fighter aircraft to enhance its capabilities. Also India has expressed satisfaction with increasing Japanese presence in South Asia deeming it an appropriate counter for Chinese influence in the region. Meanwhile General Deepak Kapoor in his recent speech mentioned India’s strategy to be prepared for simultaneous two front wars with China and Pakistan, a comment that the later took strict notice of as intent of threat to its territorial integrity.
Social Front: In Maathur a village when Dalits were allowed to enter a temple after long negotiations, the upper caste Hindus left the village in protest.
Economic Front: Indian economic experts have forecasted fast growth of Indian economy in the coming decade, projecting that if India maintains 9-10% of growth rate it would overtake China till 2020 provided it controls its high fiscal deficit.
EAST ASIA
Political Front: UMNO members have expressed satisfaction with Najib Razak's performance since taking over the helm as party president and Malaysian PM. Meanwhile in the Philippines a candidate of the 2010 elections was shot and wounded, the second political victim of targeted attacks.
Cambodia has issued an arrest warrant for the country's main opposition leader Sam Rainsy, currently residing in Paris. He has been charged with inciting racial discrimination and intentionally damaging property.
Geo-strategic Front: The Cambodian PM has claimed to have seen a secret Thai government document outlining the plan to mount a coup, a charge the Thai PM denounced, claiming his government’s clear policy to maintain good relations. He further added his intention not to interfere in Cambodia's internal affairs or criticize domestic Cambodian politics.
Social Front: A Malaysian court has ruled that Christians have the constitutional right to use the word Allah in reference to God; he further claimed that government's ban on non-Muslims using the word was illegal. A Christian group hailed the ruling as a victory for freedom of religion in the Muslim-majority country, where the issue has become a symbol of religious grievances of minority groups.
The United Nations refugee chief has called on the Thai Government not to deport around 4,000 ethnic Hmong to neighboring Laos.
Economic Front: Indonesian policy makers have been trying hard to attract more foreign investment to speed up economic growth and make inroads into unemployment and poverty. Meanwhile Indonesia and Thailand seem quite hopeful regarding speedy economic recovery this year. Vietnam’s economy expanded at the fastest pace in more than a year in the fourth quarter with its Gross domestic product growing 6.9 percent from a year earlier as lending growth fueled construction and consumer sales. Meanwhile in Singapore despite its gross domestic product having climbed by 3.5 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2009, growth for the full year remained negative at minus 2.1 per cent. Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand have announced to import and export almost all goods across their borders at zero tariffs.
CHINA
Political Front: China's top political advisor Jia Qinglin has called for efforts to push peaceful relations with Taiwan. Meanwhile at least 15 governor and ministerial-level officials have been brought down against charges of corruption. Senior Chinese leaders also met in Beijing to discuss China's anti-corruption drive in 2009, and to plan next year's battle
against graft.
Geo-strategic Front: Senegal and China have recently signed a technical and economic cooperation agreement. Meanwhile Nepali Prime Minister termed his visit to the country as a milestone in the history of cordial and cooperative relations. Chinese strong ties with North Korea, Russia and EU also remained significant.
The Republic of Congo has received a donation of 3.5 billion FCFA (about 7.6 million U. S. dollars) from China to finance the central African country's health facilities. China has also opposed Israel's new settlement plan in East Jerusalem.
Social Front: The Chinese government has vowed to facilitate foreign journalists' work in the country while beseeching them to obey Chinese laws.
A total of 606,100 tourists from the Chinese mainland visited Taiwan in 2009, fulfilling expectations despite the impact of H1N1 flu and the global economic downturn.
There have been three rounds of talks between Google and Chinese writers whose works were copied by the Internet giant without authorization. The fourth round of talks is expected to begin soon.
While talking about environmental issues Chinese PM claimed that despite their adherence to various summits aimed to make environment better; China has got the right to develop its industries.
Economic Front: Chinese huge economic market has become an attractive destination for the US investors. A free-trade agreement between China and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) took effect on 1st Jan. 2010. Chinese stock exchange has been performing well throughout the week. While the Chinese farmers saw their per capita annual net income rise to a historic high of 5,000 yuan (735 U.S. dollars) in 2009.
Hong Kong & Macau: The average wage rate for all major sectors fell 1.8 percent in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong economy has continued to rebound since pulling out of recession in the second quarter, with the latest statistics show a reversal to year-on-year growth in exports in November. The unemployment rate for the period of September to November 2009, reached 3.3 percent, slightly dropping by 0.2 percentage point over the previous period of August to October. Macao's trade deficit for the first eleven months of 2009 has widened by 5.6 percent over the same period of last year. §
Social Front: Around 40 Saudi officials and contractors have been detained in the probe into the November 25 flood in Jeddah which killed 120 people.
Saudi Shoura (Consultative) Council has praised the increased budgetary allocations for education and manpower training. Meanwhile the Saudi ministry of education has been urged to play a major role in launching social awareness campaigns against sexual abuse of children.
Disabled students in Bahrain are to be given a chance to study for one year in the United States as part of a strategic plan to empower individuals with special needs. Remarkable increase in literacy rate has been a priority for Oman as well.
Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister H E Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al Thani figure on the list of 50 personalities of Financial Times (FT) who shaped the Decade 2000-2010 in the field of culture. Meanwhile Qatar's divorce rate has been steadily going up. A study conducted recently by Qatar University (QU) revealed that majority of pharmacists there lack knowledge about breast cancer.
Opposition MPs in Kuwait called Information Minister to close down what they called ‘corrupt TV stations’.
Economic Front: In United Arab Emirates Ministry of Economy announced that prices of edible and non-edible commodities won’t be increased. Meanwhile a $40 billion deal by UAE to acquire nuclear reactors puts it ahead in a drive to meet fast growing power needs among its Gulf neighbors. It also allows greater export of its oil. Oman's total exports of crude oil stood at 199.54 million barrels during the first ten months of 2009, constituting a 10.9 % rise. Meanwhile Qatar seems quite optimistic about its growth in the year 2010 and 2011.
CENTRAL ASIA
Political Front: Despite smooth municipal elections process in Azerbaijan cases of interference of local authorities in the voting process in Naftalan was observed leading to the annulment of elections in the region.
A court in the northeastern Kyrgyz sentenced four people to four years in jail each for holding an illegal protest during last July's presidential elections. meanwhile Uzbekistan held a parliamentary election in which four parties -- all of whom supported the rule of President Islam Karimov were competing.
Geo-strategic Front: Hungarian FM called the Republic of Azerbaijan a strategic partner in the South Caucasus region. In the meanwhile Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have resumed work of the intergovernmental commission on delimitation and demarcation of the state border after a 5-year break.
Tajikistan remained busy in negotiations with an Iranian envoy and President of Turkey to enhance cooperation. Meanwhile Russia has approved and supported the commissioning of the Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan-China gas pipeline.
Social Front: Russian police have freed 15 Kyrgyz children who were forced to work in an underground factory in Moscow Oblast.
Economic Front: State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) has announced to increase gas supplies to Russia up to 1 billion cubic meters per year in 2010. Meanwhile Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan sales turnover amounted to $140 million in 11 months of 2009. Kyrgyzstan’s GDP growth reached 2.4 % in 11 months of 2009 taking 2nd place among CIS countries.
INDIA
Political Front: National level: The Prime Minister’s working group on State-Centre relations, headed by Retired Justice Sageer Ahmad, has recommended restoration of autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir, a recommendation that BJP refused to accept while the opposition also voiced its criticism regarding the appointment of a retired judge.
Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor has questioned the tightening of Indian visa rules in the backdrop of the David Headley case, the Pakistani-American’s alleged involvement in the Mumbai attacks. He claimed that the policy will create hurdles for the expansion of tourism and foreign investment.
On the Maoist insurgency front, leader Kishanji has warned government of violent retaliation if the centre were to launch an operation against them.
Regional front: Andhra Pradesh’s political crisis become more acute as the demand for Telangana state turned violent. Protest and strikes badly damaged law and order situation that has effectively restrained foreign and local investment in Hyderabad and other business centers of the state. In the meantime the Centre has called an all parties meeting to discuss and solve the issue of statehood of Telangana region.
In Jharkand BJP has decided to form a coalition government with Jharkand Mukti Morcha and other regional parties.
Geo-strategic Front: The Indian Navy has planned to buy a state-of-the-art, multi-role, new generation carrier-based fighter aircraft to enhance its capabilities. Also India has expressed satisfaction with increasing Japanese presence in South Asia deeming it an appropriate counter for Chinese influence in the region. Meanwhile General Deepak Kapoor in his recent speech mentioned India’s strategy to be prepared for simultaneous two front wars with China and Pakistan, a comment that the later took strict notice of as intent of threat to its territorial integrity.
Social Front: In Maathur a village when Dalits were allowed to enter a temple after long negotiations, the upper caste Hindus left the village in protest.
Economic Front: Indian economic experts have forecasted fast growth of Indian economy in the coming decade, projecting that if India maintains 9-10% of growth rate it would overtake China till 2020 provided it controls its high fiscal deficit.
EAST ASIA
Political Front: UMNO members have expressed satisfaction with Najib Razak's performance since taking over the helm as party president and Malaysian PM. Meanwhile in the Philippines a candidate of the 2010 elections was shot and wounded, the second political victim of targeted attacks.
Cambodia has issued an arrest warrant for the country's main opposition leader Sam Rainsy, currently residing in Paris. He has been charged with inciting racial discrimination and intentionally damaging property.
Geo-strategic Front: The Cambodian PM has claimed to have seen a secret Thai government document outlining the plan to mount a coup, a charge the Thai PM denounced, claiming his government’s clear policy to maintain good relations. He further added his intention not to interfere in Cambodia's internal affairs or criticize domestic Cambodian politics.
Social Front: A Malaysian court has ruled that Christians have the constitutional right to use the word Allah in reference to God; he further claimed that government's ban on non-Muslims using the word was illegal. A Christian group hailed the ruling as a victory for freedom of religion in the Muslim-majority country, where the issue has become a symbol of religious grievances of minority groups.
The United Nations refugee chief has called on the Thai Government not to deport around 4,000 ethnic Hmong to neighboring Laos.
Economic Front: Indonesian policy makers have been trying hard to attract more foreign investment to speed up economic growth and make inroads into unemployment and poverty. Meanwhile Indonesia and Thailand seem quite hopeful regarding speedy economic recovery this year. Vietnam’s economy expanded at the fastest pace in more than a year in the fourth quarter with its Gross domestic product growing 6.9 percent from a year earlier as lending growth fueled construction and consumer sales. Meanwhile in Singapore despite its gross domestic product having climbed by 3.5 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2009, growth for the full year remained negative at minus 2.1 per cent. Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand have announced to import and export almost all goods across their borders at zero tariffs.
CHINA
Political Front: China's top political advisor Jia Qinglin has called for efforts to push peaceful relations with Taiwan. Meanwhile at least 15 governor and ministerial-level officials have been brought down against charges of corruption. Senior Chinese leaders also met in Beijing to discuss China's anti-corruption drive in 2009, and to plan next year's battle
against graft.Geo-strategic Front: Senegal and China have recently signed a technical and economic cooperation agreement. Meanwhile Nepali Prime Minister termed his visit to the country as a milestone in the history of cordial and cooperative relations. Chinese strong ties with North Korea, Russia and EU also remained significant.
The Republic of Congo has received a donation of 3.5 billion FCFA (about 7.6 million U. S. dollars) from China to finance the central African country's health facilities. China has also opposed Israel's new settlement plan in East Jerusalem.
Social Front: The Chinese government has vowed to facilitate foreign journalists' work in the country while beseeching them to obey Chinese laws.
A total of 606,100 tourists from the Chinese mainland visited Taiwan in 2009, fulfilling expectations despite the impact of H1N1 flu and the global economic downturn.
There have been three rounds of talks between Google and Chinese writers whose works were copied by the Internet giant without authorization. The fourth round of talks is expected to begin soon.
While talking about environmental issues Chinese PM claimed that despite their adherence to various summits aimed to make environment better; China has got the right to develop its industries.
Economic Front: Chinese huge economic market has become an attractive destination for the US investors. A free-trade agreement between China and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) took effect on 1st Jan. 2010. Chinese stock exchange has been performing well throughout the week. While the Chinese farmers saw their per capita annual net income rise to a historic high of 5,000 yuan (735 U.S. dollars) in 2009.
Hong Kong & Macau: The average wage rate for all major sectors fell 1.8 percent in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong economy has continued to rebound since pulling out of recession in the second quarter, with the latest statistics show a reversal to year-on-year growth in exports in November. The unemployment rate for the period of September to November 2009, reached 3.3 percent, slightly dropping by 0.2 percentage point over the previous period of August to October. Macao's trade deficit for the first eleven months of 2009 has widened by 5.6 percent over the same period of last year. §
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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 developed jointly 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 developed jointly 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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