Week # 118, Dated 1 May to 7 May 2010Political Front:
The Ruling regime has expressed optimism about getting 330 to 367 votes from the Turkish Parliament regarding constitutional reform package.
Geo-strategic Front:
Meanwhile the Defense Ministry of Ukraine, the General Headquarters of the Armed Forces of Turkey, and the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) under a NATO agreement have agreed to exchange data on air traffic control.
President of
The newly elected Turkish Cypriot leader has expressed keenness to resume peace talks about reunification of the divided island.
Economic Front:
Social Front:
The temperature has increased in western Turkish provinces however heavy rainfall and snow has been forecasted in the eastern provinces. Also the Turkish government, engaged in its efforts to join the EU, celebrated
GCC
Geo-strategic Front:
The 11th consultative session of GCC Interior Ministers was held in
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas held talks with the Saudi King over regional affairs. Meanwhile Saudi Foreign Minister during his visit to
While addressing the General Debate of the 2010 Review Conference of the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty, UAE foreign Minister claimed that every state has got the right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes in a responsible manner. In the meanwhile UAE-Morocco relations also remained significant.
Economic Front:
A Kuwait Energy Company has discovered an oil field in Ras Qattarah block in the Egyptian Western desert; the discovery is the seventh of its kind.
Omani-Qatari Joint Business Council held its third meeting in
Social front:
The Ministry of Labor in
FERTILE CRESCENT
Political front:
The Egyptian Movement for Change (Kefaya) has called on citizens to pursue a policy of civil disobedience as a means of resistance, while urging them to boycott all elections, starting with the Shura Council election due to be held in June this year to elect members of the Upper House of Parliament. Submission of candidacy applications for the mid-term Shura Council elections has started. Meanwhile the Egyptian PM has called the wave of demonstrations that has recently swept the street to be a new mode for citizens to express their demands and thus has no political dimension.
The recount of Baghdad votes that began last week was being monitored by EU and UN observers; where Iraq's election commission too was involved in manually recounting around 2.5 million ballots cast in Baghdad during the country's parliamentary election almost two months ago. The political bloc of Nouri al-Maliki, the incumbent Iraqi prime minister, has joined hand with its main Shia rival, the Iraqi National Alliance (INA), leaving the newly-formed coalition just four seats short of a parliamentary majority.
Rival politicians in
Geo-strategic Front:
The Professional Associations Complex in
The U.S. President, Barrack Obama, has given
Economic Front:
The survey of 14 economists predicted that gross domestic product (GDP) of Egypt would have grown by 4.7 % in the fiscal year that ends in 2 months time, ahead of other gulf nations, except the regional-leader Qatar.
Social front:
The annual report produced by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom has strongly criticized Egypt over problems of discrimination, intolerance, and other human rights violations against members of religious minorities.
Meanwhile Egypt's Communications Ministry has launched its first Internet domain name using Arabic letters to try to boost e-services and the number of people online in the most populous Arab nation. In other news the editorial dispute regarding the popular site, Islam on line still persists.
IDPs and refugees have asked the government of Iraq to facilitate the process of their return. Meanwhile about one-third of Iraq's 1 million Christians have fled the country since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.
IRAN
Political Front:
A large number of university students from all Iranian universities have called for the resignation of U.S. President Barrack Obama while protesting his recent atomic threats against Iran. Meanwhile the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Undersecretary for International Affairs and Foreign Policy Ali Baqeri has strongly rejected the possibility for suspending Iran's peaceful nuclear activities.
Geo-strategic Front:
A French court has turned down a U.S. request for the extradition of an Iranian engineer who has been accused of violating an export embargo by purchasing U.S. technology for military firms involved in Iran's nuclear program.
Iran and Pakistan have agreed to coordinate their positions to support sustainable peace, stability and development in Afghanistan. Amid a U.S.-led drive to impose fresh sanctions on Iran, two powers of the UN Security Council, China and Russia, have also decided to discuss Iran's nuclear issue. Meanwhile the Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad held a discussion about Brazil's proposal on exchanging nuclear fuel.
Economic Front:
Iranian gasoline imports have declined sharply this month. Meanwhile petrochemical exports have observed a remarkable increase. Meanwhile Pakistan as well as the EU has expressed keenness to enhance economic collaboration with Irsan.
CENTRAL ASIA
Political Front:
Three Kazakh parliament deputies have proposed giving President Nursultan Nazarbaev the official title "Leader of the Nation".
Investigations have been launched against the son of Kyrgyz ousted President over a corruption case. Meanwhile the Kyrgyz interim government has launched a criminal inquiry into firms supplying fuel to the U.S. air base in the Central Asian nation.
Geo-strategic Front:
A new Russian top negotiator has recently paid a visit to Armenia in order to discuss the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh. Meanwhile Turkey has reiterated its commitment to support Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.
The Kazakh-Kyrgyz border remained closed despite talks via phone between leader of the Kyrgyz interim government and the Kazakh President. Meanwhile Kyrgyzstan's interim government has ordered prosecutors to seek the extradition of former President Bakiev.
Iran has officially proposed introducing visa-free travel between Tajikistan and Iran however Tajikistan rejected the offer.
China and Turkmenistan held talks to enhance bilateral relation. Meanwhile the Uzbek President too held a meeting with the Chinese Finance Minister and discussed areas of cooperation.
Azerbaijan and Israel have decided to hold political talks this week.
Economic Front:
Turkey and Azerbaijan have reached an agreement for the price of natural gas on the European Union-backed Nabucco gas pipeline project.
In a recent report the IMF has given a positive assessment of socio-economic developments in Turkmenistan.
Social Front:
Dozens of youths have been arrested in Baku, Azerbaijan as they attempted to mourn the victims of a mass killing at the State Oil Academy a year ago.
Polio has emerged as a potent social issue in Tajikistan. Meanwhile strong rains have caused floods that have killed at least 20 people in Southern Province of the country.
EAST ASIA
Political Front:
The Malaysian government has made a plan to construct a nuclear power plant for energy purpose in the next 12 to 15 years. IAEA approval however is required to proceed with the plans.
According to recent polls, Aquino, the son of Philippines’ former President enjoys a 12 to19 point lead for the upcoming Presidential elections. Meanwhile Philippines' President's election lawyer has called for the May 10 elections to be postponed by calling it the only remedy to prevent elections from failing.
Amidst unrest in Thailand the Thai PM has announced to take effective measures to counter red-shirt protestors.
Geo-strategic Front:
China has announced to donate more than 250 trucks to Cambodia just weeks after the United States withheld a shipment of military vehicles in response to Cambodia's recent expulsion of 20 Uighur refugees.
Economic Front:
World Bank has appreciated the extra-ordinary performance of Indonesian Finance Minister while nominating her to the post of Managing Director of the World Bank. Indonesia’s exports have increased by 54 % year-on-year during the first quarter, and 13 % during March clearly indicating smooth economic recovery. Meanwhile Indonesia's banking sector, comprising mainly small to mid-sized banks, has been increasingly attracting foreign investors while domestic consolidation has been relatively slow.
The Asian Development Bank's (ADB) Board of Directors has approved a $100M concessional loan to rehabilitate one of Vietnam’s oldest and largest irrigation and drainage systems located in the heart of the Red-Thai Binh river basin. Meanwhile Vietnam’s economy has been “relatively stable” so far this year, a trend that the government intends to continue supporting.
Social Front:
Palm oil producers from Malaysia have formed a coalition with their counterparts in Indonesia to counter intensified campaigns that blame the industry for rapid deforestation. Meanwhile the Indonesian president officially opened the 5th Indonesian Muslim Congress in East Jakarta last week.
SOUTH ASIA
Political Front:
A fierce clash last week between the activists of Bangladesh's ruling party Awami League and the main opposition party Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) left one person dead and 200 injured.
Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) has claimed that no terrorist group has set up a training base in any part of the country.
Maoists have finally launched a general strike in Katmandu, Nepal and have asked the PM to resign. Amidst the unrest four journalists were injured, meanwhile the coalition parties have also asked PM to resign in order to lessen tensions.
Sri Lanka's parliament has voted to scale back a tough state of emergency laws that were first introduced 27 years ago to deal with separatist Tamil rebels.
Geo-strategic Front:
Bangladeshi authorities have handed over Ranjan Daimary, chief of the outlawed National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), to India where he is wanted for ordering bomb attacks. Meanwhile The cabinet has assigned two ministers and an adviser to the prime minister to scrutinize a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the import of electricity from India which was signed between the two neighboring countries during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina''s visit to India in January this year.
Economic Front:
The World Bank has approved $292 million in loans to finance two infrastructure projects in Bangladesh. Meanwhile a constant increase in Bangladeshi exports has been observed showing economic recovery.
Strikes have adversely affected tourist industry in Nepal rendering a big blow to the nation’s economy.
Meanwhile the International Monetary Fund has urged the Sri Lankan government to speed up fiscal reforms and produce a more comprehensive deficit cutting plan if it wants to get a multi-billion dollar loan back on track. The UN Economic and Social Commission has appreciated Sri Lanka's economic development. Meanwhile sharp increase in the nation’s shares has also been observed.
Social front:
Bangladesh has imposed a ban on the import of poultry from India due to reported cases of bird flu in the country.
A local American church has been helping to make the transition to the country a little easier for 100 refugees from Bhutan.
Meanwhile Maldives has expressed joy on having built one of the most advanced telecommunications systems in the region.
INDIA
Political front:
UPA government has expressed desire to restore caste-based census in order to implement Mandal commission recommendations for OBCs and minorities. Opposition parties however criticized the idea. Maoists have targeted government-run girl’s school and also damaged railway-track in Northern Bihar.
Hürriyet Leader, Syed Ali Gillani called a march to the office of the United Nations Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan to submit a memorandum, seeking U.N. intervention to grant the people of Kashmir the right to self-determination. In response the government kept him along with a few other leaders under house arrest, a move that led to the launch of anti-government protests in the streets of Kasshmir.
Meanwhile Ajmal Kasab has been delivered a death sentence following the court’s conviction regarding his involvement in the Mumbai attacks.
At the regional front BJP has agreed to pleas made by JMM leaders and let Shibu Soren continue as Chief Minister of Jharkhand for some more time, putting on hold a decision on the transfer of power for now.
The leader of Trinamool Congress has announced his intention to contest anti-Congress elections in West Bengal after holding Congress responsible for breaking their alliance.
Geo-strategic Front:
India and the EU have started working on elimination of differences through negotiations in order to sign FTA later this year.
Meanwhile a sharp decrease in the number of Pakistanis visiting India has been observed last year primarily because of 26/11.
The radiation-related death of a scrap metal worker has raised concerns over nuclear safety in India. Authorities have launched a probe into the unauthorized disposal of a disused machine from the chemistry department of Delhi University, which contained the radioactive material cobalt-60 and ended up in a scrap metal hub in the capital.
Economic Front:
In the year 2008-2009 Indian exports amounted to USD 185 billion. This year a slight decline may occur however economists hope to observe exports of $170 billion.
Meanwhile the CII Business Outlook Survey based on response from 458 companies said that India Inc expects the economy to grow by 7.5 to 8.5 % during the current fiscal fuelled mainly by rising capital investment and expanding exports. The industry optimism was also expressed in the Business Confidence Index that rose to 67.6 points for April-September 2010-11, compared to 66.1 points during the second half of 2009-10.
JAPAN
Political Front:
Backtracking on a prominent campaign pledge, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has told angry residents of Okinawa that it was unrealistic to expect the United States to move its entire Marine Corps air base off the island. His delays and apparent flip-flopping on the issue have fed a growing feeling of disappointment in the prime minister’s leadership, driving his approval ratings below 30%.
Meanwhile Japan has restarted a costly fast-breeder nuclear reactor for the first time since it was shut down 14 years ago because of a major accident and cover-up.
Economic Front:
The Japanese economy has been growing smoothly as various known companies have witnessed an increase in sale. Meanwhile fluctuation in stock exchange has also been observed.
Social Front:
The number of children under age 15 in Japan has fallen to 16.9 million, down 190,000 from a year earlier.
KOREA
Political Front:
South Korean President has been a popular figure among his people however the recent ship-sinking incident has put his position in doubt.
Geo-strategic Front:
China seems optimistic about North Korea’s readiness to end their nuclear program in exchange for economic aid and better global standing. However South Korea has ruled out chances of holding nuclear talks with North Korea before resolving the Ship-sinking issue. Meanwhile North Korean leader Kim has paid a visit to China to seek the latter’s support regarding the ship-sinking issue.
Economic Front:
Sales of South Korean Kia and Hyundai motors have increased remarkably. Meanwhile growth in South Korean stock exchange has also been noticed. Exports of South Korea have also observed marked growth.
Social Front:
Korean children and teenagers have been surveyed as the least happy or content with their lives among their peers in OECD member states mainly because of academic issues. In a serious breach of human rights, young female North Koreans have become a commodity in China, where they can be purchased at around $1,500 per head. §
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