Here is the Thursday, June 5th, 2008, edition of interesting reads from around the world.
Energy Consumers Gather in Japan
Eleven nations that guzzle nearly two thirds of the world’s energy will hold talks in northern Japan this weekend, seeking ways to secure enough supply and reduce consumption as oil prices hit record highs. The June 7-8 ministerial meeting in Aomori, some 600km north of Tokyo, brings together China, India, South Korea, and the Group of Eight (G8) industrialised nations.
California Drought
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proclaimed a statewide drought Wednesday, warning that California’s water supply is falling dangerously low because of below-average rainfall and court-ordered water restrictions aimed at protecting fish. Administration officials call the governor’s move a first step, intended to put Californians on notice that rationing could be coming if the situation does not improve. More from the Los Angeles Times. We have been through this before, it is not much fun.
Mugagbe Tightens His Grip
Poll harassment continues as opposition leader held and government orders halt to independent food relief. More from the UK Guardian. Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was held for nine hours by police Wednesday and formally warned for allegedly breaching a security law after a campaign visit to a small provincial town. More on this aspect of the story from the BBC.
Fighting in Sri Lanka
A wave of new fighting between government forces and Tamil Tiger rebels across the Sri Lanka’s war-ravaged northern region killed 35 guerrillas and one soldier, the military said Thursday. Details in the International Herald Tribune.
Hungarians Miss Their Welfare State
Fistfulofeuros reports that “a recent poll showing that most Hungarians preferred life under communism caused a mild shock in the foreign community, but provoked little more than a characteristic shrug from Hungarians. After all, under János Kádár Hungary was one of the least repressive regimes in the Soviet bloc, the “Goulash Communism” of the 1980s allowed a certain amount of private business, inflation was unheard of, while the state was able to borrow on Western markets to fund a generous health and welfare system. As the number of Hungarians feeling nostalgic for those simpler times has risen from 53% in the last such survey in 2001 to 61% today, it’s clear that Hungarians are having trouble adjusting to modern-day reality.”
Dutch Must Improve Conditions for Europe’s Sole Female Islamic Terrorist
The Netherlands must end the ‘irresponsible’ conditions which Holland’s only convicted female terrorist is living under at the high security prison in Vught, according to prison inspectors working for the Council of Europe. The story from Dutch News.
Singaporean Dissidents Jailed
Singapore Democratic Party leaders opt for jail time for contempt of court because they’re too broke to pay the fine. As expected, Singaporean Democratic Party leader Chee Soon Juan and his sister, Chee Siok Chin, said Wednesday that they would go to jail for contempt of court because they could not afford an appeal of the sentence, which probably would have been futile anyway. The story from the Asia Sentinel.
Brazil and the United States Clash Over Bio-Fuels
Participants at a U.N. summit on the world’s food crisis differed this week over a key issue: how much the rush for environmentally friendly biofuels is contributing to the rocketing prices that are causing hunger and unrest in much of the globe. Fuels made from sugar cane, corn and other crops have been seen as a way to combat climate change and rising oil prices. The United States has been heavily subsidizing corn-based ethanol production. Last year, the 27-nation European Union endorsed a plan calling for biofuels to make up 10 percent of the fuel for road vehicles by 2020. However:
”It is frightening to see attempts to draw a cause-and-effect relationship between biofuels and the rise of food prices,” the president of Brazil, whose country’s sugar cane has long been used to produce ethanol that fuels cars and trucks, said Tuesday.
The story in the Miami Herald. I will provide a wrap up to the Rome Summit on the Global Food Crisis tomorrow. The summit ends today.
Russian Military Shake-Up
On June 3, 2008, a serious reshuffle took place in Russia’s military establishment: General Yury Baluyevsky stepped down as chief of the General Staff to become deputy secretary of the national Security Council. He was replaced by General Nikolai Makarov, who had until now held the post of chief of procurement, to which he was appointed in April 2007, soon after Anatoly Serdyukov was made defense minister. The story from IntelliBriefs. I have been remiss on covering East European events but I am working on getting two friends to contribute more on Russia and Central Asia. One is an American living and working in Moscow on gay health issues and the other a former Russian peer from business school who lives in Vladivostok in the Russian Far East.