Daily International News 03.04.10

Lots of news today…enjoy!
Also, check out my breaking news Twitter feed: @lmcgaughy

Daily International News
March 4, 2010

North Korea
N. Korea spurns S. Korean demand to resolve nuclear issue together [Yonhap]
NKorean executed for sneaking news out: report [AP]
NKorea pressures SKorea to restart joint tours [AP]

Japan
Japan Offers New Plan in Okinawa Dispute [NYT]

China/Taiwan
Strong earthquake hits Taiwan; 64 people injured [AP]
China Says It Is Slowing Down Military Spending [NYT] and China’s defense budget to grow 7.5% in 2010: spokesman [Xinhua]

SE Asia
Thailand denies visa to Dalai Lama’s sister [AP]

Iran Sanctions
China backs diplomacy, not sanctions, on Iran [AP]
Iran threatens to withdraw nuclear offer [AFP]
Brazil, U.S. at odds over Iran [CNN]
New Hurdle to Iran Sanctions [WSJ]

Other Middle East
17 killed in Baghdad blasts targeting voters [AP]
Yemen: Police arrest suspected al-Qaida members [AP]

AfPak
U.S. Redraws Afghan Command [WSJ]
UN envoy says it’s ‘time to talk’ to the Taliban [AP]

Europe
Reasons for Knox guilty verdict released in Italy [AP]
German court jails Islamists for foiled U.S. attacks [Reuters]
Dutch anti-Islamists makes key gains in local elections [BBC]

Africa
UK says no early end to Zimbabwe sanctions [Reuters]
UN plans to end DR Congo peacekeeping mission [BBC]
Voters flock to Togo poll in test of democracy [AP]

Americas
Chile wants loans, scours for quake survivors [Reuters]
Haitian family survives 2 big quakes in 2 months [AP]
Chavez denies links with Spain’s ETA, FARC rebels [AP]

Domestic
Obama calls for reconciliation to prevent filibuster on health-care reform [WaPo]
Turkey, on Edge, Watches U.S. Vote on Armenia [WSJ

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Daily International News 02.25.10

Daily International News
February 25, 2010

China
China asks U.S. to avoid further damaging bilateral ties, refutes military link with hacking [Xinhua]
China urges Japan-U.S. military co-op not to target third party [Xinhua]
China, DPRK sign agreement on building border bridge [Xinhua]

Central/South Asia
India, Pakistan hold first talks in 15 months [AP]
Afghan government claims Taliban stronghold [AP]
Pakistan to hand over Taliban No 2 [Reuters]

Southeast Asia
Lawyer for Myanmar’s Suu Kyi optimistic on release [AP]
Growing fury at Dubai killing reaches Australia [Reuters]
Detained ex-army chief to contest Sri Lanka vote [AP]

Middle East
Turkey’s Gul seeks to calm military ‘coup plot’ fears [BBC]
Sunni Leader Decides to Take Part in Iraq Election [WSJ]
Leaders of Iran, Syria stand united against U.S. influence [CNN]

Europe
Yanukovich pledges to fight Ukraine’s woes [Reuters]
EU Backs Membership Talks With Iceland [WSJ]
French president in Rwanda in 1st visit in 25 yrs [AP]

Africa
Darfur rebels say attacked by army, war not over [Reuters]
President Returns to Nigeria, but Not to Work [NYT]

Americas
Stronger Fidel Castro meets with Brazil president [AP]
Venezuela violates human rights, OAS commission reports [CNN]

Domestic
Preparing for Health Debate, and Its TV Audience [NYT]

Daily International News 02.02.10

Daily International News
February 2, 2010

Japan
Child custody battles could raise US-Japan tension [AP]

Koreas
South Korea rules out “payoff” for summit with North [Reuters]

China
China warns U.S. of detrimental effect of meeting Dalai Lama [Xinhua]
China to sanction U.S. firms selling Taiwan arms [Reuters]
Man who spent 3 months in Tokyo airport to leave [AP]

South Asia
Americans held in Pakistan complain of torture [Reuters]
Pakistani Taliban leader’s death would be ‘fatal blow’ for group, analyst says [WaPo]
Karzai Seeks Saudi’s Support to Afghan Peace Deal [Quqnoos]
Pakistan Offers to Train Afghan Soldiers [WSJ]

Southeast Asia
Will Sodomy Charges End Malaysia’s Opposition? [TIME]
Sri Lanka president gets extra year in power [Reuters]

Iran
West eyes Iran central bank in sanction push [Reuters] and Italy against new Iran energy deals [Reuters]
02.01 Iran, With Opposition Protests Continuing, Executes More Prisoners [NYT]
Mousavi condemns Iran executions [Al Jazeera]

Israel/Palestine
Hamas leader says Israel prisoner swap at impasse [Reuters]
Explosive devices float onto Israeli beaches [Reuters]

Europe
02.01 Northern Ireland Nears Power-Sharing Pact [WSJ]
1 injured in Russian railroad bombing [AP]
Concorde trial starts 10 years after crash [Reuters]

Africa
SAfrican leader criticized over love child report [AP]

Haiti
Haiti food convoy attacked; UN warns of volatility [AP]
Bill Clinton to coordinate Haiti relief efforts [Reuters]
Haiti questions Americans over “kidnapping” [Reuters]
Scientists say Haiti could be hit by another earthquake soon [McClatchy]

Domestic
Huge Deficits May Alter U.S. Politics and Global Power [NYT] and Mr. Obama’s New Budget [NYT]
Accused NY bomb plotter’s father faces new charges [Reuters]
Pentagon to Study Lifting Ban on Openly Gay Members [Bloomberg]
Obama, Family Plan Trip to Boyhood Indonesian School in March [Bloomberg]

Daily International News 01.19.10

Just FYI, Xinhua has launched a new English language version of their website and it is pretty awesome.

Daily International News
January 19, 2010

Haiti
01.18 Security fears mount in lawless post-earthquake Haiti [WaPo]
01.18 Homeless Haitians Told Not to Flee to U.S. [NYT]
01.18 It’s Blame America Time Again [WSJ]

Japan
Japan-U.S. alliance “indispensable” for Asia-Pacific region: Hatoyama [Xinhua]
JAL files for bankruptcy in record failure [Japan Times]

China
China says Google ‘no exception’ to law [Xinhua]
Google postpones phone launch in China [SMH]
01.18 Google Investigating If China Staff Involved in Cyber Attack [WSJ]
China calls for further talks on Iran nuclear issue [Xinhua]
Xinjiang to continue lifting communication restrictions: spokesperson [China Daily/Xinhua]
China safeguards int’l interests in opposing Japan’s atoll bid: FM [Xinhua]

Southeast Asia
Burma’s Supreme Court hears final Suu Kyi appeal [BBC]

AfPak
01.18 After Hearing in Pakistan, 5 Americans Allege Torture [NYT]
Reconciliation with Taliban Unlikely: Gates [Quqnoos]

Middle East
US Blackwater lawsuit signatures sought by Iraq [BBC]
01.18 EU and Iraq sign energy agreement [DW]
01.18 Iran mulls downgrading ties with UK [Al Jazeera]

Africa
Guinea: Parties Agree on Unity Govt, Elections [AllAfrica]

Domestic
Cadbury Accepts Fresh Kraft Offer [WSJ]
Senate election in Massachusetts could be harbinger for health-care reform [WaPo]

POST: Compassion for Lockerbie Bomber: Landmark or Lamentable?

I wanted to write something about last week’s release of convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdel Baset al-Megrahi when the story was first aired, but I felt that I needed to get a better understanding  of the history of the situation before making any judgments – plus, I wanted to see how people reacted.

The array of emotions attached to this case are staggering – everything from despair at his release to disbelief over his initial sentence. My main questions have remained, Was his release out of the ordinary and how will this affect US/UK, US/Libyan relations?

What I do not think many people realize is that freeing terminally ill prisoners on compassionate grounds is a key feature of Scottish law – it has been done 9 out of the last 13 cases, and had only been refused in last 4 because medical evidence did not the substantiate terminally ill status of the prisoners. Since the 9 releases had not taken into account the crime which the prisoner was convicted in the decision, this new release of al-Megrahi fits perfectly into Scottish precedent – prisoner is terminally ill, prisoner is released. The hype of the crime or the circumstance do not play a role.

On a further note, the low amount of media attention given to the continued questioning surrounding his conviction has surprised me. I do not agree or disagree with the aforementioned, very well-written, BBC article, but it does make one think. Of course, al-Megrahi could very well have had a hand in the bombing, but the evidence seems to point to the fact that the true perpetrators, the masterminds, have as of yet gone free. Is the conviction of one seemingly connected man, a “convenient scapegoat”, enough? Was he senior enough in the plan to be the sole representative of the perpetrators of this horrible crime?

Today, Scotland’s Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill “doggedly” defended his decision to free al-Megrahi. He stood by “his and only his” decision and only lamented the heroes welcome given to the freed prisoner upon his return home to Libya on Thursday.  However, a senior State Department official said today that short of praising the Libyans, at least he could say that the “Thursday demonstrations could have been a lot worse.” But the official further stated that they were still “disgusting” and represented only the “minorly pathetic” responsiveness of Libyan officials.

Now there are new claims that oil diplomacy has played a part in the al-Megrahi release which is difficult to deny (although British officials have) considering the BusinessWeek article issued today of increased trade between Britain and Libya in coming months.  Between the US and UK, although tourists have threatened a UK boycott and all senior Obama administration officials balked at al-Megrahi’s release, they still stick by their claim that nothing will change in the relations between the two countries and that they “have great faith in the British democracy to air these things in a very thorough” manner.  In the end, it comes down to the indisputable fact that this decision was wholly up to the Scottish Authorities and, following their own precedent, no distinct changes in any bilateral relations seem to be forthcoming. However, if an under-the-table deal was struck between the UK and Libya, there really is no excuse.