Daily Headlines: November 11, 2015

* South America: Polls this week have given Argentine opposition candidate Mauricio Macri a minimum six-point lead ahead of the November 22nd runoff, while Organization of American States chief Luis Almagro blasted Venezuelan officials for failing to guarantee the December 6th legislative elections.

* El Salvador: A media probe found that authorities have not looked into the murders of fourteen people by death squads despite El Salvador’s high homicide rates.

* Honduras: Indigenous people living on the Caribbean coast of Honduras claimed that their land is being illegally seized by squatters and narcotraffickers.

* Latin America: Leaders at the Summit of South American-Arab Countries called for a political settlement in Syria and condemned Iranian interference in the Middle East.

YouTube Source – Financial Times
 
Online Sources – Reuters, Gulf News, NBC News, InSight Crime, teleSUR English

At the UN: Arms, the Falklands, and the debate over Palestinian recognition

Several Latin American spoke at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. What did some of them have to say? Here is a brief summary:

• Mexican president Felipe Calderon spoke out against the global arms trade that he believes is “feeding the arsenals” of criminals and narcotraffickers worldwide. Criminal organizations including Mexican drug gangs “are murdering more people...than all the current dictatorial regimes” according to Calderon. (His speech came a day after 35 bodies were found dumped on the side of a Veracruz highway supposedly at the hands of a new group “making a violent challenge to the dominant Zetas Cartel.”)
• “I implore that (Israeli and Palestinian diplomats) return to the negotiating table as soon as possible because…that is the only path to arrive at what we all want: peace and security for both states.” Believe it or not those words did not come from US President Barack Obama during his UN speech but from his Colombian counterpart, Juan Manuel Santos.
  
• Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner renewed claims over the sovereignty of the British-controlled Falkland Islands. She urged Britain to negotiate over the future of the archipelago and warned that not doing so could lead to the banning of all stops from Chilean flights heading to Malvinas.
• Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo called for financial reforms at the UN and also criticized the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba. He also addressed the need for countries to unite and find ways to reduce social inequality.
  

Tomorrow we’ll look at yesterday’s remarks by Brazil’s president as well as speeches on the agenda today. (The leaders of Chile, Peru, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic are expected to address the UN on Thursday).

Video Source – CNN Mexico via YouTube

Online Sources- Too many to list!

Brazil’s shift to democracy could inspire Middle East says Obama

Brazil’s transition from military rule into a thriving democracy can serve as an example for other countries including in the Middle East according to U.S. President Barack Obama.

In the speech given in Rio de Janeiro’s Municipal Theatre, Obama emphasized that Brazil is “a country that shows democracy delivers both freedom and opportunity to its people.” “As two nations who have struggled over many generations to perfect our own democracies, the United States and Brazil know that the future of the Arab world will be determined by its people,” Obama said to the crowd of roughly 2000 people.
In part of his speech (which can be seen below) Obama explained the example of Brazilian democracy for the world:

Though Obama neglected to back Brazil’s bid for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council, he touched on the importance of close relations between the U.S. and the growing global power. “Let us stand together…not as senior and junior partners, but as equal partners,” said Obama.

Earlier on Sunday Obama visited the Ciudade de Dios (City of God) favela where he watched children perform capoeira moves and also kicked a soccer ball around with some kids. Despite the welcoming crowds in that slum and during his speech, an estimated 200 people protested near the Municipal Theatre protested against U.S. foreign policy.

Today’s speech was supposed to take place in Rio’s Cinelandia plaza but was changed abruptly days before Obama arrived in Brazil. The U.S. Embassy did not explain why the venue was switched, though Cinelandia was the site where a key 1984 protest took place against the ruling dictatorship. Obama seemed to have acknowledged this in his speech when he discussed Brazil’s shift to democracy.

Tonight he is expected to tour Rio’s famed Christ the Redeemer statue before moving on to Chile on Monday. He will be there until Wednesday when he travels to El Salvador, the last country on his visit to Latin America.

Video Source – AP via YouTube
Online Sources- BBC News, MSNBC, Folha.com, USA TODAY, Los Angeles Times, The Latin Americanist, Bloomberg, Reuters

Daily Headlines: March 1, 2011

* Latin America: Could the recent unrest in the Middle East and North Africa hinder Latin America’s economic growth?

* Venezuela: On a related note Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez rejected condemning Moammar Gadhafi and also called for “prudency” regarding Libya.

* Bolivia: President Evo Morales vowed that homes would be built for approximately 4000 people left homeless after a massive landslide on Sunday.

* Brazil: Increased oil production was credited as the main reason why Petrobras’ latest quarterly profits grew by 38%.

Image – Ben Curtis/AP via The Guardian (“Soldiers from the Libyan military's elite Khamis Brigade take up positions east of Zawiyah.”)
Online Sources- UPI, MSNBC, CNN, Bloomberg

World Watch: Gone baby gone

Hosni Mubarak stepped down from the Egyptian presidency and ceded power to the military according to a brief statement read on state TV by Vice President Omar Suleiman. "In these difficult circumstances that the country is passing through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to leave the position of the presidency,'' said Suleiman at about 6:00 pm local time.

Egyptians protesting the Mubarak regime met Suleiman’s announcement with great joy and relief. As seen in the video below from Al Jazeera English, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators in Cairo’s Tahrir Square waved Egyptian flags and chanted “we are free!” at the news of Mubarak stepping down immediately:

The celebrations in Egypt also extended to nearby countries such as Tunisia where a popular uprising last month toppled the lengthy rule of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. In addition, it remains to be seen if the actions in Egypt will help pro-democracy movements in the Middle East/North Africa region such as Algeria.

Leaders from around the world reacted favorably and with guarded optimism to today’s developments in Egypt. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged that a “transparent, peaceful and orderly” transition take place; hence, reflecting worries that the strengthened role of the military could hinder a transition to civilian, democratic rule.

Some protesters fear that despite Mubarak stepping down the authoritarian regime he led for thirty years will continue. "No to Mubarak, no to Suleiman" cried out demonstrators in Alexandria according to CNN. Nonetheless, a military communiqué issued earlier today tried to quell such worries by promising to carry out constitutional reforms. As mentioned in the following video by Britain’s ITN News, the statement also pledged that the military would not prosecute “honest men” who have urged an end to widespread corruption:

Egyptians living abroad viewed positively the news Mubarak’s resignation. Today’s joy contrasted sharply with yesterday’s disappointment by many Egyptian expats when Mubarak vowed to continue in power until September elections.

The events in Egypt have affected global finance such as a decrease in the prices of crude oil. Stocks indices that were initially falling on Friday morning rebounded quickly after news emerged that Mubarak resigned.

Video Source – YouTube via Al Jazeera English and ITN News
Online Sources- BBC News, MSNBC, The Guardian, Reuters, monstersandcritics.com, CNN, CBS New York, CBC, The Telegraph, ABC News

World Watch: Nuked

* World: While international negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program ended on a “vague” note, a deal was signed allowing a French firm to construct a pair of nuclear reactors in India.

* Ivory Coast: Hundreds of people are leaving the Ivory Coast amid growing fears of post-election violence.

* Middle East: Will the dropping of a U.S. demand to freeze Israeli settlements facilitate peace talks between that country and the Palestinian Authority?

* Britain: A British court denied bail to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange after he surrendered to authorities over sexual assault allegations.

Image – Reuters/Philippe Wojazer via Reuters (“Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (R) shakes hands with France's President Nicolas Sarkozy as they arrive for a meeting at Hyderabad house in New Delhi, December 6, 2010.”)
Online Sources- The Guardian, CNN, BBC News, MSNBC

World Watch: Recognition

* China: Human rights activists worldwide celebrated the awarding of this year's Nobel Peace Prize to Chinese political dissident Liu Xiaobo.

* Hungary: At least seven people are dead after 184 million gallons of toxic sludge swept through several villages and reached the Danube River.

* Middle East: The Arab League gave its conditional support of stalled peace negotiations between leaders of the Palestinian Authority and Israel.

* Congo: The International Criminal Court will resume its trial against a Congolese militia leader accused of recruiting child soldiers.

Online Sources - The Guardian, MSNBC, BBC News, CNN
Image - BBC News (Protesters have called on the Chinese government to release imprisoned dissident and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Liu Xiaobo).

World Watch: Falling short

* World: A U.N. report concluded that global target of universal access to prevention, treatment and care of HIV/AIDS will probably not be reached by the end of this year.

* Europe: According to Amnesty International ethnic Roma (a.k.a. Gypsies) face great difficulties after being deported from European countries to Kosovo.

* Middle East: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas next month in the hopes of continuing fragile negotiations.

* Spain: The country’s biggest corruption trial began with 95 defendants accused of taking part in the bribing of Marbella city officials.

Image – BBC News (“Life-saving HIV medicine.”)
Online Sources- Al Jazeera English, CNN, AFP, Voice of America

World Watch: Baby steps?

* Middle East: Some progress was made this week yet plenty of obstacles still remain to be tackled in future discussions between the leaders of Israel and Palestine.

* Portugal: Six men including a former TV presenter were sentenced after being convicted of child sex abuse at an orphanage.

* New Zealand: No major damages have been reported in a magnitude 7.0 earthquake that shook New Zealand.

* Pakistan: At least 53 people were killed when a bomb exploded at a political rally in southwestern Pakistan.

Image – CNN (“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas make a public display before Hillary Clinton.”)
Online Sources- CNN, BBC News, Voice of America, Christian Science Monitor

World Watch: No more mister nice guy?

* France: Is president Nicolas Sarkozy’s crackdown on certain immigrant communities a necessary anti-crime measure or, as this Foreign Policy article implies, a sign of upcoming “repression and retrenchment”?

* Middle East: In a tit-for-tat move Israel launched air strikes against Gaza after a rocket was launched into a coastal Israeli city.

* Britain: The incoming CEO of BP, Bob Dudley, claimed that the clean up efforts in the Gulf of Mexico may need to be “scaled back” despite serious damage from a major oil spill.

* Africa: A trio of Kenyans has been accused of being behind the deaths of 76 people killed by a bomb in Uganda.

Image – The Guardian (“Nicolas Sarkozy has been criticized over plans to clamp down on Traveller, Gypsy and Roma populations.”)
Online Sources- Foreign Policy, MSNBC, BBC News, The Guardian

Weekend World Watch: Lights out

* World: Locales around the world including Big Ben (image), the Sydney Opera House, and New York’s Times Square briefly shut off their lights Saturday night as part of Earth Hour 2010.

* India: According to the Indian press the military successfully fired two short-range ballistic missiles.

* Middle East: "We cannot resume indirect negotiations as long as Israel maintains its settlement policy and the status quo," Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said at a summit of the Arab League.

* Thailand: The military is withdrawing from certain areas in order to avoid conflict with tens of thousands of protesters rallying in favor of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Image – The Telegraph
Online Sources- Reuters, Xinhua, CNN, BBC News

Israeli FM avoids Lula

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s “mission of peace” in the Middle East has hit a diplomatic pothole.

On Monday the Brazilian leader gave a special address at the Knesset where he called for a renewed push against violence in the region as well as “a Middle East free of nuclear weapons.” Sadly one key member of Israel’s government opted to ignore Lula:

Israel's foreign minister (Avigdor Lieberman) confirmed Tuesday that he boycotted meetings with the visiting Brazilian president, claiming he refused to visit the grave of the founder of modern Zionism...

Lieberman said he was upset at Silva's decision not to visit late Zionist leader Theodor Herzl's grave, especially while agreeing to lay a wreath at the tomb of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on Wednesday.

"A person who is not prepared to visit Herzl's grave but is visiting Arafat's grave, I don't accept that," Lieberman told the Israeli news Web site YNet. He claimed the snub breached protocol.

A Brazilian government official anonymously told the AP that Lieberman’s claim was “odd” in that other heads of state recently visiting Israel skipped stopping at Herzl's grave. That explanation did not stop the World Zionist Organization treasurer to call Lula’s gesture “an insult to Israel’s citizens.”

As part of his tour Lula is expected to meet with Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas before traveling later this week to the West Bank and Jordan.

Image- AP (“Brazilian president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, lays a wreath at the Hall of Remembrance at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem, Tuesday, March 16, 2010.”)
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, Ha’aretz, AP, Jerusalem Post, LAHT

Lula on Middle Eastern "mission of peace"

While the Israeli government and the White House are at each other’s throats Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva started a crucial tour of the Middle East.

Lula became the first Brazilian leader to visit Israel earlier today with a vow "to talk about peace" for the region. Shortly before meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Lula added that he would back Israeli inclusion into the South American Mersocur trading bloc. With Brazil already serving as “Israel's largest trading partner in Latin America”, the Brazilian government has expressed optimism at the possible benefits of a recently signed bilateral free trade deal.

Lula will also meet with Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas and travel to Jordan as part of his tour. One of the subjects likely to be brought up will be his relation with Iran that some analysts and leaders view as a little too close. Yet Lula hopes that his “soft approach” towards Iran may break the impasse between leaders in Tehran and Western countries. Lula seemed to play down criticisms against him when speaking at the Knesset:

"Brazil is proud that there are no nuclear weapons in Latin America and we want this to be an example for other regions in the world," he said.

Lula also spoke of his vision for peace between Israel and its neighbors.

"In Brazil, 10 million Arabs live in harmony with thousands of Jews," he said. "We hope for this to be used as a metaphor for seeking deep understanding in the Middle East."

Whether Lula’s “mission of peace” is successful remains to be seen though it’s a welcome diplomatic step in a region fragmented by distrust and violence.

Image- PRESS TV (“Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is welcomed by Shimon Peres.‎”)
Online Sources- BBC News, BusinessWeek, etaiwannews.com, Reuters, The Citizen, Ha’aretz

World Watch: Hair today, gone tomorrow

* Spain: Radios in hair salons across Spain have gone silent in a protest against music industry demands for a radio tax.

* Middle East: Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s declaration of keeping a future presence in the West Bank could further complicate Middle Eastern peace talks.

* China: China may soon become the world’s second largest economy after the government said that 2009 GDP grew by 8.7% to $4.9 trillion.

* Australia: The Williams sisters were among those who moved into the third round of the first Grand Slam of the year – The Australian Open.

Image – BBC News (“"Don't forget to bring your own music from home!," Fedcat's poster says.”)
Online Sources- Guardian UK, Canadian Press, BBC News, Reuters

World Watch: Grounded

* Japan: Major Asian air carrier Japan Airlines filed for bankruptcy protection and a third of their workforce is expected to be laid off.

* Nigeria: At least seventy people are reported dead as a result of religious violence in the capital city of Lagos.

* U.K.: Management at candy giant Cadbury accepted a $19.5 billion takeover bid from U.S. firm Kraft.

* Middle East: A Vatican report blamed “the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the ‘occupying’ of lands” as the main causes of Middle Eastern conflict.

Image – France24.com
Online Sources- BBC News, CNN, Al Jazeera English, MSNBC

World Watch: Solemnity in Mumbai

* India: Vigils and other commemorative actions are being held in memory of the three-day siege in Mumbai which began one year ago this Thursday.

* Middle East: In a surprising about-face Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a ten-month suspension in the edification of new Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

* Philippines: Police have arrested twenty men suspected of participating in a politically-motivated massacre earlier this week that killed 57 people.

* Saudi Arabia: Worries of the swine flu and heavy rains may deter some Muslims from traveling to Mecca for the Hajj pilgrimage according to Saudi officials.

Image – BBC News
Online Sources- Los Angeles Times, Reuters, Bloomberg, BBC News

World Watch: Unfriendly fire

* U.S.: At least twelve people died in a shooting at Fort Hood, Texas done by an army major who served as a military psychiatrist.

* World: Hopes are dim that a global treaty to combat climate change will be created at a summit in Copenhagen next month.

* Middle East: Peace negotiations in the Middle East are in danger of failing after Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas threatened not to run for reelection.

* Spain: According to Spanish authorities Internet crimes such as hacking and child porn have risen over the past five years.

Image – Guardian UK
Online Sources- MSNBC, CNN, Guardian UK, New York Times

Weekend World Watch: And justice for all

* U.S.: President Barack Obama promised to drop the foolish “Don’t ask don’t tell” policy while thousands of people participate in a LGBT rights march in Washington today.

* Pakistan: Thirty-nine hostages have been rescued as commandoes stormed part of Pakistan’s army headquarters that had been taken over by suspected Taliban rebels.

* Russia: Bad news for Russia’s booming economy as President Dmitry Medvedev said that the GDP would fall by 7.5% this year.

* Europe: Turkey and Armenia signed a landmark agreement designed to calm over a century of hostilities.

* Middle East: The Middle East has weathered the global economic slowdown better than other regions due to its energy exporters according to an International Monetary Fund forecast.

* Japan: World peace will be the emphasis of Hiroshima and Nagasaki’s joint bid for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Online Sources- Los Angeles Times, Reuters, Guardian UK, BBC News, FT.com, MSNBC, Al Jazeera English
Image- AFP (“Activists yell during (the National Equality March) in Washington, DC”.)

World Watch: Death and destruction

* Indonesia: According to the U.N., over 1,000 people died from Wednesday's 7.6-magnitude quake while thousands are still missing and possibly deceased.

* Philippines: About 50,000 Filipinos have been evacuated ahead of Typhoon Parma which is supposed to hit the country on Saturday.

* U.S.: The unemployment rate rose to 9.8% last month; the highest mark since 1983.

* Middle East: Hope has grown for the possible release of a kidnapped Israeli soldier held by Hamas since June 2006.

Image- Guardian UK (“A family grieves this loss of a relative killed in the earthquake as they identify the body in Padang.”)

Online Sources- Los Angeles Times, MSNBC, BBC News, The Telegraph

World Watch: Wave of mutilation

* Asia: Several hundred people have supposedly died as a tsunami caused by a massive underwater earthquake swept over several South Pacific islands.

* Middle East: The U.N.’s Human Rights Council is debating a report that condemns Israel for its military operation in Gaza earlier this year and criticizes Palestinian militants of targeting innocent civilians.

* Switzerland: Film director Roman Polanski could remain in custody for weeks while officials decide whether or not to extradite him to the U.S. and stand trial for the 1977 rape of a minor.

* U.S.: The Senate Finance Committee defeated an amendment that would’ve included the public option on the panel’s health care reform proposal.

Image- ABC News (“Christopher Moore of NOAA looks at computer graphs at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, concerning the earthquake and tsunami that hit American Samoa September 29, 2009”)
Online Sources- csmonitor.com, MSNBC, BBC News, Voice of America