Japan: Hawks circling as Constitution turns 60

Posted by Matt in November 7th, 2006 | no comment

Having marked the 60th anniversary Friday of the 1946 promulgation of the Constitution, Japan is facing a turning point amid growing political efforts to rewrite the supreme code to reflect greater patriotism and ease military restrictions.
Link to this article.

IEA backs nuclear power in climate change battle

Posted by Matt in November 7th, 2006 | no comment

Published in Nuclear, general

LONDON/PARIS (Reuters) - The International Energy Agency urged governments on Tuesday to build more nuclear plants to slow climate change and increase energy security, throwing its weight behind the push for nuclear power.
Link to this article.

Watch out for Putin, say peril mappers

Posted by Matt in November 7th, 2006 | no comment

Published in Russia, general

Businesses operating in Russia are expected to confront increasing hostility in the next year as President Putin tries to force through a renationalisation programme before he steps down, global security experts have predicted.
The warning by the Control Risks Group in its RiskMap for 2007 comes amid the dispute over foreign licences in the Sakhalin oil [...]

Japanese Debate: Nukes, Or No Nukes?

Posted by Matt in November 7th, 2006 | no comment

Published in Japan, Nuclear

In a new thread to the North Korean bomb saga, arguments over Japan’s nuclear ambitions are becoming the focus as prominent politicians from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) continue to raise the issue.
Link to this article.

Three Countries Foresee War in Iran, North Korea

Posted by Matt in November 7th, 2006 | no comment

Published in U.S., War

Many adults in three countries believe the United States will eventually become involved in armed conflict in either of two new fronts, according to a poll published in The Guardian. 68 per cent of respondents in Mexico believe the U.S is likely to intervene militarily in Iran or North Korea in the next two years.
In [...]

To be a Jew in Denmark

Posted by Matt in November 7th, 2006 | no comment

Published in Europe, general

TWO FORMER Israelis living in Denmark openly expressed their fears.
Tziyona, who works as a teacher in Copenhagen, and Elisheva, who lives in Jutland, spoke about their palpable concerns for their safety. The latter, for example, refuses to allow her teenage daughter to wear a Magen David necklace, although she herself does. When I humbly suggested [...]

Russia: Kremlin Pursues Special Relationship With Germany

Posted by Matt in November 7th, 2006 | no comment

Published in Europe, Russia

PRAGUE, November 7, 2006 (RFE/RL) — First there was “sovereign democracy,” the Kremlin’s euphemism for its tightening controls over society. Now Kremlin spin doctors are talking more and more about a new strategy: “sovereign economy.”
Given Russia’s growing international confidence, the strategy comes as no surprise. It is now affecting Russia’s relations with the European [...]