Topic: the economist, biodun iginla, bb
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| Politics this week | The Economist online Apr 22nd 2010 From The Economist print edition Aircraft returned to the skies over Europe after the cancellation of almost 100,000 flights and the biggest-ever disruption to Europe’s commercial airspace, caused by a volcanic eruption in Iceland. Some carriers criticised the almost week-long shutdown, which had effects worldwide, arguing that safety concerns may have been overdone. The International Air Transport Association, an industry body, said that the flying ban cost airlines around $1.7 billion in revenue. See article A strong performance by Nick Clegg, leader of the Liberal Democrats, in Britain’s first ever televised prime ministerial election debate on April 15th led to an extraordinary surge in support for the party. Yet questions remained over the Lib Dems' ability to transform their bounce into votes. The prospect of a hung parliament loomed larger. See article After the plane crash that killed President Lech Kaczynski, who was buried this week, Poland fixed a presidential election for June 20th. Early polls found strong support for Bronislaw Komorowski, the acting president and parliamentary speaker. A presidential election in north Cyprus was won by Dervish Eroglu, a hardliner who favours independence, dimming hopes for the reunification of Cyprus, which has been split between a Greek-Cypriot south and a Turkish-Cypriot north since 1974. See article The French government moved ahead with plans to ban the burqa, which is worn by a small number of Muslim women, in all public places. It will submit a draft law to parliament in May. One of the most controversial issues in Ukrainian-Russian relations was apparently settled when the two countries signed a deal to extend the leasing rights of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in Sebastopol, a Ukrainian port, for 25 years. In exchange Russia will provide Ukraine with cheaper gas. The Democrats pulled legislation that would have given Washington, DC, a seat in the House of Representatives. The bill, which would have also created an extra seat for Utah, had passed the Senate but with an amendment that would have repealed the city’s strict gun-control laws. See article America’s Supreme Court overturned, by 8-1, a law that had banned images of dogfighting and other depictions of cruelty to animals because the legislation restricted free speech. It is the second decision by the court this year that expands the notion of free speech under the constitution; the other ruling lifted restrictions on campaign spending. Hugo Chávez, Venezuela’s president, said that China had promised to lend $20 billion to build power plants and highways in return for oil. The two countries also signed an agreement for a joint venture to produce up to 400,000 barrels of oil a day in the Orinoco belt. A consortium led by Chesf, a state-owned electricity generator, won a contract to build the world’s third-largest hydroelectric dam on the Xingu river in the Brazilian Amazon. Although the project has been scaled down, green and indigenous groups object to its environmental impact, but failed to persuade the courts to block the contract auction. See article The International Court of Justice ruled that although Uruguay should have consulted Argentina before allowing a cellulose factory on their border river, the plant did not pollute and could continue to operate. Uruguayans will hope that their neighbour will end a more than three-year blockade of a border bridge. Argentina unveiled the terms of its long-awaited offer to creditors who chose not to participate in its first debt restructuring in 2005. The proposal is almost identical to the prior exchange, and is seen as relatively favourable to investors. Analysts expect most bondholders to accept. Three leaders of extremist Sunni groups in Iraq that are affiliated to al-Qaeda were reportedly killed in joint Iraqi-American operations: Abu Ayyub al-Masri, who was said to head “al-Qaeda in Iraq”; Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, who ran a still more shadowy outfit; and Ahmed al-Obeidi, who organised attacks around Mosul. It is too soon to say if the recent spate of suicide-bombings against Iraqi government targets will now end. Israel’s president, Shimon Peres, accused Syria of supplying Scud missiles to Lebanon’s Shia party-cum-militia, Hizbullah, raising the possibility of a pre-emptive attack by Israel. The claim has yet to be independently verified and Syria denied the claim. The authorities in Rwanda arrested Victoire Ingabire, a leading opposition politician, and accused her of, among other things, helping a rebel group whose members perpetrated the genocide in 1994. Mrs Ingabire, a Hutu, returned from abroad earlier this year and says she will run for president against the incumbent, Paul Kagame, a Tutsi. Jacob Zuma, South Africa’s president, chastised Julius Malema, the leader of the Youth League of the ruling African National Congress, for using threatening language against white South African farmers and for praising President Robert Mugabe on a visit to Zimbabwe. But Mr Malema seemed loth to back down, suggesting a struggle for authority within the ANC. A tense stand-off gripped Thailand. The army occupied Bangkok’s financial district and threatened to use live ammunition against opposition demonstrators, who barricaded their makeshift camp but called off a march. Government supporters increased pressure on the regime to crack down by threatening a counter-demonstration. But Abhisit Vejjajiva, the prime minister, put the army commander-in-chief, an advocate of a political solution, in charge of national security. See article The death toll from the recent earthquake that struck China’s Qinghai province rose to more than 2,000. Relations between the Koreas deteriorated over the mysterious sinking last month of a South Korean warship. After an international investigation ruled out an on-board explosion as the cause, Lee Myung-bak, South Korea’s president, vowed, in an emotional television address, that the response would be “unwavering and resolute”. Military analysts reportedly think a North Korean torpedo sank its ship. See article |