New government in Iraq

Elections were held in Iraq in March and the parliament has now established a new government in the country. The eight month delay on establishing the government has provoked a higher rate of unemployment and a worsening of the services in Iraq. Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, the Iraqi Prime Minister, has not appointed the security ministry as he considers himself as the leader of security issues.
There has been a growing anger from the citizens to the Prime Minister over the years, but all the parliament members approved the 34 ministers he proposed. There was only protest from some lawmakers, mainly women, and one small party.
The new government comprises the four main blocks in Iraq. There is two Shiite, one Sunni-backed and multi-sectarian and one Kurdish. All of the groups have different agendas, which might make it difficult to bring the country forwards and resolve their problems, when the American troops will be leaving Iraq at the end of this year.
The U.S President Obama has stated that this is a “significant moment in Iraq’s history”. Furthermore, the US ambassador in Baghdad said that the establishment of a new government in Iraq was seen as a Christmas present from Iraq to Americans.
The question is, Will the US troops stay in Iraq in 2012? The US has committed to leave them in Iraq if asked, but no request has been made. This is due to the certainty by the Prime Minister that the troops should leave the country, even if the military has argued the need of some sort of “residual force”.
In my opinion, the withdraw of the US troops at the end of this year it is not clear. Furthermore, even if this is seen as a success, in my opinion the US act too quickly giving their support. We cannot forget that the establishment of this government was delayed over 8 months and imagine the dissatisfaction of all the Iraqis that risked their lives in order to vote. Nobody knows if this new government will be beneficial to the country, it is a matter of waiting. Moreover, the former Prime Minister was re-elected, And he stated that there is no need for a security ministry at the moment, as he is the head of the department by now. This is seen by many as authoritarian, and I think we should appoint the ministry.

Serbs clash with Nato in north Kosovo

In Zubin Potok in northern Kosovo, Serbs have built a big roadblock. It's made of buses and trucks full of gravel and topped with
barbed wire, intended to stop KFOR, the NATO-led peacekeeping force, from cutting a road used by Serbs. This wednesday, Serbs
went out the streets to defend barricades against the Albanian authority. Nato troops fired tear gas in this region and moved to dismantle one of the roadblocks
Although Kosovo declared independence in 2008 with a 90% of the population were Albanians, Serbs concentrated in North Kosovo oppose to accept this secession.
As a country willing to enter the EU, Serbia has been pressured to remove this barricades and make progress in ties with Kosovo, the bloc meets on December 9 and the resolution is still on hold.
The Serbian government is also concerned about the current situation in the EU and studying if it's really an advantage to join this institution at this point.
If the Serbians that are now in the North Kosovo haven't accepted the Russia offer of repatriation back to Siberia (east of Urals), complete with free land and jobs, and haven't left to Serbia already, i don't think they'll ever do voluntarily.
The main question in my opinion is if the serbs in Serbia are to be blamed for this situation. Should state of Serbia sacrifice everything in order to protect this minority?
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Europe/Serbs-clash-with-Nato-in-north-Kosovo/Article1-773268.aspx

After a discussion on Facebook, she was killed with a knife

A 16 year-old-girl was stabbed to death in the back by the mother of another girl of 14 that came out in defense of her daughter, when both fought in the hallway of a building in Ciudad Evita, following a dispute that had begun days ago in the social network Facebook.

Law enforcement sources assured that after killing the teenager, the aggressor, her husband and her daughter fled the scene and are still at large, although they are identified and could be held in the coming hours.

The incident occurred yesterday afternoon at the apartment complex Villegas, located in Crover and Homer, Ciudad Evita, La Matanza, where the teen, Claudia Molina, lives with the rest of his family.

According to investigators, Molina and the other 14 year old had been friends for several years, but then drifted apart because they both played the same guy.

A few days ago, the girls had met through Facebook and aggressive phrases began to be published in the wall of the other.

Yesterday afternoon, tired of the insults, the youngest of the teenagers went with her parents to the other girl’s house where the youngest girl’s father incited the girls to fight in the hallway.  Apparently in the middle of the fight, the youngest girl’s mother pulled out a knife and stabbed twice in the back to the other, who fell badly wounded.

The woman, with her husband and her daughter fled to the run of the place, while Molina was assisted by her 30 year-old-brother who took her to a hospital area, where she eventually died.

Police sources claimed that the woman accused of being the author of the crime is already located by what she could be arrested in the coming hours.

This event is completely crazy, something that started between two young girls fighting for a boy, has ended with the death of one of them. The hardest to believe for me, is that the person who is supposed to educate and give example to her daughter, was the one who committed the crime, so how is this girl going to grow up? And which values and education is she going to have with parents like these?

http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1425713-tras-discutir-en-facebook-la-mataron-de-una-cuchillada

Ever heard of Abkhazia?

Last October, the domino world championship was held in Sukhumi, the capital of a tiny state known as Abkhazia. As surprising both the domino championship and that "new" territory can be, what is important to us is the questions its participation on a world event had. Abkhazia is a territory only recognized by Russia, Venezuela and other two states. It is situated between the Black Sea, Georgia to the south and Russia to the north, meaning that its existence as an state is not yet approved by most states, such is the case of United States.

The territory, which is fighting to be recognized as a country, is mostly criticized as a territory not respecting human rights. Due to its closeness to Georgia, there has always been conflict between both sides. Between 1992-3 Georgia and Abkhazia entered war and more than 200,000 people were displaced, but even more people had to move out of the territory when the short war between Russia and Georgia in 2008 took place. As a result of all those conflicts now Abkhazia's government is not willing to permit the entrance of all the people who had to move out of their territory, and although since the end of the 1993 it is true that many returnees have had the chance to get to Gali (the closest part of Abkhazia to Georgia), they don't seem to be enjoying the basic civil and political rights.

-----------------------------------

Opinion:

I have to say that I had never heard of such an state and even less of its intention to gain a recognized sovereignty, but when I read how the returnees and people living in the territory are treated as a result of Russia's influence and tension with Georgia. At least I think that this must clearly be seen as an international problem in which countries should have a say. Before the territory can move on to be a country with an institutionalized sovereignty, its laws and concessions about human rights have to be revised and taken care for. It is good that this territory has brought itself to the international spotlight by holding a domino championship, but this attempt should not eclipse the real issue, which is not to play with human rights and people's life.

Source: The Guardian UK

The Egg War

An egg war has started between the EU and Bosnia. Croatia will join the EU in July 2013 and the new EU external border will separate the country from Bosnia, Serbia and Montenegro. These two last countries have an effective government that warranties the EU food safety standards of their exports. They will not have problems to trade eggs and meat with Croatia. However, in Bosnia there is neither a ministry of agriculture to certify such standards, nor an agreement on who produces what. For example, Bosnian Serbs do not recognize their products as state level ones, but the Bosnian government does. If this situation continues, Bosnia will not be able to export either dairy goods or eggs or meat to Croatia once it will have entered the EU. Neither Bosnians nor Croatians like the situation; they think that Bosnians need to stick together in order to organize their production market. In addition, there will be only two crossings to trade food along the new border. Small producers’ businesses might not survive if their transport costs increase to get to any of those crossings, reducing Bosnian and Croat export rates between each other. Hopefully, the EU will bankroll more crossings. Also, trucks will waste more time and money during the new border controls. Even worse, this situation will cause inequality among Bosnians. Bosnia Croats who have a Croat citizenship (most of them) will become EU citizens while they will live in Bosnia. But, Bosniaks and Bosnia Serbs will not. Bosnia definitely needs to agree on who will certify EU food safety standards and also it needs to manage the new border traffic that they will have with Croatia.

Opinion:
I think the situation is very clear. Bosnia still lacks of unity among its diverse ethnic groups: Bosnian Croats, Bosniaks and Bosnia Serbs. For years, the leaders of the country haven't sought for common interests. This has led to the following situation: non common standards on production. It is comprehensible that the EU requires Bosnia to meet some specific food safety standards and to certify them, as they do with all their food imports. Croatia is entering the EU and maybe Serbia will soon do as well, since it has already submitted its application as a candidate for the organization. Bosnia, if they resolve their intern issues, might also one day join the EU. Now more than never, Bosnia needs to prove to the regional organization that their government is able to overcome this trade war by sticking together and strengthening their government.

Source:
http://www.economist.com/blogs/easternapproaches/2011/11/free-trade-and-old-grudges-balkans

Tijuana-San Diego: an unconventional tunnel

Last week, in San Diego, US authorities seized several tons of marijuana in a truck inside a warehouse. Where did that come from? Inside the building, they discovered something else: a mysterious tunnel, which seemed to be the answer. The tunnel –approximately 360 meters long- crossed the border with Mexico, linking the warehouse in San Diego with another in Tijuana. Both entrances were hidden, blocked by bundles. After clearing the entrances of the tunnel, Mexican and US policemen found inside another consignment of drugs, which added up to 14 tons.

With US intensification of security and restrictions on the border, Mexican drug tycoons have invented a new way to make their “products” reach the US market: building tunnels. These underground structures have lighting, ventilation and even rail tracks, which makes transporting drugs easier. Tunnels have been a good solution for Mexican drug traffickers to avoid the thorough controls on the US border. Besides, they are not very difficult to dig and build, thanks to the claylike soil of the area. More than 70 tunnels have been found on the border since October 2008.

The trend of using tunnels to pass drugs from Mexico to –mainly- California is posing a huge problem to the US police forces in the area, since it is very difficult to actually find the tunnels and prosecute the traffickers. Through these tunnels, huge amounts of drugs travel to the US and are then sold more easily, which undermines police efforts. Regarding this issue, should we just assume that crime is always a step ahead of law? or, is there any possibility to actually stop this problem? This is all again related to the drug cartels. How can the Mexican state bring down these crime organizations? Would more cooperation and coordination between Mexico and the US be positive in fighting drug trafficking? Let’s believe that, in a moment of desperation, Mexico or the US legalize drugs: what would be the immediate consequence for the cartels and the drug market?

The New York Times 17/11/11

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/17/us/us-mexico-tunnel-leads-to-tons-of-marijuana.html?_r=1&scp=5&sq=mexico&st=cse

Opposition leader backs Greek changes

The opposition leader, Antonis Samaras, from the New Democracy Party supports the Greek governments agenda.
The greeks need another disbursement from the Eurozone, this time 8 Billion of euros. The Eurozone is not willing to give the money to greece unless they recieve a written letter in which the opposition signs and agrees the reforms. This is a precautionary measure that the Eurozone is taking. In February of next year elecetions will be held in Greece and the Eurozone doesn't want a change in its economical agenda in the case of a change of government.

Antonis Samaras wrote and signed a letter adressed to European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, IMF head Christine Lagarde, European Central Bank President Mario Draghi and Jean-Claude Juncker, head of the Eurogroup of euro-zone finance ministers. In the letter he said: The Party "Fully supports the targets of fiscal adjustments". Is this cooperation between parties in Greece or is it just because he wants the money for when he becomes everything would be easier? We can see it from two different point of views: Antonis Samaras has a main objective to help the Greeks, and the way is to cooperate with the opposition. The other is that Mr. Samaras knows that if they dont went that support of the Eurozone my Mid-December Greece will have no money, and in February when he becomes Prime minister it would be much harder to manage.
What I see is a combination of both, he wants a brighter futuer for Greece but also for him. Now he is leading the opposition and he seems to be the favourite of the greeks for February and he is also cooperating with other oppositors and the Greek Central Bank to "step up the pace of reforms".

This image of a cooperation among opposit parties we would have never seen it unless we live a delicate situation. I would like to leave a question for you to think. Cooperation among parties are only in rare cases when there is a extreme situation, should the cooperation among parties be constant?



http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204630904577055652269419834.html

日本の生存のファイト！(Japan fights for survival)

Not long after the Fukushima Daichii nuclear disaster took place in Japan last March, the government has been looking forward to use other sources of energy, due to the wide spread panic and concern. One of the most interesting approaches is that of the geothermal energy, which they could use not only to create electricity but also for heating services. They have been setting their sight on Iceland, as they have lots of experience with this sort of energy, which they have been using since 1973 (they currently have seven geothermal plants which provide 22% of the country's electricity output)

Iceland is willing to help too, as they know how to implement this sort of plant, and because they have interest in settling down a better deal in terms of trading the necessary turbines (Japanese companies such as Fuji Electric or Mitsubishi actually develop 80% of the global production of these).

WATCH ME!

Iceland and Japan mean to work together not only for their mutual benefit but also to encourage other nations to do the exact same thing. With Iceland experience in the field and Japanese technologic advantage, the international community would be able to grow towards a more "eco-friendly" and safer place to live. However, this kind of energy source is not as powerful as the nuclear one, for example, so the chances of moving on towards renewable energies are still scarce. Japan has suffered the unsustainable damages of a not so massive but still important nuclear leak, and so it has learnt the lesson. Although, in order to achieve this new goal they will need not only governmental support but also huge investment rates, specially at the beginning. Unfortunately, being aware of the current international situation we can predict that these changes are not likely to be implemented in the near future, as there are always other global issues that must be solved "à toute vitesse".

Source: http://ajw.asahi.com/article/globe/feature/geothermal_energy/AJ2011102314138

PAKISTAN: BANNED WORDS IN TEXT'S, EXPECTED AND ODD

Pakistan telecommunications authorities have told the countries self phone companies to begin blocking text messages which include terms considered obscene. The list is almost of seventeen hundred phrases (11 hundred in English, and 6 hundred in Urdu). The authorities say that the move is legal under Pakistan stand law. The banned was actually supposed to be starting this week but Self phone companies have asked for more clarifications.

First of all I think there are mayor issues going on in Pakistan that should be of greater importance. Second of all, text messages are part of people's private life and shouldn't be banned. I understand that in a Muslim country words on public writing's are subjugated to censure, but banning private texting is going to far.

They are planning to ban an enormous list of words, some of them completely ridiculous, like the word taxi, which is sometimes used to refer to prostitutes, or word's like flatulence, showtime or idiot. I think people should have the right to use what they think is appropriate in terms of their own morals.

Fifa pressed over Qatar World Cup workers' conditions

Qatar is getting ready to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup to become the first Middle-Eastern country to hold an event of such magnitude. According to the FIFA requirements, Qatar is to build from the foundations about 9 new football stadiums in the next few years. Criticism has come from different football federations due to the lack of sports infrastructure in the country and over all the hard weather conditions that Qatar holds during the summer (over 50C). However, the most striking fact is that Qatar is going to rely in migrant labor force to accomplish their objectives. This has brought over the attention of some well-known trade union activist groups such as the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), that demand from a better treatment of the workers that according to the ITUC survey, endured “inhuman” conditions.

FIFA (International Federation of Association Football), as one the most powerful international organizations in the world, following closely important political organizations such as the EU, has the moral duty to improve the life of those related to the world of sports. Now, ITUC claims FIFA to put some pressure on Qatar to improve the conditions of the workers or move the tournament instead. This is not the first time that the FIFA has been urged to intervene in cases related to human rights violation and football, especially related to child labor, but it does seem like a legitimate claim to an organization that holds one of the biggest budgets in the world, careless of financial crisis. Some would say that FIFA is not there to take care of other organization’s businesses; that they should only work on what they were meant to work. However, this organization has the gift to bring welfare and social changes easier than any other political institution through sports, isn’t it the time for them to make a difference? After all, football business is not going to run out, not even slightly.   

Main source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15772284

EasyJet eyes Copenhagen as base

Government keen to attract airline's investment but easyJet says there is no guarantee of starting Copenhagen base

As Thomas Haagensen, easy Jet’s regional general manager of northern Europe, told Politiken newspaper reports, the airline company easy Jet is considering Copenhagen Airport as an established base from which to expand its operations. Easy Jet flies one million passengers in and out of Copenhagen every year, which makes its airport one of the most frequented by the company. And so, in order to growth and expansion, Copenhagen has clearly a good potential. After a meeting with the representatives of easy Jet in London, Pia Olsen Dhyr, trade and investment minister, announced that the airline was considering Denmark as a larger base for their planes as Copenhagen is achieving an annual growth in passenger numbers of almost 20 percent, being, by far, one of the most successful destinations. This project would not only beneficiate the airline, with its expansion and growth, but it will create more than 100 jobs if Copenhagen airport allows easy Jet to park some of their planes overnight. And, moreover, the Danish government is willing to negotiate and get things happen as soon as possible if a security for the investment is involved. However, the airline has also announced that the decision is not yet definitive, as they are also considering other airports such as the Lisbon airport. Danish government is keen to attract airline’s investments even if there is no guarantee that easy Jet starts a Copenhagen base for their flights.

I don’t know whether this is a good idea or not because I cannot see at what point it would benefit the airline. Easy Jet has flights that go all over Europe at very cheap prices, and it has recently settled Lisbon, Portugal, as one of the busiest destinations, with almost six flights a day only from Copenhagen. In my opinion, the only positive aspect of considering Copenhagen airport as easy Jet’s airplanes base for overnight parking is that it will create more than 100 jobs in one night.

HEZBOLLAH EXPLOSION PUTS A HALT TO ISRAEL AND THREATENS LEBANON AND THEIR INTERNATIONAL PEACEKEEPERS.

Blast rocks Hezbollah stronghold in south Lebanon

A huge explosion took place near Siddiqin an area of southern Lebanon where Hezbollah is prohibited from having weapons under the terms of a UN agreement that ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War. UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) controls the area. Lebanese security forces were unable to access the scene of the explosion after the resistance group set up a security perimeter around the blast site. Local media said the explosion likely took place at a Hezbollah arms cache.

A Lebanon Daily Star journalist concludes that "We have no information at the moment. We are checking this report". But Israeli intelligence has been more clear on their conclusion and argued that the moral being of the incident is called “the game of Asymmetrical warfare”

Hezbollah made the fatal assumption being sure your opponent is the only dumb one who will do certain things and that you never will . The problem here is the area of the explosion; for Hezbollah it was forbidden from having weapons; and that means they violated the UN ceasefire resolution 1701. The UNIFIL is mediating; however it is not the first time for Hezbollah, which is receiving support from the Sepah (Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution): ” We have obtained extensive intelligence on all the Zionist regime's military maneuvers, including the joint exercises with NATO in the Mediterranean Sea”. These news are sparking too much controversy that challenge organizations like the UN and NATO involving U.S. and Israel but also to Lebanon where the incident took place.

Once again tensions with Israel, did they really end the war?

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2011/Nov-23/154877-huge-blast-rocks-hezbollah-stronghold-in-south-lebanon.ashx#axzz1eZAFonbP

TIME TO END THE THAI-CAMBODIAN CONFLICT OVER PREAH VIHEAR TEMPLE

Preah Vihear Temple is a Hindu temple built during the Khmer Empire, situated atop a 525-metre cliff in the Preah Vihear province in Cambodia. In 1962, the International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia. During different periods it has been located in Cambodia and Thailand in turn. Following Cambodian independence and during the Thai occupation of the temple site, it was listed as being in Thai territory. The ongoing conflict between Cambodia and Thailand over land has led to periodic outbreaks of violence for more than a hundred years. Maps drawn up by other authorities and court cases ruled in favor of Cambodia being the rightful owners in spite of the fact that access to the temple site was very difficult. It seemed that a peaceful solution had arrived but that was not the case.

The scar was again opened in 2008 when the Temple was to be declared a World Heritage site with both Thailand and Cambodia agreeing. It did not go according to plan as Thailand backed out. This current disagreement has led to a continuing presence of troops from both sides of the border. Physical conflict implying multiple deaths are becoming the only approach between the two countries while the war of words is still on and not likely to solve anything.

Thailand has now submitted a 900-page report to the ICJ, while Cambodia did the same thing in April 2011 in order to interpret its 1962 verdict that awarded temple ownership to them. However, it never clarifies the ownership of the area around the temple. The ICJ has asked both countries to submit their written observation by November 21 (that is two days ago). Thailand is willing to promote a smoothly discussion with Cambodia having in mind that the government they will be treating with this time has nothing to do with the previous government, prior to the Cambodian independency.

Meanwhile, Cambodia has asked Indonesia, as the outgoing chair for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), to continue its role as mediator for the border dispute. As Cambodia has officially become the 2012 ASEAN chair, the country cannot act as both player and referee at the same time in negotiations about the border dispute with Thailand so the need for Indonesia to take part as a mediator on this issue is quite important.

I agree in this case that following the map given by France in 1907 cannot really tell whether a border territory is part of one country or the other one. I think this should have been discussed by the two countries themselves. The idea that Indonesia should take part on the conflict is right now a necessity because as I have said before, Cambodia now, taking into account its position as in the Asean. This conflict needs an outsider who can play the arbitrator role. The question now is, Is Indonesia really impartial within this conflict? This is an important fact because not resolving this situation would lead into an even longer and harmful conflict that has been going on for too long. I think now is the right moment. The situation in Cambodia has changed and the relation between the two countries, besides the obvious conflict, is (short of) getting better. As one could say, it’s now or never. So let’s hope for the now instead of the never.

http://pattayatoday.net/news/thailand-news/thailand-hands-in-border-report-to-icj/

Is Iran about to collapse?

Regarding the pressure of sanctions the United States and Britain are leading against Iran, there is a presumption of a collapse in the Iranian economy. The United States and Britain are targeting Iran´s banks and oil industry after following the International Atomic Energy Agency´s report that said Teheran worked for many years to develop nuclear weapons and it is still doing so.

As a result of these sanctions, there are two central narratives that affirm that Iran is suffering a collapse. First of all, Iran is running out of money. However, this statement does not correspond to the facts, as the World Bank sets the economic growth of Iran at 3.0% in 2010. Furthermore, Iran seems to be economically isolated. On the other hand, foreign direct investment to the country has increased exponentially from $1.6bn to $3.6bn, but it does not mean that the Iranian government does not have economic problems: corruption is a big problem of Iranian´s economy and there is a structural inefficiency. The United States and the European Union are disqualifying themselves from the Iranian market and China and Russia are benefiting from that.

Iran has developed in the technological aspect, due to systematic investments in a functioning research and development infrastructure. There has been a growth in scientific publication. They are also developing a Nan technological center and 4% of GDP is set aside to research and development. Recently, Iran successfully launched the Rassad satellite.

Secondly, there is another statement that augurs the decease of the Islamic republic. The author argues the idea that the Iranian state is collapsing “is ideologically opportunistic and remote from the political realities in the country”.

In addition to the fact that the Iranian state is remaining stable, there is no over dependency on the west that could lead into a crisis, and there is no submission to Israeli demands. The country emphasizes on national independence and the confrontation over the nuclear file nourishes that nationalism.

Iran is one of the few major economies that has maintained positive growth since the 2008 global economic crisis, despite sanctions imposed to the country. But there is no doubt that the economy of Iran continues to be encumbered by high unemployment, inflation, expensive subsidies, corruption, and an inefficient public sector. The percentage of the country's wealth devoted to the development of weapons of mass destruction continues to be a controversial issue in the West.

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/nov/22/iran-sanctions-economy-government

Smiling against discrimination

Last 20th of November, the campaign "Smile together" reached the chinese city of Xi´an, in an attempt to promote the acceptance of employment equity for the HIV-infected population and condemn the discrimination they continuosly have to face. A group of five volunteers, leaded by a young carrier from Tianjan surnamed "Ma", had signs with messages such as " I´m willing to make friends with HIV-infected people", and took pictures of some pedestrians that accepted to hold them. Those pictures will be posted online and delivered to the government, in a call for attention and public awareness.



Sadly enough, societies from all regions of the world seem to share a common feature: their lack of understanding towards "the other". This issue turns specially dramatic when it comes to HIV-carriers, who see themselves mistreated and isolated, and with limited access to normal working conditions. I believe disinformation has played a huge role in this issue, leading to the rejection of HIV-infected individuals. The fact that campaings like the "Smile together" one are being promoted, can mean a step forward in their struggle for acceptance and understanding.

Source: www.chinadaily.com

http://ecns.cn/in-depth/2011/11-22/4026.shtml

Guatemala’s Silicon Valley

Even though it’s just a single brick building called Campus Tecnologico, developers hoped it would contribute to the creation of an entrepreneurial hub in the district of 4 Grados in Guatemala City. After only a year the neighbourhood has experienced a small revival, as new buildings are selling better than expected and designer boutiques are opening.

Campus Tech holds many Guatemalan companies, in which, work 375 employees. Many of these companies are Guatemalan with foreign experiences that have decided to set up their business there because it’s cheaper, with less competition and more room for creativity. Future plans for Guatemala’s Silicon Valley include adding at least another building.

…………………………

New "Silicon Valleys" are popping up all over the world: Kenya; and Argentina, as emerging tech-hubs willing to export technologies and ideas .In Guatemala, there is finally a zone for meritocracy.

In present day terms, opening a business continues to be a risk in a drug fuelled environment in which drug cartels threaten to disturb the peace every now and then; and so Campus Tech still needs to be protected day and night with serious security measures. New enterprises, such as these restaurants and boutiques, are being set up in an era of stability needed in a country for investors to be confident.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/17/world/americas/a-silicon-valley-dream-grows-in-guatemala-city.html

By Damien Cave.

Published: November 16, 2011

Vatican takes legal action over pope-imam kissing ad

Last advertising campaign by Benetton portraying some of the most important religious and political leaders kissing each others have provoked big criticism in their institutions. The spokesman of the Vatican condemned it as a lack of respect and an offense to the feelings of the Catholics and announced that they are taking legal actions against the Italian clothing company. On the other hand, the Egyptian al-Azhar institute has declared that the ad is irresponsible and absurd, but they still have to consider wether to issue a legal response or not.

Benetton has a long history of controversial campaigns: death row inmates, a nun kissing a priest, a man dying of Aids... In the last few years they have lost an important share of the market to other clothing companies such as Hennes & Mauritz AB (H&M) and Inditex (Zara), and this new campaign is nothing else but a new attempt to draw attention. Nonetheless, they have committed two mistakes: the first one and more obvious is the illegitimate use of the image rights of these people, the second one is the naive idea that we are going to be scandalized by a tacky photosophized kiss; three decades of agressive marketing campaigns have desensitized us completely. If they really want to regain their place in the clothing industry, they will have to work on innovation, on new designs and on new market techniques, leaving people's feelings and beliefs aside.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15778377

"Brits leaving Oz"

Many Britons emigrate to Australia every year and many Aussies go to Britain as well. This is nothing new, it has been happening for many years. The only thing that has changed is the number of “poms” who are leaving Australia indefinitely, which has been rising over the last couple of years and reached the figure of over 7000 people in the period between 2009-2010.

In this article, many evident points are raised and we can see how there is a certain concern about this fact.

It is strange that this is occurring now, specially because of the current economic situation in both countries.

Australia has a booming economy and has many things to offer the Britons and, on the other hand, Britain is submerged in a recession they are trying to recover from. The main question that could be asked is why are these people going back to a country that is struggling rather than staying in one that is in a good position and seems to be growing?

They outline the fact that, despite the good standard of life in Australia, with good job prospects, a decent salary and nice weather, Britons have their families far away and, with the rise of the Australian dollar, things have become more expensive and this probably makes them reconsider their situation and decide to return to Britain.

I agree with this article. Things are more expensive in Australia now than they were before and despite the bad economic situation in Britain, in times of trouble people normally prefer to be surrounded by their families.

With the rise of the Australian dollar, people who go back to Britain after having worked in Australia for years will be better off as they will be benefitting from the exchange rate. If we refer to the decrease in Australians who decide to move to Britain we can outline, yet again, the economic difficulties they would find in the European continent and the fact that this will not be of their interest.

Despite all this, Britons and Australians still travel from one country to another and always will as the existing ties will not fade away anytime soon, but it is obviously a concern for the Australians.

Article:

Why are so many Britons leaving Australia?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15799571

Peru: desaparecidos and social justice

Peru is the second Latin American country with the most desaparecidos- around 15,000-, right after Guatemala. Twenty years after the worst period of Peru’s civil war between security forces and Maoist guerrillas, most cases of disappearances remain unsolved. From 1980 to 2000 thousands of systematic murders and forced disappearances took place, leaving a total of around 69,000 deaths.

In 2001 Peru’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission was set up in order to tackle this issue. Although some of the main culprits such as Alberto Fujimori (Peruvian president from 1990 to 2000) have been imprisoned, there’s still much to do: many Peruvian families are still waiting to know what happened to their loved ones, and they want the government to compensate them.
So far, the national register has listed a total of 60,000 beneficiaries of this compensation, which is far from the 3 million Peruvians believed to have been affected by the conflict. The government is now reluctant to hand out reparations because, they say, they have projects of improving the health and education facilities in the areas that were most affected by the violence of the war.

Opinion: I believe that Peruvian authorities don't realize of the urgency and importance of this issue. It is not only about compensating the people for the material and economic damage, it is also and most importantly about restoring the trust of the people in the government and in democratic insitutions. Say your father disappears (that is, he is killed by squads linked to the government) during a civil conflict, and, twenty years later, a different government is reluctant to judge the culprits or at least tell you what happened to him. How would you feel? Would you trust the new government any more than you trusted the previous one?
From my point of view it is about time to start making justice work in Peru once and for all.

SOURCE

Syria at dead end, says President Gül

Turkey is increasing its pressure on the Syrian government. During his visit to London, Turkish President Abdullah Gül declared the situation in the Republic of Syria is reaching an end creating a change which, as he specified, it should not come through intervention from other countries. According to him, external intervention is not the right way; it should be the people who make the change. He had spoken to Assad regularly until a few months ago and advised him at the time to allow free elections, release political prisoners and announce a clear timetable for reforms, but now it is too late for that. The Turkish president said his country would not remain indifferent to Syria’s crisis and would support the demands of the Syrian people.

Not only the President, but also the Prime Minister is criticizing the Syrian leader, who compared al-Assad with post dictators who has fought until death.

Hundreds of thousands refugees are coming from Syria. Turkey had already said in previous months that the Syrian operations against civilians must end immediately. However, as we can read in the article the words of President Gül “Syria has reached a dead end”, he is prepared for worst. As the International Community, Turkey does not want to get involved in the war. Along with the U.S. and Switherland, it intervenes keeping Syrian government funds frozen. Therefore Turkey has lost every confidence in a possible change of the Syrian leader, if there was still some. At the moment, we do not know who will end this war, and who eventually will lead the government of this country, what we know is Syria’s neighboring country remains in a more passive attitude of non intervention.

Source: Hurriyet daily news.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=syria-at-dead-end-says-president-gul-2011-11-22