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A top conservative from Chancellor Merkel's party warned immigrants they must adapt to the German way of life or face "consequences". Roland Koch, premier of the prosperous western state of Hesse, is focusing on law-and-order themes in a bid to win a 3rd term in a regional vote this month
Right-wing radicals in Cologne are gaining traction with Germany's first anti-Islamic party. The German domestic intelligence agency is alarmed - but so are traditional neo-Nazis, who may have to shift their tactics to compete.
The EU must choose between signing an accord with Serbia or deploying a mission to Kosovo as a prelude to an independence declaration by the breakaway province, Serbia's prime minister said. "The EU must choose... whether it will sign a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with Serbia or, under United States pressure, send a mission to implement (a plan for) supervised independence of Kosovo, snatching part of Serbia's territory."
Prime Minister Olmert said the "hand of God" had helped create an international climate that is favourable to Israel in its peace negotiations with the Palestinians, according to an interview published today.
For years the US has attempted to mold Pakistan. The result is not pretty: an unstable, undemocratic state which possesses nuclear weapons, border provinces which offer safe haven to Taliban and al-Qaeda forces, and people who loath the American government. Then came the assassination. Now the Bush administration's plans are in ruins. The politician who was supposed to lead the restoration of democracy is dead.
North Korea's state media warned the communist nation would bolster its "war deterrent," accusing the US of plotting a nuclear war, as the world awaited Pyongyang's explanation about its failure to meet a nuclear deadline.
Libya said it was uncomfortable with the idea of sanctions against Iran but vowed to be "constructive" in dealing with Tehran's nuclear program while chairing the UN Security Council this month. Libya took over the rotating presidency of the council this week after decades as a pariah of the West. Libya is not the only country on the Security Council with doubts about the wisdom of further sanctioning Tehran. Both Russia and China oppose tough additional punitive measures.
The Bush administration is now trying to rally Arab rulers against Iran, forgetting that an unnecessary invasion of Iraq was what has brought about this mess in the first place. Whereas Washington once played off Tehran against Baghdad, while involved in a superpower zero-sum game with the Soviet Union, the Bush administration is now engaged in a zero-sum game, as a virtual equal, with Iran.
President Bush said that part of the reason for his trip to the Middle East next week is "absolutely" about efforts to contain Iran's influence in the region. "I will clarify to them that the US National Intelligence Estimate means that Iran is still a danger. I will remind them that a country that can suspend a programme can easily start a programme."
(Also: WH downplays Bush trip)
Ayatollah Khamenei says while Iran will never wage war on any state, it is prepared to repel any invasion. "The pacifist nation of Iran will deliver a crushing response to any attacks in any magnitude."
Clearly, with Bhutto's assassination and with Pakistan tottering on the abyss, what stares the Bush administration in the face is a potential unraveling of its global strategy built around the "war on terror" and "Islamofascism".
The last election was all about the war, a referendum on a policy that has led us ever deeper into the Middle East, and the verdict was clear: the voters have had enough. In the interim, however, we've had a veritable D-Day-style propaganda campaign, designed to fool the public into believing that the so-called "surge" has worked, we're on the path to a "drawdown." Whether that worked, or not, is the real back story – or, at least, a fascinating aspect – of this election season.
The Iowa caucuses kicked off a long, costly presidential primary season in the US. European experts said they find the US system to be unnecessarily drawn out, expensive and outdated.
National elections in Europe often last only 6 weeks and campaigns are publicly financed. That makes the details of the US's prolonged primary season, the winner-takes-all Electoral College and campaign financing groups particularly murky waters for Europeans. "Quite frankly the American democratic system is atavistic. It's outdated. It doesn't really reflect democracy in a modern sense."
Traders calmed down a bit on Thursday and sent the price of oil back under $100 a barrel, but a Norwegian analyst thinks it could still soar to as high as $150. "Production capacity is so tight that an accident or a crisis could cause the market to break down." Nearly half the world's oil is pumped up in areas plagued by conflict, totalitarian regimes or in countries where waves of nationalism drive out major international oil firms and with them, expertise.
Oil at around $100 a barrel will take its toll on household budgets and corporate ambitions. For the past 20 years, the average price has been $28. The rising oil price is also a play on the weakening dollar. Black gold is quoted in greenbacks, so as the American currency falls, oil becomes a cheaper, more attractive investment. Car drivers must be prepared to pay top dollar for petrol.
(Also: Passing milestone or peak price?)
US unemployment jumped to its highest level in more than 2 years last month, adding pressure on the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates further. Economists said the figures were close to recessionary levels and made further cuts in US interest rates almost a certainty. "If there was any doubt about a further rate cut from the US Federal Reserve on January 30, this should now have been dispelled. At least a further 50 basis points of cuts should be expected in the following months."
Here are two dramatic statistics: oil has risen above $100 a barrel; and the price of a euro is now as close to £1 as to 50p. These figures are of more than psychological significance. The surge in oil prices is perhaps the most important geopolitical fact of our era. The nastiest dictatorships in the world are fuelled, literally and figuratively, by petrol.
The rising euro, too, has global significance. In good times, strains between the centre and the periphery were absorbed by rising prosperity. Not any more. A fall in Spanish house prices, for example, or a similar reduction in Ireland or France, would lead to demands for a cut in euro-zone interest rates in what we might loosely call the "Latin" countries; a cut which would, however, be fiercely resisted in Germany.
A Deutsche Presse Agentur story released on the eve of the New Year's reveals that Nanjing is about to be home to the world's largest Bible factory to be housed in what's been described as an "aircraft hangar-sized plant" capable of producing 1 million copies a month, or 1 Bible per second. Amity Printing's current factory is already 800,000 Bibles a month in 90 languages.
If you like to sleep late but don't want to miss the sunrise, this time of year should be your favorite. The latest sunrises of the year for mid-latitudes in the northern hemisphere are happening now. The December solstice always brings the shortest day. But the latest sunrises do not coincide with the day of least sunlight. The reason is that Earth's orbit around the sun is not a perfect circle. Due to our eccentric orbit, Earth is traveling a little faster in orbit right now than it does in summer. Clock time gets a bit out of synch with sun time.
Today in Scripture
* "On the 24th day of the 9th month, in the 2nd year of Darius, the word of YAHWEH came to the prophet Haggai: ... 'Now give careful thought to this from this day on - consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in YAHWEH's temple. ... From this day on, from this 24th day of the 9th month, give careful thought to the day when the foundation of YAHWEH's temple was laid." (Hag 2:10-19)
* "The word of YAHWEH came to Haggai a 2nd time on the 24th day of the month:..." (Hag 2:20-23)
[WAR: As I mentioned on Xmas day, this is the day when Yahshua was conceived - when YAHWEH emptied Himself completely (100%) to become a human being (100%) just like you and me. And 9 months from now would put his birth right at the Day of Trumpets - with Rev 12:1 being the heavenly time-stamp of this occasion.]
