The Morning Brief - Lignet



Tunisia: Unrest Stills Simmers at Source of Arab Spring
Two years after a street vendor in Tunisia set himself on fire, sparking the Arab Spring uprisings that engulfed the region and toppled the country’s authoritarian president, a weak Tunisian economy is prompting violent clashes between authorities and radical Salafists. To overcome these obstacles as it prepares for new elections in June, Tunisia is negotiating with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to obtain a $2.5 billion loan package and is stepping up its counterterrorism operations amidst the rising unrest.
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China: Q4 GDP Uptick Masks Need for Economic Reforms
While China’s economy recovered slightly in the fourth quarter of 2012, it recorded one of its lowest annual growth rates since 2009 and the country only avoided lower growth last year after abandoning tepid economic reforms and implementing huge stimulus spending. While GDP growth is expected to remain stable in 2013, this will probably only occur because Chinese officials will continue stimulus spending and postpone economic reforms
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Israel: Netanyahu Likely to Forge Broad Coalition After Election Setback
Yesterday’s Knesset elections were a major political setback for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and likely will force him to form a broader coalition and make significant policy changes. The most stunning development of the election was the second-place finish for the new Yesh Atid party which represents secular Israelis and opposes Netanyahu’s policies toward the Palestinians and West Bank settlements.
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787 Dreamliner Likely to Rebound from Battery Problem
The first general grounding order of a civilian airliner in over three decades by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a serious but not a fatal blow to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The potentially flammable lithium ion battery powering the Dreamliner’s electrical system has taken the Boeing Company’s (NYSE: BA) most prized asset temporarily out of service barely a year since its maiden flight. If a quick solution can be found, most experts and customers appear prepared to accept the battery problem as ‘growing pains’ for a new aircraft design.
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Eastern Europe Dreams of Shale Success
Eastern European countries are forging ahead with plans to develop their shale deposits in a bid to end their reliance on Russia for expensive imports of natural gas. Ukraine is planning to sign a new $10 billion shale gas exploration deal with Royal Dutch Shell [NYSE: RDS] at the end of the week, while Chevron [NYSE: CVX] is allegedly close to securing an exploration deal in Lithuania that will involve an investment of at least $31 million.
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Britain and Australia Seek Defense Collaboration
The decision by the UK and Australia to strengthen military ties and explore collaboration on weapon systems is a pragmatic response to fiscal and strategic challenges that impact the two allies in different ways. While the UK faces defense budget reductions, Australia is expanding its navy to answer China’s buildup. A significant element of the agreement is collaboration on the next-generation Type 26 Global Combat Ship (T26 GCS).
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