The Morning Brief - Lignet
Blind Chinese Activist Alone in Human Rights Struggle
It has been more than a year since blind human rights activist Chen
Guangcheng made his escape from house arrest in China to safety in the
American Embassy in Beijing, but Chen is no closer in his quest to
improve the human rights situation in China. Despite an initial
outpouring of sympathy and acclaim for Chen, little has changed on the
ground in China.
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World Politics Playing Out on Syrian Stage, Says Former
Ambassador
Former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Itamar Rabinovich told LIGNET in
an exclusive interview that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has raised
tensions with Israel in order to portray the Syrian conflict as one in
which Syria is battling outside forces, rather than its own people.
Israel and Syria are “not engaged in a war,” he says.
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Japan: Massive Stimulus Triggered Stock Sell-off
The 7.3 percent drop in Japan's Nikkei stock index today may have
followed indications that the U.S. Federal Reserve could soon slow its
purchase of bank securities. But it was clearly triggered by the
extraordinary measures Japan has taken in recent weeks to jumpstart the
economy. The pace of change has been so rapid that it has left the
Japanese economy vulnerable to sudden collapse.
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Iran: Disqualified Presidential Candidates Will Further Alienate
Population
Iranian officials approved a small group of regime insiders to run in
next month’s presidential election. The exclusion of former President
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani surprised many observers and probably indicates
an aggressive push by conservative clerics to consolidate their control
of the country. The exclusion of Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie, President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s aide, was not a surprise and reflects the outgoing
president’s estrangement from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his
greatly diminished political influence.
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UK: Cameron Fighting for His Life as Euro-skeptics Rally
Prime Minister David Cameron’s meeting with President Barack Obama this
past week was overshadowed by a political crisis over the UK’s
membership in the European Union. The so-called Tory Rebellion has
called into question Cameron’s leadership of the conservatives, and may
eventually bring an end to the governing coalition that he leads.
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China’s Resource Grab Extends into Arctic Circle
China is joining a council on climate change and the environment in the
Arctic Circle where rapidly melting polar ice is uncovering an abundance
of natural resources. China will have limited decision-making power,
serving not as a full member, but as an observer, but may still find
opportunities to acquire land rights and mineral resources, increasing
China's worldwide political and economic might.
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