This coming Friday, after a two year global campaign with four world cities on the run, one of the closest bids races in Olympic history will take place in a vote of the International Olympic Committee in Copenhagen. The cities contending to become host to the games are Rio de Janeiro, Madrid, Chicago and Tokyo. Read the rest of this entry »

Nobody is sure yet of how much was accomplished at the G20 meeting mostly because the most talked about event, one that was probably orchestrated behind the scenes but not expected to be presented, was the dramatic disclosure Friday made by Obama, flanked by Brown and Sarkozy, the leaders of Britain and France, of the existence of a covert Iranian nuclear enrichment site. Read the rest of this entry »

Remember the Artic Sea? The vessel with a full cargo of timber that disappeared en route from Finland to Algeria at the end of July was finally recovered off west Africa on August 17 and eight alleged hijackers were arrested. From the beginning there were all sort of rumors (see article “A ship is missing: pirates, terrorists? from August 13) while Russia denied the vessel was carrying a secret cargo claiming it was hijacked by criminals for a ransom. Read the rest of this entry »

According to what we read, the unrest continues in Iran after the results of the elections last Friday gave a markedly victory to the incumbent President Ahmadinejad. While the Iranians were going to the urns, in Washington President Obama said the “robust debate” during the campaign suggested a possibility of change in Iran. Read the rest of this entry »

Forget about North Korea, Iran, Afghanistan, foreclosures, … It is the chocolate bunny’s turn in the EU’s court of justice. A rule was handed there today at the request of Swiss chocolate maker Lindt on whether a chocolate bunny can be trademarked. Read the rest of this entry »

Exactly one week ago the US government issued its report on human rights with the findings of 2008. Europe was not absent from it. Some of the problems found were in Belgium accused of discrimination on the labor market; neonazi extremism in Austria and abuses against Gypsies in nine EU countries. Read the rest of this entry »