dc_subsection_news_in_brief_September_2009

September 2009

Zimbabwe's Supreme Court Issues Surprise Ruling
September 28, 2009: Earlier today, Zimbabwe's highest court announced it would drop terrorism charges against well-known local human rights activist Jestina Mukoko and eight others who had been held on suspicions of plotting to overthrow the government of President Robert Mugabe. The Supreme Court declared it would bar future prosecution of the nine detainees after revelations that they had been assaulted and tortured in prison. All of the court’s judges are Mugabe appointees. [DC]

Honduran Government Launches Media Crackdown
September 28, 2009: The interim government of Honduras has shut down a major television network and a leading radio station due to fears those outlets were organizing a challenge to its rule. The government says Channel 36 and Radio Globo were taken off the air Monday for allegedly threatening "peace and public order"—or, in other words, broadcasting content supportive of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, who was deposed in a military coup in June. The crackdown comes on the heels of the interim government's decision to curb certain civil liberties over the weekend. [DC]

Iran Flexes its Clout
September 28, 2009: One would imagine that after Iran’s underground nuclear plant surfaced so dramatically at the G20, the nation would be walking on its tiptoes—at least for a while. Just two days after Obama’s announcement, the nation began brazenly testing its advanced medium-range missiles. According to State television reports, not only are the missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads but also of traveling 1,200 miles—placing Israel, parts of Europe, and U.S. military bases squarely within its range. Iran’s aggressive response does not bode well for the upcoming Geneva talks this Thursday. [DC]

Swiss to Extradite Polanski
September 28, 2009: Saturday night’s Zurich Film Festival made the last Grammys seem composed. Famed 76-year-old director Roman Polanski was on his way to accept a Lifetime Achievement Award when he was apprehended by a mass of Swiss police officers. The Oscar-award-winning director of “The Pianist” has been wanted by the U.S. for three decades after pleading guilty to unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl and then absconding to France. Swiss officials are denying reports that their current cooperation is centered on mending relations with the U.S. after the UBS scandal, but considering that Polanski has owned and frequented a chalet at a Swiss ski resort for years, this seems very much the case. [DC]

Medvedev: Empty Words?
September 28, 2009: Russia appears to be retreating from President Medvedev’s assurances to President Obama last Wednesday. During their UN sideline meeting in New York, Medvedev said that if Iran continues to flout nuclear demands, there would be “no other option” for Russia but to support U.S.-backed sanctions. Despite this pledge, Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, has begun dictating a much more unilateral stance. When asked to comment on the G20 disclosure of Iran’s covert nuclear site, Lavrov claimed that it was not clear that Iran had done anything wrong. Putin has also declared that there is no evidence that Iran is pursuing a nuclear bomb. Russia exports heavily to Iran. [DC]

Heightening Sino-U.S. Trade Tensions
September 28, 2009: It was an effort towards conciliation. Friday U.S. lawmakers voted to lift a ban on Chinese-poultry products that had been ratified two years earlier over food safety concerns. It was hoped that dismissing the embargo would improve Sino-U.S. relations, which have been strained since the Chinese tire tariff was implemented earlier this month. Beijing, however, proves not to be so easily appeased. On Sunday, its Ministry of Commerce levied sweeping anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations against U.S. poultry exports. The U.S. poultry industry is blanching at the measure taken by its biggest market. With $676 million at stake, the tension between the two nations shows no sign of easing. [DC]

Study: New Pacific Weather Pattern Linked to Global Warming
September 24, 2009: According to a new joint report released by South Korean and U.S. researchers, climate change is likely to blame for the recent emergence of a new "El Nino"-like weather pattern in the central Pacific Ocean. Researchers say that depending on how the new system evolves, it could have an even greater impact on global precipitation patterns than the original El Nino, which is located in the tropical eastern Pacific. The report warns that India and Australia could be hardest hit by the new El Nino system, experiencing intensified droughts during the coming years. [DC]

Back-to-Back Global Summits
September 21-24, 2009: The world has witnessed a heavy dose of summitry over the past week, with gatherings of the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday and the G20 today in Pittsburgh. As expected, there has been no shortage of dramatic political theater inside the summit venues and outside on the streets. At both gatherings, international trade policy and the recent global economic slowdown have dominated discussions. [DC]

Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations Delayed
September 24, 2009: Despite recent rumors of resumption in Middle East peace talks, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said today his government has no immediate plans to sit down with Israeli officials. Abbas has cited "fundamental disagreements" between the two sides about what issues should be prioritized in peace talks, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refusing to negotiate a potential political partition of Jerusalem and a "right of return" for Palestinian refugees. Abbas, Netanyahu, and President Barack Obama met briefly on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly earlier this week. [DC]

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