| What is RSS feed? | About Us |
 |
 Search Score: 4/10
Source: www.bbc.co.uk --- 59 days ago
The diplomatic ramifications of the Georgia peace deal are still ramifying. Almost every major western power, and most of the west's multilateral groupings, have had the fundamentals of their policy shaken or challenged. There is a strong economic aspect shaping the responses too, and it goes way beyond the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline. I'm going to try and do a scrapbook style collation of thoughts and links here... First, Europe: the EU foreign Ministers meet today. Instead of the usual opportunities for diplomatic platitude they have to decide if they support the Georgian peace plan engineered by Sarkozy or not. Step forward Franco Frattini , the Italian foreign minister: "It would be negative for Europe to create a sort of coalition against Russia. It's important that Europe is the 27 (member states) and that it does not divide into groups and little cliques". The Italian government has reportedly said it is "Close to Putin's Position". FACT: When Russia turned off the gas to Ukraine in January 2006 there was a more or less immediate gas shortage in Italy. Italy's energy major ENI is planning a major joint venture with Gazprom in Libya. Next Germany's foreign minister, Frank Walter Steinmeyer: asked should Russia be kicked out of the G8: "It just doesn't seem to me to be very smart in such a time of crisis to decide whether we should revert to the previous situation." FACT: Former SPD Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, whose government ag ... Source: news.bbc.co.uk --- 87 days ago
Ministers have rejected criticisms of the $50bn aid package agreed at the G8 summit. ... Source: www.forbes.com --- 97 days ago
Global stocks get some relief from lower crude as G8 Ministers meet in Tokyo. ...
Source: www.state.gov --- 43 days ago
Following is the text of a joint statement on Georgia issued by Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom Begin Text: We, the Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom,condemn the action of our fellow G8 member. ...
Source: www.diplomatie.gouv.fr --- 101 days ago
Foreign and European Affairs Minister Bernard Kouchner was in Kyoto June 26 and 27 for the meeting of foreign Ministers of the G8 countries. Ministers discussed the main regional crises and in particular the challenges facing the international community in Afghanistan and Pakistan, particularly in the border areas where at G8 initiative over 150 development projects have been started. They emphasized the important contribution of the Paris Conference to Afghanistan’s stability and development. ... Source: www.japantimes.co.jp --- 95 days ago
ACCRA, Ghana — In the runup to the Group of Eight meeting in Japan last week, activists of all stripes were working hard to ensure that their issue would be on the agenda. While the agenda changes from year to year, one item has become a mainstay: debt relief. The fact that this issue repeatedly resurfaces calls into question the effectiveness of a well-intentioned development tool. Instead of promoting debt relief year after year, the time has come to pursue more sensible, sustainable solutions. The G8 finance Ministers have established several laudable and impressive goals that commit them to facilitating economic growth and development in African countries and affirming the importance of "good financial governance, including long-term fiscal discipline for resource-rich countries." ... Source: blogs.fco.gov.uk --- 94 days ago
150 school children gathered in an ex-sewage works (honestly) for presentations from the international climate change champions and QandA with me. I was impressed that the small seeds of a Defra idea that it was possible to multiply youth effort on climate change should be bearing fruit in presentations to environment Ministers meeting recently in Kobe Japan for the G8 plus 5. ... Source: www.capital-iom.com --- 94 days ago
Morning G8 Ministers rounded off their meeting in Japan with an eight course banquet then flew half way around the world back to their day... ... Source: www.citywire.co.uk --- 96 days ago
G8 Ministers seek to damp down expectations that they could rescue the global economy from the impact of high oil prices. ... Source: mondediplo.com --- 40 days ago
The US economy has pulled itself out of previous recessions because of access to easy credit. That won't be possible in the present circumstances – and whoever is the incoming president will only be able to make marginal changes The G8 finance Ministers' statement at their 14 June meeting in Osaka was strongly conciliatory. Part of it said: “Financial innovation has contributed significantly to global growth and development, but in the light of risks to financial stability it is imperative (...) (password requested) ... Source: www.ekklesia.co.uk --- 96 days ago
Pax Christi International has issued an open letter to G8 leaders meeting in Hokkaido, Japan, urging them to make renewed efforts toward the disarmament of nuclear weapons. ...
Source: www.greenparty.org.uk --- 94 days ago
In this, the 60th anniversary year of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we call on the EU to prioritise the immediate release of Binyam Mohamed and all other prisoners who have been held for so long without charge The UK's two Green Euro-MPs have written letters to the Foreign Office and EU foreign policy chief for the European Union Javier Solana this week urging Ministers to raise the case of a British resident incarcerated at Guantanamo Bay with US authorities at the G8 summit. Dr Caroline Lucas, MEP for the South East, and Jean Lambert, MEP for London, are demanding that UK and EU representatives challenge American officials over the continued detention of Binyam Mohamed, who was reportedly captured in a process of 'extraordinary rendition'. Mr Mohamed has been held without trial by the US for over 6 years and is currently detained in Guantanamo Bay. He is suffering severe psychological trauma and is awaiting a decision about his case coming before a military commission. Dr Lucas MEP said: "The appalling treatment of Binyam Mohamed by the US authorities is a clear breach of international human rights law. A military trial could result in a death sentence being handed down and would even further undermine the rule of law. "The G8 summit in Japan is an ideal opportunity for Ministers from the UK and the EU to demonstrate their commitment to humanitarian justice by questioning US officials over his continued detention an ... Source: www.mform.co.uk --- 46 days ago
More than 70 MPs have signed a petition asking for a windfall tax on utility companies as household bills continue to rise. Pressure group Compass has organised a petition to levy a one-off tax on utilities, which would be used to help poor households. British Gas, EDF and Scottish and Southern Energy have all put their gas and electricity prices up recently, while record profits from oil companies BP and Shell led to calls for a windfall tax from trade unions. However, chancellor Alistair Darling is opposed as it could harm investment in the energy sector. Energy firms are also, unsurprisingly, against the proposition. David Porter, chief executive of the Association of Electricity Producers, said: "'Windfall' taxes are not a measure that should be associated with a G8 country. "Retrospective penalties like that send out a dreadful signal about investment in the UK. Every million pounds squeezed out of the electricity industry is a million pounds that is not available for investment in new power stations." Gordon Brown is said to prefer charging for 'emissions permits' as a way of raising capital from the firms, rather than a tax. The permits, created as part of the EU's carbon trading scheme, were initially free but Ministers intend to auction seven per cent of them. In a statement, Compass said: "We believe the moment is right for the government to levy a sensible one-off windfall tax to guarantee social and environmental justice bo ... Source: www.opendemocracy.com --- 78 days ago
Some forty trade Ministers are back in Geneva this week to try again to nail down an agreement after nearly seven years of talking in the Doha round. There has been much hype surrounding this latest pow-wow, billed as the very last chance for progress before critical elections in the United States and India, and before terminal disappointment sets in amongst the developing countries. Stephen Browne is deputy executive director and director of operations at the International Trade Centre ( ITC ), Geneva. He is the author of Aid and Infl u ence: Do Donors Help or Hinder? (Earthscan, 2006) Also by Stephen Browne in openDemocracy : " G8 aid: beyond the target trap " (6 June 2007) " Whatever happened to 'development'? " (17 April 2007) " A green wall? Kenya, organics, and "food miles? " (25 January 2008) But how important is Doha? How much will it matter if the talks break down again - as they did at the full ministerial in Cancún in September 2003, and also in the more limited meeting in 2007? The answer is that that these talks are important because they focus on issues that it is vital to resolve if the world-trade regime is to become more balanced and equitable. A historical perspective can help to illustrate this. The road to Doha The main reason why Doha matters is that authentic global trade negotiations, though relatively new, have been increasing in their range and inclusiveness on a global scale. Doha is the ninth round of t ... Source: www.cgdev.org --- 93 days ago
The leaders of the G8 countries, meeting this week in Hokkaido, Japan, will be discussing what more needs to be done to address the food price crisis and the 100 million people threatened with increasing hunger and poverty. Later in the month, trade Ministers will congregate in Geneva to try and achieve a breakthrough in the Doha Round of trade negotiations. While a Doha agreement on agriculture would have little impact on todayâs crisis, it would remove trade-distorting policies in rich countries that have discouraged increased production in developing countries in the past. It also aims to reform food aid to make it more responsive in emergencies and more supportive of local markets. Please join us for a discussion of these issues and what the U.S. Government is doing to address the food crisis and to ensure that the Doha Round is successfully concluded. ... Source: london.greenparty.org.uk --- 93 days ago
Binyam Mohamed must receive fair trial The UK's two Green Euro-MPs have called on President Sarkozy, the Foreign Office, the President of the European Parliament this week urging Ministers to raise the case of a British resident incarcerated at Guantanamo Bay with US authorities at the G8 summit. Jean Lambert, MEP for London, and Dr Caroline Lucas, MEP for the South East, are demanding that UK and EU representatives question American officials over the continued detention of Binyam Mohamed, who was reportedly captured in a process of 'extraordinary rendition'. Mr Mohamed has been held without trial by the US for over 6 years and is currently detained in Guantanamo Bay. He is suffering horrendous psychological trauma and is awaiting a decision about his case coming before a military commission. Jean Lambert MEP said: "Binyam Mohammed, a former London resident, has suffered the most atrocious and inhumane treatment since he was first detained, including being slashed across his body and genitals with a razor blade. He has now been detained without trial for over six years, is severely depressed and close to a complete mental breakdown. "The only known evidence against him has been obtained during periods of torture and so is both unreliable and inadmissible. Any conviction based on such evidence would be wholly unsafe and unacceptable. International law must be upheld and all prisoners must have access to a fair trial in civilian courts. ... Find more results for G8 Ministers on RSSMicro.com |
Copyright © 2008 RSSMicro.com
Filed under: Gaming , Handhelds It really does pay to be a foreign minister representing the 8 richest countries in the world. This Japanese-lacquered DS lite is just one of the items presented to the G8 Ministers participating in last week's talks in Kyoto. The other items included a scented perfume ball and manga-styled stickers for each of the participant to attach to their diplomatic tricycles. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments ...
Filed under: Nintendo DS , Politics Preventing the world from plunging into economic chaos can be dirty, joyless work. Thankfully, foreign Ministers of the ultra-exclusive G8 club were handed their very own perfume balls and custom DSs when they gathered in Kyoto recently to lay the groundwork for next week's leadership summit. You'll never guess what Condoleezza pictochatted Miliband. Poor Steinmeier, always the butt of their jokes... [Thanks Ittousai!] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments ...
G8 SUMMIT, HAKKAIDO, JAPAN Has Prudence left the Treasury to move into the nation's kitchens? Will "Mr Brown's Book of Household Management" be the prime minister's next magnum opus? What tips does the PM have on how to turn your leftovers into a nice soup or a stew? I suspect that the PM knew that he'd be mocked for his tip to the nation's households to save themselves eight quid a week by wasting less food. I suspect that he also knew, however, that it would be a story that the media couldn't resist and which would highlight that he was, at least, trying to do something about those soaring bills at the supermarket. He is trying to demonstrate how people themselves as well as his government and the G8 can help us all to live with rising food prices. His aim is to demonstrate that he is helping top create a global plan to deal with one of the public's top concerns. To cut prices, the prime minister wants to increase the supply of food and to decrease demand for it. Thus, he wants the G8 to help Africa to double her food production. Thus, a government commissioned report will today advise Ministers on how they can ensure that subsidies for biofuels don't stop farmers growing corn for food to grow it to produce alternatives to petrol. The message of the Gallagher Report is, apparently, that the Ministers should subsidise "good" biofuels - ie those that don't substitute for food - and not "bad" ones that do. And, thus, the PM advises ...
Filed under: News What better way to celebrate Independence Day than by putting the faces of governmental figures on a sticker? The real story behind the above isn't quite that hilarious, actually. Late last month at the G8 foreign Ministers' meeting in Kyoto, this beautifully redone DS was spotted, alongside stickers bearing the faces of the Ministers. All that's missing is a sticker on the DS, though frankly, that Lite is way too pretty to muck up with stickers. We'd probably do it anyway, though, for the lulz . Gallery: Limited Edition Lites: A History of Sadness Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments ...