Police Work, Politics and World Affairs, Football and the ongoing search for great Scotch Whiskey!

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

What's going on in the World Today 130625

Major T. J. "King" Kong: Survival kit contents check. In them you'll find: one forty-five caliber automatic; two boxes of ammunition; four days' concentrated emergency rations; one drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills; one miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible; one hundred dollars in rubles; one hundred dollars in gold; nine packs of chewing gum; one issue of prophylactics; three lipsticks; three pair of nylon stockings. Shoot, a fella' could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff


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USA

U.S. Naval Update Map: June 20, 2013

June 20, Washington Post – (International) Bank of Tokyo to pay $250 million to N.Y. state in money-laundering case. The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ agreed to a $250 million settlement over charges filed by the State of New York that it processed $100 billion in illicit transactions between 2002 and 2007 to countries under U.S. sanctions.

EUROPE

Greece, Bulgaria: Political Protests Erupt

Hollande Faces a Dilemma

Problems Surround the EU-U.S. Free Trade Negotiations

ASIA

The Japanese Military's Focus on Anti-Submarine Abilities

Hong Kong's Declining Economic Fortunes

AFRICA

Piracy Slowly Rises in Western Africa

Increased Pirate Activity in the Gulf of Guinea

Railway Development in Ethiopia

RUSSIA


Russia After Putin: Inherent Leadership Struggles

Syria: Russia Will Not Permit No-fly Zone, Spokesman Says June 17, 2013

Russia will not allow a no-fly zone to be implemented in Syria, a spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry said June 17, NOW reported. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier that the United States was drawing up plans for a no-fly zone, which would be deployed from Jordan over western Syria. Russia's core interest is to sustain the Syrian regime and prolong the conflict.

Putin Puts Pensions at Risk in $43 Billion Bid to Jolt Economy

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — Faced with meager growth worldwide and a worrisome ebbing of Russia’s own oil and gas revenues, President Vladimir V. Putin announced an ambitious and risky economic stimulus program on Friday along with a novel amnesty plan for imprisoned white-collar criminals that was intended to improve investor confidence.

Mr. Putin’s proposal to dip into the country’s pension reserves for loans of up to $43.5 billion for three big infrastructure projects and other investments provoked an immediate debate among some of Russia’s top financial minds. It also brought warnings from financial experts who said that it might produce a burst of inflation, and that what the Russian economy needed most was deep structural change, to diversify from oil and gas and to build investor confidence....

CHINA

China's Food Supply

In China, Reform and the Risks of Urbanization

China's Brinksmanship with its Banks

IRAN

Iran’s Man in the Middle

...While he is considered a moderate, Rouhani comes to office as an insider. For sixteen years he was head of Iran’s National Security Council (NSC) and for two years Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator. Even today, he sits on the NSC as the personal representative of the supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei. He served five terms in the Majlis, or parliament. He sits on two major state councils, one of which, the Assembly of Experts, will elect Khamenei’s successor whenever he passes away. In holding high office, Rouhani was more a team player than a maverick and continues to support many existing Iranian policies. On Syria, since his election he has offered only the formulaic non-answer that the Syrian people should decide their own future through elections....

IRAQ

Iraq: Northern Oil Exports Have On Hold Since June 21, Shippers Say June 24, 2013

Crude oil exports from Iraq's northern Kirkuk oil fields have been on hold since June 21 after an explosion at a key pipeline, Middle East shipping agents said June 24, The Wall Street Journal reported. The Baghdad-controlled Kirkuk-Ceyhan oil pipeline has been operating at roughly one-fifth of its official capacity of 1.6 million barrels per day due to frequent bombings, poor maintenance and lower output overall.

ISRAEL


http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/israeli-aircraft-strike-targets-in-gaza-strip-after-rockets-launched/2013/06/24/dae8be4c-dc8e-11e2-a484-7b7f79cd66a1_print.html


Israeli aircraft strike targets in Gaza Strip after rockets launched

JERUSALEM — Israeli aircraft pounded targets in the Gaza Strip early Monday after rockets were fired at Israel from the territory, the military said, unsettling a tenuous cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.

The military said its aircraft struck two weapons storage facilities and a rocket launch site. No injuries were reported.

Rocket fire from Gaza has declined since Israel carried out an eight-day military campaign last November in response to frequent attacks. An Egyptian-brokered cease-fire has largely held, but sporadic fire still persists.

AFGHANISTAN

The Challenge of Afghan Power-Sharing

Afghanistan: NATO Forces Stepping Back From Combat Operations June 19, 2013

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said June 19 that NATO forces will no longer plan, execute or lead combat operations in Afghanistan, Xinhua reported. The remarks followed an announcement by Afghan President Hamid Karzai that Afghan security forces are taking the lead in the country.

MIDDLE EAST

Qatar: Emir To Transfer Power To His Son June 24, 2013

Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani announced June 24 that he plans to step down and transfer power to his son, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Al Jazeera reported. It was also announced that June 25 will be considered an official state holiday.

A Revolt Within the al Qaeda Movement

SOUTH OF THE BORDER

Evaluating the National Effect of Brazilian Protests

Mexico Readies for Energy Sector Reform

Oil and Natural Gas Production in Mexico

MISC

Geopolitical Calendar: Week of June 24, 2013

June 20, V3.co.uk – (International) Anonymous OpPetrol hacking campaign targets oil and gas sectors. Symantec urged oil and gas firms in the U.S. and worldwide to be vigilant for cyberattacks after a hacker group announced their plans for attacks on energy companies beginning June 20. The group promised to use distributed denial-of- service (DDoS) attacks, deface social media accounts and Web sites, steal sensitive information from systems and post it online, as well as infect networks with disk- wiping malware.


Except where noted courtesy STRATFOR.COM

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